Would you consider using an online bank for your savings account?

You can often find higher interest rates and lower fees with an online savings account than a traditional savings account. Since online-only banks save money by not occupying brick-and-mortar spaces or employing tellers to staff bank branches, they’re often able to provide higher interest rates and charge lower fees.

What is the difference between a traditional savings account and an online savings account?

An online savings account from an online bank is like a traditional savings account; you deposit money in an account and earn interest on it. The big difference is in the interest rates. With fewer overhead costs, online banks can typically offer higher interest rates than brick-and-mortar banks.

Should I have a traditional savings account?

At their core, traditional savings accounts are a safe place to park your money. Every savings account you open is insured up to $250,000 by either the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—if you use a bank—or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund—if you use a credit union.

What kind of account should I put my savings in?

High-yield savings account.

Certificate of deposit (CD)

Money market account.

Checking account.

Treasury bills.

Short-term bonds.

Riskier options: Stocks, real estate and gold.

Use a financial planner to help you decide.

What is better than a traditional savings account?

Money market accounts are savings accounts that tend to come with high interest rates and offer checks or debit cards, unlike a traditional savings account. The pros. MMAs often have decently high interest rates, usually better than traditional savings accounts at brick-and-mortar banks.

Can you add to balance regularly with a traditional savings account?

You can regularly add to the balance of a traditional savings account. Your money is stuck and you can’t take it out once you’ve deposited it into a money market account.

What is a major disadvantage of having a traditional savings account?

Three disadvantages of savings accounts are minimum balance requirements, lower interest rates than other accounts/investments, and federal limits on saving withdrawal. If you’re fortunate enough to have extra money for long-term goals, first, pat yourself on the back!

Should you put your money in a savings account?

Keeping money in a savings account is typically a good thing to do. Savings accounts are a safe place to store your extra money and provide an easy way to make withdrawals.

Is an online savings account the best choice for You?

In a nutshell, an online savings account is best for people who don’t really care about the convenience factor of traditional banks, and who want to maximize the interest-generating potential of their money.

Should you use an online bank or a traditional bank?

For example, there are few, if any, online banks that offer savings and checking accounts, auto loans, mortgages, brokerage accounts, insurance products, and credit cards. And if you need physical banking products like a safe deposit box, you have no choice but to go to a traditional bank.

What are the advantages of a traditional savings account?

As we’ll get to in a bit, a key advantage of traditional savings accounts is convenience, and part of this is ATM access. Well, if an online bank is willing to reimburse account owners for any ATM fees they may be charged, it effectively makes every ATM a part of that bank’s network.

Can you have more than one savings account?

Many banks, especially online banks, allow you to open an unlimited number of sub-savings accounts. You can use your main savings account for short-term savings and open sub-accounts for goals like paying for a wedding, saving for a new car, or your next vacation.