Right here’s my month-to-month survey of the perfect rates of interest on money as of August 2025, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks and brokerages love benefiting from our idle money, and you’ll typically incomes extra money whereas preserving the identical stage of security by shifting to a different FDIC-insured financial institution or NCUA-insured credit score union. Take a look at my Final Price-Chaser Calculator to see how a lot additional curiosity you could possibly earn from switching. Charges listed can be found to everybody nationwide. Charges checked as of 8/10/2025.

TL;DR: Financial savings account rates of interest are principally steady (possibly a tiny bit decrease on common) with one at 5% APY however most struggling to remain above 4.00% APY. Quick-term T-Invoice charges at round 4.3%. Prime 5-year CD charges are ~4.25% APY, whereas 5-year Treasury price is ~3.8%.

Excessive-yield financial savings accounts*
Because the enormous megabanks nonetheless pay basically no curiosity, everybody ought to at the very least have a separate, no-fee on-line financial savings account to piggy-back onto your current 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 stable consumer expertise. Some banks will bait you with a short lived high price after which decrease the charges within the hopes that you’re too lazy to depart.

• The highest saving price in the intervening time: HUSTL Monetary at 5.00% APY (no min), a division of Vantage West Credit score Union, member NCUA (and thus not a fintech). No direct expertise with this one; surprise how lengthy it should final? The “good/excellent” financial savings price zone seems to be roughly 4% and above. CIT Platinum Financial savings is now at 4.00% APY with $5,000+ steadiness. There are lots of banks in between.
• SoFi Financial institution is at 3.80% APY + as much as $325 new account bonus with direct deposit. It’s essential to keep a direct deposit of any quantity (even $1) every month for the upper APY. SoFi has traditionally aggressive charges and full banking options. See particulars at $25 + $300 SoFi Cash new account and deposit bonus.
• 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. I’d name this the “okay/good” zone of three.50%+.

Quick-term assured charges (1 yr and beneath)
A typical query is what to do with an enormous pile of money that you just’re ready to deploy shortly (plan to purchase a home quickly, simply bought your own home, simply bought your small business, authorized settlement, inheritance). My traditional 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 beneath the FDIC limits till you may have a plan.

• No Penalty CDs provide a hard and fast 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 4.15% APY ($500 minimal deposit). Farmer’s Insurance coverage FCU has a 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.25% APY ($1,000 minimal deposit). USA USALLIANCE Monetary CU has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.20% APY ($500 minimal deposit).
• Eagle Financial institution has a 12-month certificates at 4.40% APY ($1,000 min). Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of curiosity.

Cash market mutual funds
Many brokerage corporations that pay out little or no curiosity on their default money sweep funds (and hold the distinction for themselves). Notice: Cash market mutual funds are highly-regulated, however in the end not FDIC-insured, so I’d nonetheless stick to extremely respected corporations.

• Vanguard Federal Cash Market Fund (VMFXX) is the default sweep possibility for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has an SEC yield of 4.22% (adjustments each day, but in addition works out to a compound yield of 4.30%, which is healthier for evaluating towards APY). Odds are that is a lot greater than your individual dealer’s default money sweep rate of interest.
• Vanguard Treasury Cash Market Fund (VUSXX) is an alternate cash market fund which you need to manually buy, however the curiosity can be principally (100% for 2024 tax yr) exempt from state and native earnings taxes as a result of it comes from qualifying US authorities obligations. Present SEC yield of 4.24% (compound yield of 4.32%).

Treasury Payments and Extremely-short Treasury ETFs
An alternative choice is to purchase particular person Treasury payments which are available in a wide range of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks and are absolutely backed by the US authorities. You may as well spend money on ETFs that maintain a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Payments for you, whereas charging a small administration payment for doing so. T-bill curiosity is exempt from state and native earnings taxes, which may make a major distinction in your efficient yield.

• You’ll be able to construct your individual T-Invoice ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or by way of a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Constancy. Listed below are the present Treasury Invoice charges. As of 8/8/25, a brand new 4-week T-Invoice had the equal of 4.36% annualized curiosity and a 52-week T-Invoice had the equal of 3.92% annualized curiosity.
• The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 4.24% 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 4.16% 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 4.21% SEC yield (0.07% expense ratio) and efficient period of 0.10 years.

