Savings Accounts

If you're a rate chaser, you're probably a little bit different from your friends. How do you know when you've taken rate chasing to the extreme? Share your ideas on what makes rate chasers unique.

So you need to deposit a check. It may be the first time, or it may have been so long that you forgot how to deposit checks. Make sure you know your options, including where to go, where not to go, and how technology makes it easier to deposit checks.

It's time to open a bank account, but you may be unsure which bank to choose. Of course, the right bank depends on your needs and circumstances. To help you along, let's review some common factors in how people decide which bank to choose. You'll get some ideas, rule out what's not important, and know for certain which bank to choose.

The Savings Account Interest Rate Scorecard highlights some of the leading savings account interest rates. It is most useful for a quick answer on where to stash your cash. If you really want the best rates, you can start here and continue on for even better deals.

Almost any insured bank or credit union can be your HSA provider. If they can offer an IRA (individual retirement account) they can offer an HSA. However, that doesn’t mean they have to offer HSAs. This page provides an overview of HSA offerings and listing of HSA providers.

FDIC insurance protects you from losses if your bank goes belly-up. You think of the bank as a very safe place for your money, but banks loan your money out and invest it in a variety of ways. If those activities go sour, what happens to your money? This page discusses how FDIC insurance protects customers.

Online bank accounts are great. They typically offer high rates for web-savvy saver. However, the high returns come at a cost. Here are a few reasons NOT to use online bank accounts.

A number of banks offer a High Yield Savings Account. What exactly does that mean, and how is it different from any other account? Let’s look at what these banks mean when they refer to a high yield savings account, and where you can find them.

Annual percentage yield (APY) shows what your savings will earn over a year with compound interest. Learn how APY works and how it's calculated.

Emergency cash can get you through hard times. To make it work for you, you need to set your fund up properly. This page covers how to manage your emergency cash, how much to have, and ways to think about your emergency savings.

Compound interest makes your money work hard for you. This page shows how compound interest works and why it is important to start saving as soon as possible. You'll see an example with pictures, and we provide a free online compound interest calculator.

When shopping for a savings account, you need to find a bank that will give you a good deal. The best savings accounts are safe, pay a competitive yield, and make your life easy. This page maps out how you can find the best savings account.

Savings accounts are a critical part of every person's financial picture. You need a safe place to store cash, and a savings account is often the answer. If you want to understand savings accounts a little better, read on.

A bank rate chaser is somebody who actively moves from bank to bank with their savings. They monitor bank rates on savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs at various banks. Do you actively watch bank rates?

The compound interest calculator is intended to show you how how much you'll have saved after a given number of years. You'll know how much of your final balance is due to interest earnings, and you can use the compound interest calculator to see how different interest rates affect the outcome.

2005 was a bad year for cash. The worst thing you could do with your cash was to keep it in a savings account. Let’s review how keeping money in a savings account actually cost you money in 2005.

Choosing the best bank for your needs is easy. First, you have to figure out exactly what you need from a bank. Once you know what to look for, you can quickly evaluate the competition and end up with the best bank account out there. This page offers a guide to choosing the right bank for your needs.

This is a quick read from bankrate.com. They cover savings accounts, how they work, and how interest rates affect savings accounts.

Make sure you understand how your savings are (or are not) protected. This site has all the details. You can watch a video presentation to understand FDIC coverage, or just read about it.

Yahoo! Finance has some good introductory material if you want to get a handle on all the choices out there.

An automatic savings plan allows you to have money automatically moved to savings according to a set schedule. Automatic savings plans are a great way to make saving a habit.

Calculating interest on savings is fairly straightforward with a few pieces of information. Before doing the calculations, you'll need to know what type of interest you’re dealing with. Learn how to calculate interest and keep tabs on your money.