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Standout online savings accounts

The best online savings accounts offer high interest rates while being a safe place to park your money. Because online banks don’t have the expense of maintaining branches, they can offer high-interest savings paying many times higher than the national average of 0.06%*. To make the search easier, we created this shortlist of standout picks from our partners. Check out the offer, from our partner, and start earning interest today.
Bank
APY
Monthly Fee
Details
Marcus by Goldman Sachs Online Savings Account's logo
NerdWallet rating 

at Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Member FDIC

1.70%

With $0 minimum balance

$0

Pros
  • Access to customer service 7 days/week
  • No monthly fees
  • Same-day transfers up to $100,000*

Building an emergency fund

Emergency funds don’t get enough credit. They’re useful to literally everyone and protect you from falling into debt when “life happens”. Think: blown transmission, a surprise vet bill or even losing a job. Experts recommend having 3-6 months of living expenses in your fund. And because the money needs to be available at last notice — but might sit around for quite a while — a high-interest savings account is one of the best accounts you can use.

Why online banks dominate the list

The two most important factors for virtually every bank-shopper are APYs and maintenance fees (since they have the biggest impact on your bottom line). And, as it happens, online banks are offering massive APYs — as much as 8x the average APY* — plus, they also offer rock-bottom maintenance fees.

Want an Online Broker For Stock Trading?

With standout features like low commission rates, impressive investing tools, easy-to-access research and more, these brokers offer something for every investor — from beginners to seasoned traders. And to help you find the one that’s right for you, we’ve highlighted their pros, cons and current offers.

Broker

Highlights

Commissions

Account Minimum

Current Offers

Start Investing

NerdWallet rating

Show Details

Large selection; low fees

Commissions

$0

per trade

Current Offers

Get up to $600 or more

when you open and fund an E*TRADE account

on E*TRADE's website

Show Details

Looking for a hands-off way to invest? Try an online financial advisor.

Vanguard Personal Advisor Services is an option for investors who can meet the $50,000 account minimum and want to use the computer algorithms of a robo-advisor with access to a live financial advisor at a low cost.

Broker

Highlights

Commissions

Account Minimum

Current Offers

Start Investing

NerdWallet rating

Show Details

Customized portfolios; access to financial advisors

Commissions

0.30%

management fee

Current Offers

None

no promotion available at this time

on Vanguard Personal Advisor Services' website

Show Details

*8x more interest based on the national average annual percentage yield ("APY") of 0.06% (as reported by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as of May 19, 2021) as compared to online banks with interest-bearing savings account APYs of 0.50% or more. Estimated annual earnings result assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for one year and interest rates and APY do not change. Estimated annual earnings are for informational purposes only. Interest rates and APY are subject to change and specific results cannot be guaranteed.
EXAMPLE OF POTENTIAL SAVINGS
If your money is in an account that earns a high interest rate, your balance will grow faster without any additional effort on your part. After one year, a balance of $10,000 would earn about $10 in an account with a 0.10% APY. That same balance would earn about $150 in an account with a 1.50% APY.

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Up-to-date reviews

We regularly update our list of savings accounts as they introduce new features and offers.