Types of Savings Accounts

Many people are taught from the time of their first piggy bank that saving money is important. But as you get older and develop a money management plan, the process of saving can seem a bit more complex. No longer is there a single option for keeping money safe, but there are several types of savings accounts to choose from. And each one has pros and cons to consider depending on your financial goals.

The various types of savings accounts can help you earn some extra money while you save. There are three features savers generally find most important: safety (risk, if you’re a professional investor), access (liquidity), and earning potential (interest). This article will cover:

• Bank deposit savings accounts.
• Online savings accounts (sometimes called high-yield savings accounts).
• Money market accounts.
• Certificates of deposit.
• Health savings accounts.

Deposit savings accounts are a dependable way to put money aside because they are safe, liquid, and low cost. Deposit accounts are sometimes called transaction accounts or share accounts, usually at credit unions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) secures these accounts up to $250,000, which means even if the bank fails you still get your money back. You can open one with a very small initial deposit. 

Deposit accounts are highly liquid – you can add to them or withdraw from them at any time. However, there may be limitations on the number of “convenient” withdrawals that you’re allowed each month.] Regardless of limits on “convenient” withdrawals, in-person and ATM transactions that are considered “inconvenient” are effectively unlimited, though certain banks may have stricter requirements.³

People typically use deposit accounts to put money aside for short-term needs, like holiday spending, vacations, house down payments, or emergency funds. Some people even like to open multiple deposit accounts to separate funds for different goals. You can link them to a checking account for automatic transfers, bill payments, or debit card access.

A tradeoff for high stability is low or non-existent interest rates. If maximizing interest income is important to you, compare Annual Percentage Yield (APY) from online banks in addition to traditional banks. In July 2023, APYs on savings accounts ranged from 0.01% to around 5%, with the highest rates coming from online high-yield savings accounts.⁴       

The main difference between regular deposit savings accounts and online high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) is that with HYSAs you get higher returns but lower liquidity. Because these accounts are online, all the transactions are electronic and some banks may subject transfers to a limit, like six times per month. But it’s important to check the requirements with your bank before signing up if you may need to transfer funds more frequently. Since most electronic transfers take two or three days to complete, you need more time to get your money than at a physical bank branch, where you can just walk away with it.

With returns of around 5%, though, HYSAs are an option to consider for people who are putting savings away for the long term.

Many people think of money market accounts (MMAs) as a hybrid of deposit and checking accounts because they are relatively safe, liquid, pay interest, and let you write checks.

MMAs are FDIC/NCUSIF insured, which is particularly important since they tend to have larger balances – many require minimum deposits, although not all do. Most MMAs charge fees if balances fall below the required minimum. Mutual fund money market accounts, which sound similar, are not insured. Depending on the bank, MMAs may follow the same regulations (and exclusions) on transactions as deposit savings accounts. 

Interest earnings are higher with MMAs than many savings accounts because of a higher stated interest rate and daily compounded interest. Those two factors can make a big difference on large balances. For example, in July 2023, interest rates ranged from 4.5% to 5.25%.⁵

People generally use MMAs to save for infrequent expenses large enough to meet account minimums and earn meaningful interest, like emergency savings, tax payments or current tuition payments.

Certificates of Deposit (CDs) offer safety and, compared to savings accounts, high interest rates. The tradeoff is low liquidity. CDs tie up your funds for a set amount of time. You make one initial deposit and no withdrawals. All CDs offered by banks and credit unions are FDIC/NCUSIF insured. Most CDs share a few common parameters:

• A set maturation period, sometimes called a term or duration, typically from one month to 10 years.
• Penalty charges for early withdrawal.
• Minimum deposit required, although amounts vary significantly from bank to bank.
• CDs automatically roll over at the end of the term, after a grace period during which you can take the money back.
• Fixed interest rate for the entire term, usually with higher rates for longer terms. 

CD interest rates tend to max out around 5.4%, as of July 2023.⁶ Interest compounding frequency differs by bank, so looking at the APY is a better way to compare your options because that measure takes compounding into account. CDs that are opened in an IRA account also may have tax advantages. 

A common strategy to maximize interest earnings and increase liquidity is to “ladder” CDs, which means spreading a deposit over several CDs with different maturations rates and then reinvesting each into a longer-term CD as it matures. This approach lets you earn the higher rates associated with longer terms and gives you periodic windows to access your money without penalty when each CD matures.⁷

Some CD variations exist, with a common tradeoff for additional options being lower initial interest rates.

• Liquid CDs allow early withdrawal of funds without penalty, which is beneficial if you believe market rates may increase before the CD matures.
• Bump-up CDs include the option to switch to a new, higher-rate CD within the same bank if one becomes available.
• Step-up CDs have built-in interest rate increases at set points.
• Jumbo CDs require high minimum deposits, usually over $100,000, and offer higher initial interest rates. 

CDs are often used for saving money for purchases that will be made at a set point in the future, like a home renovation, or a down payment for a car or mortgage. Some people use short-term CDs to earn more interest on their emergency fund.