Banking Savings & Money Market Accounts

Best 5% Interest Savings Accounts [2025]: We Found the Options Still Out There

Some financial institutions offer savings accounts paying at least 5.00% APY, including Varo, Blue Federal Credit Union, and others.

Updated June 30, 2025
Fact checked

A 5% interest savings account can provide you with a generous return on your money without taking on the risk of investing in the stock market. Many financial institutions offer savings accounts that pay this rate, including several credit unions. High APYs can help you meet your savings goals, set up an emergency fund, and improve your personal finances long-term.

In order to receive the best rate, many institutions have specific requirements you must meet. This guide will explain your options for savings accounts offering 5% interest, as well as some financial institutions with rates that are close to this threshold.

How we evaluate products

Savings accounts that earn 5% interest

Several banks offer FDIC-insured savings accounts that pay around 5.00% APY, which is well above the national average rate of 0.38% (as of 6/16/25), according to the FDIC. Many credit unions also offer NCUA-insured savings accounts with similarly high rates.

Savings accounts earning 5% or more were once a bit easier to find, but you have to work a little harder today to score these rates. Fortunately, not that hard. These are the best high-yield savings accounts if you want to earn at least 5.00% APY on your money.

Account APY
Varo Savings Up to 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY on up to $5,000
Blue Federal Credit Union Accelerated Savings Up to 5.00% (as of 06/17/25) APY on balances up to $1,000
Netspend Savings Up to 6.00% (as of 08/26/24) APY on balances up to $1,000

Editor's note
Many institutions place a cap on the amount of your money that can earn the best savings rate, and any amount over the limit earns a lower interest rate. You may also need to meet certain requirements to get 5% interest, such as setting up direct deposit or meeting deposit minimums.

Savings accounts with close to 5% interest

4.8
info
Earn up to 4.40% APY
Earn up to 4.40% APY1when you open a new LevelUp Savings account and deposit $250+ per month. Member FDIC.
Learn More
4.8
info
UFB Portfolio Savings - 4.01% APY2
High Yield Savings Account. No Minimum Balance. FDIC Insured.
Learn More
4.8
info
Financebuzz awards badge

2025 award winner Best for Large Deposits

Wealthfront Cash Account - 4.00% APY3
High Yield Cash Management Account. $1 minimum deposit. FDIC Insured.
Open Account

While these accounts don't offer a full 5.00% APY, they consistently provide competitive rates. However, you will want to check the individual requirements for each account to make sure you qualify for the highest rate, as there are often requirements you have to meet and limits on the amount of money you can earn on.

Varo Savings

Account details

  • APY: Up to 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY on up to $5,000
  • Requirements: Direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more; both a Varo savings and bank account must have a positive balance at the end of the month.

  • Varo is a digital consumer bank that launched in 2020 with "the goal of being a force for good." Most online banks aren't actually banks — they're fintech platforms with associated partner banks, but Varo is a chartered nationwide bank and member FDIC.

    The company offers both bank accounts and savings accounts, as well as Varo Advance, which provides cash advance loans of up to $500 to cover unexpected expenses.

    Varo Savings earns up to 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY, one of the most generous rates still out there, but you must deposit at least $1,000 and end the month with a positive balance in both a Varo bank account and your Varo savings account to qualify for this rate in the upcoming month. You can also only qualify for the highest APY on balances up to $5,000.

    The good news is, any remaining balance above that $5,000 earns a still-generous 2.50% (as of 12/11/24) APY (as does your total balance on months where you don't meet the requirements for the higher interest rate).

    Opening an account is quick and simple online. There's no minimum balance required to maintain an account, and Varo has no monthly fees. Plus, if you don't earn the highest 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY rate on all of your money, you'll still earn a relatively generous 2.50% (as of 12/11/24) APY.

    Pros
    • Up to 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY with direct deposit requirement
    • 2.50% (as of 12/11/24) regular APY
    • No fees required for the savings account
    • No minimum balance required to keep your account open
    Cons
    • You need a substantial direct deposit amount each month to qualify for the highest APY rate
    • You can only earn the highest APY rate on up to $5,000
    • You must have a Varo bank account and a savings account with positive balances

    Read our full Varo review

    Blue Federal Credit Union Accelerated Savings

    Account details

  • APY: Up to 5.00% (as of 06/17/25) APY on balances up to $1,000
  • Requirements: Membership in Blue Federal Credit Union
  • Blue Federal Credit Union is a credit union, which means you must be a member to take advantage of the financial products on offer. You can become a member through a family relationship, employment relationship, or by donating to the Blue Foundation.

    Blue Foundation donation option
    You need $10 to become a credit union member through a donation to the Blue Foundation. Blue Federal uses $5 to establish your account and the rest goes to the foundation. That's a more accessible membership requirement than many credit unions offer.