US Financial savings Bonds
Sequence I Financial savings Bonds provide charges which are linked to inflation and backed by the US authorities. It’s essential to maintain them for at the very 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 Might 2025 and October 2025 will earn a 3.98% price for the primary six months. The speed of the following 6-month interval can be primarily based on inflation once more. Extra on Financial savings Bonds right here.
• In mid-October 2025, the CPI can be introduced and you should have a brief interval the place you should have a really shut estimate of the speed for the following 12 months. I’ll submit one other replace at the moment.

Rewards checking accounts
These distinctive checking accounts pay above-average rates of interest, however with distinctive dangers. You need to leap by means of 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 monthly. In case you make a mistake (or they decide that you just did) you danger incomes zero curiosity for that month. Some people don’t thoughts the additional work and a spotlight required, whereas others would somewhat not hassle. Charges may drop abruptly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling.

• OnPath Federal Credit score Union (my assessment) pays 7.00% APY on as much as $10,000 should you make 15 debit card purchases, choose into on-line statements, and login to on-line or cell banking as soon as per assertion cycle. Anybody can be part of this credit score union by way of $5 membership payment to hitch associate group. You may as well get a $100 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 should you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ every per assertion cycle, and choose into on-line statements. Anybody can be part of this credit score union by way of $5 membership payment to hitch associate group.
• La Capitol Federal Credit score Union pays 5.75% APY on as much as $10,000 should you make 15 debit card purchases of at the very least $5 every per assertion cycle. Anybody can be part of this credit score union by way of associate group, Louisiana Affiliation for Private Monetary Achievement ($20).
• First Southern Financial institution pays 5.50% APY on as much as $25,000 should you make at the very least 15 debit card purchases, 1 ACH credit score or cost transaction, and enroll in on-line statements.
• Credit score Union of New Jersey pays 6.00% APY on as much as $25,000 should you make 12 debit card purchases, choose into on-line statements, and make at the very least 1 direct deposit, on-line invoice cost, or computerized cost (ACH) per assertion cycle. Anybody can be part of this credit score union by way of $5 membership payment to hitch associate group.
• Andrews Federal Credit score Union pays 5.50% APY (down from 6%) on as much as $25,000 should you make 15 debit card purchases, choose into on-line statements, and make at the very least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per assertion cycle. Anybody can be part of this credit score union by way of associate group.
• Discover a locally-restricted rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.

Certificates of deposit (better than 1 yr)
CDs provide greater 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 greater charges however keep entry in a real emergency. Alternatively, take into account 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 greater 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 provide “add-ons” the place you’ll be able to deposit extra funds if charges drop.

• Mountain America Credit score Union (MACU) has a 5-year certificates at 4.25% APY ($500 minimal), 4-year at 4.20% APY, 3-year at 4.15% APY, 2-year at 4.00% APY, and 1-year at 4.15% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 4-year and 5-year is 12 months of curiosity. Anybody can be part of this credit score union by way of associate group American Shopper Council for a one-time $5 payment (or attempt promo code “consumer”).
• Lafayette Federal Credit score Union (LFCU) has a 5/4/3/2/1-year certificates at 4.28% APY ($500 min). Barely greater charges with jumbo $100,000+ balances. Notice that the early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is a comparatively massive 600 days of curiosity. Anybody nationwide can be part of LFCU by becoming a member of the House Possession Monetary Literacy Council (HOFLC) for a one-time $10 payment.
• You should buy certificates of deposit by way of the bond desks of Vanguard and Constancy. You might want an account to see the charges. These “brokered CDs” provide FDIC insurance coverage and simple laddering, however they don’t include predictable early withdrawal penalties. Proper now, I see a 5-year non-callable brokered CD at 3.95% APY (callable: no, name safety: sure). Be warned that each Vanguard and Constancy will checklist greater charges from callable CDs, which importantly means they’ll (and can!) name again your CD if charges drop considerably later.

Longer-term Devices
I’d use these with warning attributable to 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.

• Keen to lock up your cash for 10 years? You should buy long-term certificates of deposit by way of the bond desks of Vanguard and Constancy. These “brokered CDs” provide 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 3.85% (non-callable) vs. 4.27% for a 10-year Treasury. Be careful for greater charges from callable CDs the place they’ll name your CD again if rates of interest drop.

All charges have been checked as of 8/10/25.

* I now not suggest fintech firms attributable to the potential for loss attributable to poor recordkeeping and lack of presidency regulation. (Ex. Evergreen Wealth at 5% APY is a fintech.)

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