Right here’s my month-to-month survey of the most effective rates of interest on money as of January 2026, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks and brokerages love making the most of idle money, and you’ll usually earn more cash whereas preserving the identical degree of security by transferring to a different FDIC-insured financial institution or NCUA-insured credit score union. Try my Final Charge-Chaser Calculator to see how a lot further curiosity you might earn from switching. Charges listed can be found to everybody nationwide. Charges checked as of 1/11/26.
TL;DR: Financial savings account rates of interest have dropped barely total, transferring with the Fed price reduce. You may nonetheless get 4.6% in the event you settle for some hoops/restrictions, however most are below 4% now. Brief-term T-Invoice charges have fallen, now ~3.6%. High 5-year CD charges are ~4% APY, whereas 5-year Treasury price is ~3.7%.
Excessive-yield financial savings accounts*
Because the enormous megabanks nonetheless pay primarily zero curiosity, everybody ought to at the least have a separate, no-fee on-line financial savings account to piggy-back onto your present checking account. The rates of interest on financial savings accounts can drop at any time, so I checklist the highest charges in addition to aggressive charges from banks with a historical past of aggressive charges and strong person expertise. Some banks will bait you with a short lived prime price after which decrease the charges within the hopes that you’re too lazy to go away.
- The highest saving price for the time being: Pibank at 4.60% APY (no min), however they’ve some bizarre restrictions; like you’ll be able to solely use wire/Plaid to deposit and wire transfers to withdraw funds?! OnPath FCU is at 4.40% APY with $25,000 minimal steadiness. CIT Platinum Financial savings is now at 3.75% APY with $5,000+ steadiness and is providing an as much as $300 deposit bonus which will increase your efficient APY for some time. There are various banks in between.
- SoFi Financial institution is at 3.30% APY + as much as 4.00% APY for six months + $325 new account bonus with qualifying direct deposit. It’s essential to preserve a direct deposit of any quantity (even $1) every month for the upper APY. SoFi has traditionally aggressive charges and full banking options.
- Here’s a restricted survey of high-yield financial savings accounts. They aren’t the highest charges, however a gaggle which have traditionally stored it comparatively aggressive such that I like to trace their historical past. This month they begin at 3.30% APY on up.
Brief-term assured charges (1 yr and below)
A typical query is what to do with a giant pile of money that you simply’re ready to deploy shortly (plan to purchase a home quickly, simply offered your home, simply offered what you are promoting, authorized settlement, inheritance). My regular recommendation is to maintain issues easy and take your time. If not a financial savings account, then put it in a versatile short-term CD below the FDIC limits till you could have a plan.
- No Penalty CDs supply a set rate of interest that may by no means go down, however you’ll be able to nonetheless take out your cash (as soon as) with none charges if you wish to use it elsewhere. Marcus has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 3.95% APY ($500 minimal deposit). Farmer’s Insurance coverage FCU has a 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.00% APY ($1,000 minimal deposit). USALLIANCE Monetary CU has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 3.90% APY ($500 minimal deposit). CIT Financial institution has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 3.75% APY ($1,000 minimal deposit).
- Genisys CU has a 13-month certificates at 4.16% APY ($500 min). Early withdrawal penalty is a clearly-disclosed 90 days of curiosity (many locations cover this data now). Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through companion group Arthritis Basis or Paint Creek Heart for the Arts (one-time $5 price).
Cash market mutual funds
Many brokerage corporations that pay out little or no curiosity on their default money sweep funds (and preserve the distinction for themselves). Word: Cash market mutual funds are highly-regulated, however in the end not FDIC-insured, so I’d nonetheless follow extremely respected corporations.
- Vanguard Federal Cash Market Fund (VMFXX) is the default sweep choice for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has a 7-day SEC yield of 3.64% (adjustments day by day, but in addition works out to a compound yield of three.70%, which is best for evaluating towards APY). Odds are that is a lot increased than your individual dealer’s default money sweep rate of interest.
- Vanguard Treasury Cash Market Fund (VUSXX) is another cash market fund which you will need to manually buy, however the curiosity shall be principally (100% for 2024 tax yr) exempt from state and native revenue taxes as a result of it comes from qualifying US authorities obligations. Present 7-day SEC yield of 3.66% (compound yield of three.72%).
Treasury Payments and Extremely-short Treasury ETFs
An alternative choice is to purchase particular person Treasury payments which are available in quite a lot of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks and are totally backed by the US authorities. You can too spend money on ETFs that maintain a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Payments for you, whereas charging a small administration price for doing so. T-bill curiosity is exempt from state and native revenue taxes, which may make a big distinction in your efficient yield.
- You may construct your individual T-Invoice ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or through a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Constancy. Listed below are the present Treasury Invoice charges. As of 1/9/26, a brand new 4-week T-Invoice had the equal of 3.62% annualized curiosity and a 52-week T-Invoice had the equal of 3.51% annualized curiosity.
- The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 3.70% 30-day SEC yield (0.09% expense ratio) and efficient period of 0.10 years. SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Invoice ETF (BIL) has a 3.59% 30-day SEC yield (0.136% expense ratio) and efficient period of 0.15 years. The brand new Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Invoice ETF (VBIL) has a 3.72% 30-day SEC yield (0.07% expense ratio) and efficient period of 0.10 years.
US Financial savings Bonds
Sequence I Financial savings Bonds supply charges which are linked to inflation and backed by the US authorities. It’s essential to maintain them for at the least a yr. In case you redeem them inside 5 years there’s a penalty of the final 3 months of curiosity. The annual buy restrict for digital I bonds is $10,000 per Social Safety Quantity, obtainable on-line at TreasuryDirect.gov.
