Consistently saving money can be challenging, especially when unexpected expenses pop up. Automated savings can help you build your nest egg with minimal effort. It allows you to set your goals and let your bank handle the rest.
The best bank for automated saving can help you build your wealth passively with tools like roundups, recurring transfers, paycheck percentage transfers, and high-yield accounts. Let's explore some of the best savings accounts for automated savings so you can choose which one fits best with your financial goals.
What makes a bank great for automated savings
A bank that's great for automated savings combines tools and incentives that make it easy for you to build wealth without much effort. These can include roundup programs and goal-based savings buckets.
Flexible automation options, such as scheduled transfers or rules that save a set percentage of your income, can help you customize your approach to saving. Saving analysis tools are also helpful in tracking your progress and identifying ways to help you save more.
Financial institution/account | Great for … | Savings account APY |
![]() Capital One 360 Savings |
Physical branch locations | 3.40% |
![]() Ally Bank Savings Account |
Surprise savings | 3.40%1 <p class="">The APY of 3.40% is accurate as of 10/01/25. Rates are subject to change and may vary by account type and financial institution. </p> |
![]() SoFi Checking and Savings |
Extra FDIC protection2 <p><b style="font-family: Rubik, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;">SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at <a href="http://sofi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms">SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms</a>. See list of participating banks at <a href="http://sofi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks">SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks</a>.</b></p> | Up to 3.80% with direct deposit3 <p>SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Eligible Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or SoFi members with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. If you have satisfied Eligible Direct Deposit requirements for our highest APY but do not see 3.80% APY on your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives, please contact us at 855-456-7634. Additional information can be found at <a href="http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet">http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet</a>. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at <a href="https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus">https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus</a>.</p> |
![]() Varo Savings Account |
High APY | 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) with direct deposit |
![]() Current Savings Pods4 <p><b>Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC, and Cross River Bank, Member FDIC</b>. The Current Visa® Debit Card is issued by Choice Financial Group pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. The Current Visa® secured charge card is issued by Cross River Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see back of your Card for its issuing bank. Current Individual Account required to apply for the Current Visa® secured charge card. Independent approval required.</p> |
Low balance accounts | Up to 4.00%5 <p>Boost Bonuses are credited to your Savings Pods within 48 hours of enabling the Boost feature and on a daily basis thereafter, provided that the Savings Pod has accrued a Boost Bonus of at least $0.01. The Boost rate on Savings Pods is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed rate is effective as of August 1, 2023. Must have $0.01 in Savings Pods to earn a Boost rate of either 0.25% or 4.00% annually on the portion of balances up to $2000 per Savings Pod, up to $6000 total. The remaining balance earns 0.00%. A qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more is required for 4.00%. No minimum balance required. For more information, please refer to Current Boost Terms and Conditions.<br></p> |
![]() Chime High Yield Savings Account6 <p class="">Chime Checking Account is required to be eligible for a Savings Account.<br></p> 7 <p class="">Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and debit card provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. <br></p> |
Unlimited savings goals | 1.25%8 <p class="">The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) for the Chime Savings Account is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is accurate as of 5/22/25. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest. </p> |
Capital One 360 Savings
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
- Earns 3.40% APY
- AutoSave lets you set the rules on how much and when to automatically save a certain amount or a percentage of your paycheck
With Capital One 360 Savings, you control the rules for your automatic savings. You can set up recurring automatic transfers to your savings account on a weekly, biweekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. You also control the amount that gets transferred.
Capital One allows you to autosave a percentage of your paycheck. To set up Paycheck Percentage AutoSave, you must have a Capital One checking account, while recurring transfers can use an external checking account.
Capital One is a solid choice for all your banking needs. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements, and its 360 Savings earns a decent APY of 3.40%. Its 360 Checking even earns a modest 0.10% (as of 09/15/25) APY.
- You can open multiple savings accounts for different financial goals
- Enables you to manage automatic savings via its mobile app
- FDIC insured up to $250,000
- Can't withdraw money from savings at an ATM
- Must have a Capital One checking account to autosave a percentage of your paycheck
- Physical branch locations are limited
Learn more in our Capital One 360 review.
Ally Bank Savings Account
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
- 3.40% APY on savings accounts
- Enables you to set up recurring transfers and have different "buckets" for your savings goals
Ally Bank is a fully online bank, so there are no physical branch locations. Like other online banks, Ally offers several benefits for banking with them, including no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements. Its savings account also earns a competitive interest rate of 3.40%.
With Ally's savings account, you can set up recurring transfers from another Ally account or an external account. You set the amount and frequency of the transfers, and then Ally does the rest.
You can even set up separate "buckets" for your savings goals, like buying a house, paying off your debt, or going on a dream vacation. Those buckets can have different parameters on when and how much is transferred.
If you have an Ally Bank Spending account, you can have your transactions from that account rounded up to the nearest dollar, and the extra money is automatically transferred into your savings account.
Ally's Surprise Savings booster also analyzes your linked checking account (can be an Ally account or an external account) to find extra cash that it automatically transfers to your Ally savings account.
- Competitive APY
- You can withdraw money from savings
- Offers other boosters to increase your savings
- Savings withdrawals are limited to 10 per statement cycle
- No physical branches
- Doesn't support cash deposits
Learn more in our Ally Bank review.
SoFi Checking and Savings
- Earns a high APY of up to 3.80% with direct deposit9 <p>Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.</p>
- Savings and checking accounts come as a package deal
- AutoSave enables you to transfer part of your paycheck to savings automatically
SoFi enables you to open up to 20 different "vaults" for different savings goals, and all those vaults earn up to 3.80% APY with direct deposit, which is high compared to many competitors. However, there is a catch. You must sign up for direct deposit or deposit at least $5,000 monthly to qualify for the highest APY. Otherwise, the interest rate is 1.00% (as of 01/24/25) APY.
SoFi® has no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements10 <p>We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Checking & Savings Fee Sheet for details at <a href="http://sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/">sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/</a></p> , and you automatically get a SoFi checking account when you open a savings account. That checking account even made our list of the best checking accounts on the strength of its 0.50% APY with direct deposit.
With SoFi's AutoSave, you can have part of your paycheck automatically transferred to savings. You can also set up automatic roundups to have your SoFi debit card purchases rounded up to the nearest dollar and the extra automatically transferred into the vault of your choice.
- Earns a high APY
- You can have up to 20 "vaults" for different savings goals
- Additional FDIC coverage up to $3 million is available
- High APY requires direct deposit
- $4.95 fee for cash deposits
- Must also open a SoFi Checking account
Visit SoFi | Learn more in our SoFi review
Varo Savings Account
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
- Earns up to 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY with direct deposit
- Offers Save Your Change automatic roundups and Save Your Pay automatic paycheck transfers
Varo offers one of the highest APYs on a savings account that you'll find. However, to qualify, you must have at least $1,000 in direct deposits each month, and the rate is capped at a $5,000 balance. On funds over that amount, you'll earn 2.50% (as of 12/11/24) APY.
As with many fintech companies, Varo has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Varo also requires you to open a checking account to get a savings account.
Varo's Save Your Pay feature allows you to set up automatic transfers of a certain percentage of your paycheck to your savings account. Its Save Your Change feature rounds your purchases to the nearest dollar and automatically transfers it to your savings account. Both these features help you grow your savings with little to no effort.
- High 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY available with direct deposit
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
- No limits on 2.50% (as of 12/11/24) APY
- Must set up direct deposit of at least $1,000 monthly to receive a higher APY
- High APY is capped at a balance of $5,000
- APY on funds in excess of $5,000 is low compared to some competitors
Learn more in our Varo review.
Current Savings Pods
- Earns up to 4.00% APY with direct deposit
- Allows you to have up to three savings "pods" earning interest
- You must have a Current Debit or Build account to access Savings Pods
Current is a fintech company that offers banking products to help you save and spend11 <p><b>Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC.</b>.</p> . While Current doesn't provide standalone savings accounts, members who have a Debit or Build account can open up to three Savings Pods for different financial goals. And, if you receive at least $200 in monthly direct deposits, you may receive a high APY of 4.00% on those savings pods.
The high APY on savings makes Current a good option for growing your money but only if you have a low balance on your savings. The up to 4.00% APY on savings is capped at account balances up to $6,000. Funds over $6,000 earn 0% interest. So, if you have $12,000 in savings, you are better off with a savings account from Capital One, Ally, or SoFi, which gives you over 3.00% APY without any limits.
Becoming a Current member is most beneficial if you are working to improve your credit. As a member, you get a Build secured credit card that links to your account so that you can build your credit.
There is no credit check to get a Build card. You can also round up transactions on your Current debit card to automatically transfer the extra change into your savings pods.
- High APY if you have direct deposit
- Minimum direct deposit required for a higher APY is low
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
- You can only have three savings pods
- Low APY without direct deposit
- Higher APY is capped at a $6,000 balance; the remaining balance doesn't earn anything
Visit Current | Learn more in our Current review
Chime High Yield Savings Account
- Earns 1.25% APY with direct deposit
- You need to open a Chime Checking account to access savings
- Offers automatic paycheck transfers and spare change roundups
Chime® is comparable to other online banks offering automated savings. It has no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements. To open a Chime savings account, you'll first need to open a Chime monthly fee-free banking account. Unlike many banks we've reviewed that have limits on the number of savings goals/vaults/pods you can have, Chime offers unlimited buckets for your savings.
Chime accounts have two tiers: standard Chime and Chime+12 <p>To be eligible for Chime+TM status you must receive a qualifying direct deposit to your Chime Checking Account in the preceding 34 days. Certain products marketed as Chime+ benefits have additional eligibility requirements. While some Chime+ benefits may have associated fees, none of these fees are mandatory to access Chime+ benefits or to maintain Chime+ status. See <a href="https://www.chime.com/chimeplus-terms/">Chime+ Terms and Conditions</a> for details. CHIME+ is a Trademark of Chime Financial, Inc.</p> . To take advantage of many of the perks this fintech offers, including a higher APY on your savings, you'll need to have a Chime+ account13 <p>The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") for the Chime Savings Account is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY rate is effective as of August 21, 2025. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest. The 3.75% Chime+ APY is available only while you maintain eligibility requirements for Chime+, otherwise the 1.25% APY for non-Chime+ members will apply. See <a href="https://www.chime.com/chimeplus-terms/">Chime+ Terms and Conditions</a> for more details.</p> . To qualify for a Chime+ account, you'll need to make at least $200 in qualifying direct deposits within 34 days.
There are a couple of ways to build your Chime savings account automatically. You can set up automated savings from your paychecks or enable roundups so spare change from your debit card transactions automatically goes into your savings account.14 <p>Save When I Get Paid automatically transfers 10% of your direct deposits of $1 or more from your Checking Account into your savings account.</p>
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
- The direct deposit amount required to access Chime+ is low
- There's no limit to the amount of savings goals you set up
- Must have a Chime Checking account to access Savings accounts
- Must have direct deposit of at least $200 to receive a high 1.25% APY
- Cash deposits made at some locations may incur a fee
Visit Chime | Learn more in our Chime review
How to maximize your automated savings
Many banks offer features to help you maximize your automated savings. These features can include:
- Goal-based savings buckets: These enable you to save for different financial goals, such as buying a home or car, paying off debt, or going on vacation.
- Paycheck transfers: Many banks let you set a percentage or amount that you want to have automatically taken out of your paycheck and put into savings.
- Roundups: With roundups, your debit transactions are rounded up to the nearest dollar and the spare change is automatically added to your savings goal.
- Scheduled transfers: Some banks allow you to set up when and how much will be automatically transferred into your savings account.
- High APYs: Savings accounts with high APYs can help you build your wealth by putting your money to work for you. Most of the accounts we looked at require direct deposit to access higher APYs.
FAQs
Is automating your savings a good idea?
Yes, automating your savings is generally a smart move because it helps you consistently set money aside without relying on your memory or willpower. By scheduling automatic transfers or using features like roundups, you can make saving a habit that happens in the background. This "set it and forget it" approach can help you reach your financial goals faster. It also eliminates the stress of deciding how much to save each month.
What is the best bank account for emergency savings?
The best bank account for emergency savings is a high-yield savings account with no monthly maintenance fees and easy access to your funds when you need them. It should also allow fee-free transfers to your checking account and be FDIC insured. Many people choose online banks for this purpose because they usually offer higher interest rates and lower fees than traditional brick-and-mortar institutions.
Which bank is the best one to have your savings with?
The best bank for your savings is really a personal preference based on your needs and goals. I have my savings account with SoFi, and I like how I can have different vaults for my savings goals. Plus, all my vaults earn up to 3.80% APY (because I meet direct deposit requirements), which is considerably higher than I was getting at a credit union. I also have my account set up to automatically transfer 10% of every paycheck I receive into my savings and roundups set to deposit spare change in my vacation vault.
Bottom line
Automating your savings can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to build long-term wealth, and the right bank can make all the difference.
But the best bank for automated savings depends on your financial needs and goals. Look for a bank that offers high APYs, minimal fees, goal-setting options, and flexible savings tools.
Check out our list of the best savings accounts for more options beyond those covered here.