    Members have access to a wide variety of financial products, including savings and checking accounts, credit cards, certificates of deposit (CDs), and loans. Blue Federal's Accelerated Savings gives up to 5.00% (as of 06/17/25) APY on balances up to $1,000. For larger balances, there's a tiered rate structure. You'll see a big dropoff in the interest you receive on higher amounts.

    Blue Federal only pays the highest APY rate on up to $1,000, which is well below what competitors such as Varo offer. And Blue Federal's APY rates are much lower for large balances. You also have to pay for membership, although it's a pretty small one-time payment and half of it goes to Blue Federal's charitable organization.

    Pros
    • Up to 5.00% (as of 06/17/25) APY
    • You don't have to make a monthly transfer to be eligible to earn dividends
    • No minimum balance requirements
    • Relatively easy to qualify for credit union membership
    Cons
    • You can only earn the highest APY on a maximum of $1,000
    • Interest rates drop quickly for higher balances
    • Must be a credit union member, which requires a one-time upfront donation and small deposit.

    Netspend Savings

    Account details

  • APY: Up to 6.00% (as of 08/26/24) APY on balances up to $2,000
  • Requirements: You must have a Netspend card account.
  • Netspend is best known for its prepaid debit card, which has more than 10 million users. But Netspend offers a savings account as well. In fact, you can automatically transfer money from your Netspend card account into savings or manually transfer money over when you have a little extra money. When you transfer money to savings, you'll get a generous 6.00% (as of 08/26/24) APY on a balance of up to $2,000.

    Netspend doesn't require a minimum balance in order to open a savings account or to qualify for up to 6.00% (as of 08/26/24) APY. You also don't need to set up direct deposit in order to get access to this generous interest rate. 

    You must have a Netspend debit card account to take advantage of the Netspend savings account. The prepaid debit card account includes fees, which vary depending on if you opt for the Pay-As-You-Go Plan or the Monthly Plan. You also earn the the highest APY only on balances up to $2,000 while the rate for money over this amount is very low.

    Pros
    • Up to 6.00% (as of 08/26/24) APY
    • No minimum balance required
    • You can set up automated transfers to savings
    • No monthly direct deposit minimums to get the maximum APY
    Cons
    • You must have a Netspend prepaid debit card account and use it to transfer money to your savings account
    • You can only transfer money from savings to your Netspend card six times monthly
    • You can only earn the highest APY on balances up to $2,000

    How to choose the best accounts with 5% interest

    To pick the best savings accounts with a 5.00% APY, there are a few key tips you should follow:

    • Understand the requirements you need to meet: Depending on the account you choose, you may have to meet direct deposit requirements, use other financial products, or meet other criteria such as becoming a credit union member before you can get the highest APY rate.
    • Know how much money you can earn 5.00% APY on: It's hard to find a savings account (or other type of account) that offers 5.00% APY on an unlimited sum of money. You may get this generous rate only on balances up to $1,000, $2,500, or $10,000.
    • Know what APY applies if you don't meet the requirements: If you do not meet the requirements for the 5.00% APY, find out what rate you will earn on your money. If it's very low and you know you won't always be able to meet the rate requirements, then you could ultimately earn more with a lower-rate savings account that has fewer hoops to jump through.

    Do your research to make sure that a specific account works for you and your budget.

    FAQs

    Can I earn 5.00% APY on savings?

    Yes, it's possible to get 5.00% APY if you choose the right savings account and meet its requirements for earning this rate. Typically, those requirements include things like maintaining a certain account balance or having a certain amount of money directly deposited on a monthly basis. You will usually also be capped at how much money you can earn 5.00% APY on.

    Do 5% interest savings accounts have minimum deposits?

    Some of them do. For example, Varo's savings account offers up to 5.00% (as of 04/25/25) APY with no minimum balance requirement other than a positive balance. Varo does have a direct deposit requirement, though. Be sure to read the details carefully when you look for a high-interest savings account.

    Do 5.00% APY savings accounts have caps?

    Usually, yes. Savings accounts offering 5.00% APY do typically cap the amount of money you can earn this interest rate on. For example, Netspend's Savings accounts caps the amount you can earn the highest interest rate on at $1,000. Others have higher caps, such as Consumers Credit Union Rewards Checking, which will pay its highest APY rate on balances up to $10,000.

    Bottom line

    As you can see, getting 5% APY on your savings account is possible, but your options may be a bit limited. You'll be capped on the amount of balance on which you can earn that rate and some accounts come with direct deposit requirements to earn the highest possible APY. 

    If you can't or don't want to meet the requirements for these accounts, check out our list of the best savings accounts for alternatives that likewise come with a high — though not quite as high — APY.

    Learn More
    4.8
    info
    No monthly fees
    No minimum deposit requirements
    High APY
    ATM access + unlimited rebates