- “I Bonds” purchased between November 2025 and April 2026 will earn a 4.03% price for the primary six months. The speed of the next 6-month interval shall be primarily based on inflation once more. Extra on Financial savings Bonds right here.
- In mid-April 2026, the CPI shall be introduced and you should have a brief interval the place you should have a really shut estimate of the speed for the subsequent 12 months. I’ll publish one other replace at the moment.
Rewards checking accounts
These distinctive checking accounts pay above-average rates of interest, however with distinctive dangers. It’s a must to soar by sure hoops which normally contain 10+ debit card purchases every cycle, a sure variety of ACH/direct deposits, and/or a sure variety of logins per thirty days. In case you make a mistake (or they decide that you simply did) you danger incomes zero curiosity for that month. Some of us don’t thoughts the additional work and a spotlight required, whereas others would somewhat not trouble. Charges can even drop all of a sudden, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling.
- La Capitol Federal Credit score Union pays 6.50% APY (elevated) on as much as $10,000 in the event you make 15 debit card purchases of at the least $5 every per assertion cycle. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through companion group, Louisiana Affiliation for Private Monetary Achievement ($20).
- OnPath Federal Credit score Union (my evaluation) pays 6.00% APY on as much as $10,000 in the event you make 15 debit card purchases, decide into on-line statements, and login to on-line or cellular banking as soon as per assertion cycle. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through $5 membership price to hitch companion group. You can too get a $150 Visa Reward card if you open a brand new account and make qualifying transactions.
- Genisys Credit score Union pays 6.75% APY on as much as $7,500 in the event you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ every per assertion cycle, and decide into on-line statements. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through $5 membership price to hitch companion group.
- Oklahoma Central Credit score Union pays 6.00% APY on as much as $10,000 in the event you make 15 debit card purchases (non-ATM) per assertion cycle. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union if they’re “affiliated with one other credit score union”.
- First Southern Financial institution pays 5.50% APY on as much as $25,000 in the event you make at the least 15 debit card purchases, 1 ACH credit score or fee transaction, and enroll in on-line statements.
- Credit score Union of New Jersey pays 6.00% APY on as much as $25,000 in the event you make 12 debit card purchases, decide into on-line statements, and make at the least 1 direct deposit, on-line invoice fee, or automated fee (ACH) per assertion cycle. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through $5 membership price to hitch companion group.
- Andrews Federal Credit score Union pays 5.25% APY (decreased) on as much as $25,000 in the event you make 15 debit card purchases, decide into on-line statements, and make at the least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per assertion cycle. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through companion group.
- Capitol Credit score Union pays 6.00% APY on as much as $15,000 in the event you make 12 debit card purchases, decide into on-line statements, and make at the least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per assertion cycle. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through companion group ($5 to Wild Basin Wilderness).
- Discover a locally-restricted rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.
Certificates of deposit (better than 1 yr)
CDs supply increased charges, however include an early withdrawal penalty. By discovering a financial institution CD with an inexpensive early withdrawal penalty, you’ll be able to get pleasure from increased charges however preserve entry in a real emergency. Alternatively, contemplate constructing a CD ladder of various maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you’ve got entry to a part of the ladder annually, however your blended rate of interest is increased than a financial savings account. When one CD matures, use that cash to purchase one other 5-year CD to maintain the ladder going. Some CDs additionally supply “add-ons” the place you’ll be able to deposit extra funds if charges drop.
- ClearPath FCU has a limited-time 5-year “Flex” certificates at 4.25% APY ($5,000 minimal of latest cash), which has a novel function of getting no penalty after 12 months (should withdraw all of it; partial withdrawals are topic to penalties). Out there as common or IRA. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through companion group ($5.00 donation to Clear Giving Charitable Affiliation). Hat tip to Deposit Quest.
- United Constancy Financial institution has a 5-year certificates at 4.15% APY ($1,000 minimal), 4-year at 4.10% APY, 3-year at 4.10% APY, 2-year at 4.15% APY, and 1.5-year at 4.05% APY. Early withdrawal penalties usually are not disclosed clearly on-line.
- Mountain America Credit score Union (MACU) has a 5-year certificates at 4.00% APY ($500 minimal), 4-year at 4.00% APY, 3-year at 4.05% APY, 2-year at 4.20% APY, and 1-year at 3.80% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 4-year and 5-year is 12 months of curiosity. Anybody can be a part of this credit score union through companion group American Shopper Council (use promo code “shopper” when becoming a member of).
- You should buy certificates of deposit through the bond desks of Vanguard and Constancy. You could want an account to see the charges. These “brokered CDs” supply FDIC insurance coverage and straightforward laddering, however they don’t include predictable early withdrawal penalties. Proper now, I see a 5-year non-callable brokered CD at 3.75% APY (callable: no, name safety: sure). Be warned that each Vanguard and Constancy will checklist increased charges from callable CDs, which importantly means they will (and can!) name again your CD if charges drop considerably later.
Longer-term Devices
I’d use these with warning because of elevated rate of interest danger (tbh, I don’t use them in any respect), however I nonetheless observe them to see the remainder of the present yield curve.
- Prepared to lock up your cash for 10 years? You should buy long-term certificates of deposit through the bond desks of Vanguard and Constancy. These “brokered CDs” supply FDIC insurance coverage, however they don’t include predictable early withdrawal penalties. You may discover one thing that pays greater than your different brokerage money and Treasury choices. Proper now, I see a 10-year CDs at 3.65% (non-callable) vs. 4.15% for a 10-year Treasury. Be careful for increased charges from callable CDs the place they will name your CD again if rates of interest drop.
All charges had been checked as of 1/11/26.
* I not advocate fintech firms because of the potential of vital loss because of poor recordkeeping and the shortage of presidency safety in such situations. The purpose of money is absolute security of principal.
Photograph by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash