Banks do far more than serve as a repository for your hard-earned cash. Depending on the bank, they can do quite a bit more — starting with helping you grow your wealth.
Whether you’re searching for a new bank with better benefits or curious to know how much you could make by leaving your cash untouched in a high-interest account, keep reading.
We’ll show you exactly how much your savings can earn at the right bank with the right interest rate.
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$10,000 in a big bank earning almost nothing
![mature couple meeting financial advisor for investment](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/06/28/mature_couple_meeting_financial_advisor_for_investment.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at a rate of 0.01%: $1
For better or worse, big banks typically don’t have to jockey for new customers. The name recognition alone of a national bank is enough of a draw that big banks don’t have much incentive to offer competitive perks like high-yield savings accounts.
As a result, many big banks offer interest rates as low as 0.01%. If you have $10,000 in savings, you’ll earn $1 a year (based on a simple interest calculation, not compounding interest).
Worse, many big banks charge a monthly or yearly savings account maintenance fee — so storing your savings in a low-interest savings account with a big bank could lose you money.
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$10,000 in a bank earning the national average rate
![A financial advisor](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/04/businesswoman_dissatisfied_by_contract_conditions.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at the current national average rate of 0.46%: $46
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is the independent federal agency that backs bank account deposits and oversees banks and credit unions.
The FDIC also calculates monthly interest rate caps for banking products, which include savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and interest checking accounts.
For March 2024, the FDIC monthly rate cap for savings accounts is 0.46%. If you deposit $10,000 in an account with that interest rate, you’ll earn $46 in one year.
Again, this is a simple interest calculation. If your savings account earns compound interest (and most do), your interest also earns interest. Whether your interest compounds monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually impacts the amount of interest you’ll earn.
$10,000 in a competitive high-yield savings account
![Couple with a financial advisor](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/05/couple_with_a_financial_advisor.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at the competitive rate of 4.00%: $400
Many non-traditional, new, or online banks use high-yield savings (and even checking) accounts to get new customers interested in their banking services.
While 4.00% is considered a competitive rate — especially compared to almost comically low big-bank rates — it’s entirely possible to find high-yield savings accounts with even higher rates.
Of course, you should carefully vet banking options to ensure you choose the best bank for you, not just the bank with the highest interest rate.
If you open a high-interest savings account with a rate of 4.00%, deposit $10,000, and don’t touch that money for an entire year, you’ll earn $400 worth of simple interest on your principal deposit (about $408 if compounded daily).
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With that amount, you could build a relatively diverse portfolio with an investment of $50 in a big tech stock, $50 in a retail stock, $50 in an energy stock, $50 in a manufacturing stock, and $50 in a bank.1
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$50,000 in a big bank earning almost nothing
![Financial advisor consulting](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/05/financial_advisor_consulting.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at a rate of 0.01%: $5
Earning $5 on a deposit of $50,000 is better than earning either nothing or $1 … but not by much, especially if you’re paying a monthly service fee just to keep the account.
$50,000 in a bank earning the national average rate
![People with a financial advisor](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/05/happy_couple_and_their_financial_advisor.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at the current national average rate of 0.46%: $230
There’s more than one reason to leave your savings untouched for as long as possible, but one is definitely that the more money you’re able to deposit, the higher your return will be.
At a fixed rate of 0.46%, you could earn $230 in one year or over $1,000 in five years with practically no effort required.
$50,000 in a competitive high-yield savings account
![Financial advisor having consultations](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/05/financial_advisor_having_consultations.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at the competitive rate of 4.00%: $2,000
Yes, you read that right. Depositing $50,000 into a low-interest savings account earns you around $5 — but depositing that same amount into a high-yield account with a different bank nets you $2,000 in simple interest alone (about $2,040 if compounded daily).
$100,000 in a big bank earning almost nothing
![Person talking to financial advisor](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/05/man_in_a_house_with_a_client.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at a rate of 0.01%: $10
The $10 of interest you earn by depositing $100,000 with a big bank demonstrates that it isn’t necessarily the amount of money you save that counts — it’s where and how you store that money.
And if increasing your saving ability is one of the main things you look for in a bank, just know that you’ll rarely find it with a big bank’s savings account.
$100,000 in a bank earning the national average rate
![Couple meeting with financial advisor](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/07/28/family_at_meeting_in_office.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at the current national average rate of 0.46%: $460
$460 isn’t the highest amount you could earn on a $100,000 savings deposit, but it’s a respectable amount to earn over a year (especially compared to $10).
If your current bank or credit union offers interest rates around the national average and has a series of other perks for long-term customers, sticking with that bank might be a wise choice for your financial future.
$100,000 in a competitive high-yield savings account
![Couple meeting with financial advisor](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/05/financial_advisor_meeting.jpg)
Interest earned in one year at the competitive rate of 4.00%: $4,000
$4,000 (about $4,080 if compounded daily) is an incredible amount to gain by doing nothing more than depositing cash into an account.
That's precisely why looking into a high-yield savings account with a non-traditional bank could be the smartest move you make to boost your retirement savings.
Stop missing out on potentially $1,000s of basically free money with this account
If you’re not using a high yield savings account already, we just have one question: WHY?! Maybe you don’t think it’s worth your time to transfer from a traditional savings account … but by not switching, you could be missing out on $1,000s of basically free money. Here’s why:
The Customers Bank high yield savings account offers a rare 4.76% APY4 (annual percentage yield) — compare that to national average APY of 0.45% (as of 7/22/24). This could be worth hundreds, even thousands of dollars in practically passive income.
To put it another way, in a traditional savings account with the national average APY, a $50,000 deposit would only earn $1,189 with daily compounding interest in 5 years. With Customers Bank, that same $50,000 deposit could yield over $15,200 in the same time frame.5
Open an account today — it takes minutes, and there’s almost zero excuse not to. Customers Bank is powered by Raisin, there are NO fees, and you can withdraw your money whenever you need it. Plus, with FDIC insurance, Customers Bank provides a more secure online banking experience and a safer place to store your extra cash.
Limited Time Bonus: Earn up to $2,000 when you refer friends and family to Raisin. Visit site to learn more.
Click here to open a Customer Bank high yield savings account
Bottom line
![Confident financial advisor](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/08/05/confident_financial_advisor.jpg)
There are benefits to banking with a big bank, but a high interest rate on your savings account isn’t one of them.
No matter how much money you have in savings, it’s worth looking at different high-interest account options and seeing if you can make a little extra cash.
With the right interest rate, you can boost your bank account without spending a cent.
Western Alliance Bank High-Yield Savings Benefits
- Earn 5.20% APY6from a trusted, top U.S. bank
- Enjoy 24/7 online access to your account and funds
- Powered by Raisin's intuitive savings marketplace
- FDIC insured, no fees, $1 minimum deposit