WSJ Prime Rate: 3.25% - Difference from best liquid account: -0.75%
Next FOMC meeting: Jan 27 2009
Fed Funds Rate: 0.25% - 0%
Fed Funds Rate Prediction
Savings, Checking, and Money Market Accounts:
Hard Debit ACH
APY Eff. Bank/CU/Other Min Inq. Checks Card Orig/Target FW link Notes
4.00% 10/08 DollarSavingsDirect $1K N N N Y/N* fw link 1% < $1K, no fees, no ACH pull
3.60% 12/24 Union Federal Savings MM $1 N N N Y/Y fw link
3.60% 11/26 Savings Square $1 N N N Y/Y fw link
3.57% 05/05 Century Bank MM $1K N Y Y N/Y fw link only 3 free withdrawals/month
3.55% 12/30 Corus Bank Ultimate MMA $10K N Y Y N/Y $100 open. $10K avoid $25/mo
3.55% 12/05 Flagstar Express MMA $0 Y Y Y Y/Y fw link
3.55% 07/29 Doral Bank Direct $1K ? N N Y/Y fw link >$250 to avoid fees
3.50% 12/17 Bank of Internet HYS $0 ? N Y ?/? fw link $100 to open, no fees
3.50% 12/29 Venture Bank Direct $0 N N N Y/Y fw link
3.50% 11/19 CNB Bank Direct $0 Y N N Y/Y fw link $1 min to open
3.50% 08/20 Wachovia MM Savings $1K Y? N N Y/Y $2.5K to avoid $10/month fee. Rate varies by Zip.
3.50% 06/04 ShoreBank $1 ? N N Y/? fw link
3.41% 05/05 Century Bank Savings $100 N N N N/Y fw link Only 3 free withdrawals/month
3.40% 04/22 Umbrella pot o gold $1K N Y Y Y/? fw link
3.27% 12/15 Nationwide $1K N Y Y Y/Y fw link
3.26% 12/17 Bank of Internet MM $1 ? Y Y N/Y fw link $100 to open, no fees
3.25% 01/01 Alliant CU Savings $5 Y Y* Y* Y/Y fw link If<$100,0% APY; *via linked acct
3.25% 12/15 Indymac E-Money Market $25K N N N Y/Y fw link $7 fee< $1K, FDIC run since 7/11
3.25% 12/26 GMAC Bank Online Savings $0 N N N Y/Y fw link Paper statements only.
3.25% 12/30 Provident Direct $1 N N Y Y/Y fw link limits on transfers. see thread.
3.25% 11/21 Amegy Bank MMA $10K N N Y N/Y $12/fee<$1K
3.21% 06/30 Everbank YieldPldge MM $0 N N N Y/Y fw link Intro. 4.76%, $4.95/mo<avg $1.5K
3.15% 12/22 OnBank MM Savings $1 N N N Y/Y
3.11% 04/22 giantbank.com MMA $1K ? Y N Y/Y Min. 1K to open, < 1K = 0%
3.08% 12/24 IGObanking Savings $1 N N N Y/Y fw link
3.06% 11/13 WT Direct Savings $10K N N N Y/Y 0.50% < $10K, no fees
3.05% 12/25 Cap One Costco Savings $10K N N N Y/Y fw link 1.55% < $10K, no fees
3.01% 12/21 E*Trade Complete Savings $1 N N N Y/Y fw link $25 Account opening bonus
3.00% 12/22 OneUnited Bank Savings $1K N N Y Y/Y fw link Int. quarterly.
3.00% 12/24 Cap One Online Savings $10K N N N Y/Y fw link 1.5% < $10K, no fees
2.80% 12/30 ING EO Checking $100K N? Y Y Y/Y fw link .50% < 50K; 2.60% > $50K; 2.80% > $100k
2.80% 12/23 FNBO Direct $1 N N N Y/Y
2.79% 01/02 Amboy Direct Savings $1 N N N Y/N* fw link No ACH pull
2.75% 12/31 Salem Five eOne Checking$100K N Y Y N/Y fw link
2.75% 11/22 GMAC Bank Money Market $0 N Y Y Y/Y fw link
2.60% 05/11 Presidential Bank $5K Y Y Y Y/Y fw link $5K to open, >$35K = 2.4%
2.50% 01/04 Citi Ultimate Savings $0 N N N Y/Y fw link
2.50% 12/30 ING Direct $1 ? N N Y/N fw link
2.50% 12/19 Emigrant Direct $1 N N N Y/N* fw link No ACH pull
2.50% 10/16 BankMutualDirect $25K Y N N Y/Y $125/mo if bal < $25K!
2.50% 11/25 Citi Ultimate Money $0 N N N Y/Y fw link Must have Citi checking
2.45% 05/21 SECU Advantage MM $100K N Y Y N/Y fw link
2.25% 01/04 Salem Five eOne Checking $1 N Y Y N/Y fw link
2.00% 01/03 UFB Direct Traveler Svng $500 Y N Y N/Y fw link 500 AA miles; up to $4.50/stmt ATM reimb
1.90% 12/20 Countrywide SavingsLink $50K N N N Y/Y fw link <$10K 1.30%, $10K-$50K 1.90%
1.51% 01/03 EverBank FreeNet Checking $1 Y Y Y Y/Y Higher rates with balances over $10K; introductory 3-month bonus rate 3.76%
1.50% 12/18 WaMu Online Savings $1 N N N Y/Y fw link Run by JP Morgan Chase since 9/25
1.50% 08/17 AmTrust Direct e-savings $1 Y N N Y/Y fw link 4% for 90 days new money
1.00% 11/14 Schwab Checking $0 Y* Y Y Y/Y fw link 2nd hard inq. w/ margin
0.20% 12/09 Fidelity mySmartCash $0 N Y Y Y/Y fw link Higher APY with FSLXX, ATM rebates
Reward Checking Accounts:
Most Reward Checking accounts have a cap on the balance that earns their high yield. Any balance above that cap will earn a much lower yield, typically 1.01% APY. They also have stringent requirements that must be met during each statement cycle, such as 10 debit card transactions, 1 direct deposit or other ACH transaction, receiving e-statements, and logging into on-line banking at least once. Not meeting the requirements for a statement cycle usually nullifies other features that might apply, such as ATM rebates, and drops the yield drastically, typically to 0.25% APY. Click on a link below or on Reward Checking Accounts (High Yield and Available to All) for details regarding a specific account.
APY Eff Bank/CU/Other Min HInq HY Cap Debits ACH FW link Notes
6.31% 10/01 MidWest America FCU $0 N 25K 10 ? fw link 25K , 0.11% APY, local only 100 mile radius
6.01% 00/00 Charter Bank $0 N 25K 13 T fw link 25K , 1.01% APY, drops to 5.01% starting 2/2/2009
6.01% 04/01 Golden Plains CU $0 ? 25K 10 T fw link 25K , 0.51% APY
5.15% 05/31 First New England FCU $0 Y 25K 12 T fw link 25K , 3.00% APY
5.06% 04/09 Heartland Community Bank $0 ? 30K 10 T fw link 30K , 1.31% APY
5.01% 00/00 Coulee Bank $0 ? 25K 10 ? fw link 25K , 1.01% APY
5.01% 00/00 Coastal Federal CU $0 N 50K 12 T fw link 50K , 0.60% APY
5.01% 04/30 West Texas National Bank $0 ? 25K 10 T fw link 25K , 0.85% APY
4.51% 05/15 The Bank of Fayetteville ? ? 50K 10 T fw link 50K , 1.01% APY
4.44% 02/05 1st Arkansas Bank & Trust $0 N 50K 10 O/T fw link 50K , 1.76% APY
3.01% 03/20 State Bank of Toledo $0 ? 70K 10 T fw link 70K , 2.21% APY
4.01% 04/01 Provident CU $0 ? 25K 10 T fw link 25K , 1.01% APY
3.51% 07/20 Connexus CU $0 ? 25K 10 T fw link 25K , 0.75% APY
Accounts not insured by the FDIC or NCUA:
Hard Debit ACH
APY Eff. Product Min Inq. Checks Card Orig./Target FW link Notes
2.20% 12/09 Russell MMF $1 N N N NA/NA RMMXX
2.16% 12/09 Fidelity Select MMF $2.5K N N N NA/NA FSLXX; Min. at Fidelity
2.06% 12/09 Fidelity Cash Resrv MMF $2.5K N N N NA/NA FDRXX; Min. at Fidelity
0.58% 12/09 Fidelity Municipal MMF $2.5K N N N NA/NA FTEXX; Tax-exempt.
You can invest in a Money Market Fund (designated with MMF on this list) through various brokers, including on-line discount brokers. Use this APY calculator to convert the MMF's 7-day Yield to an APY based on daily compounding for comparison with other products in this Quick Summary. The MMF APY is converted from the 7-day Yield in the ticker link in the notes column. A Tax-exempt fund is one for which proceeds are not considered taxable income by the IRS. To convert a tax-exempt yield to it's comparative taxable yield, use this calculator.
[Mod Note: This newer thread is replacing this previous one. This is the only link to the old thread that should be in the QS. Please do not add a duplicate link. Thank you.]