A few years ago, the only high yield online savings account available was ING Direct. Their rates blew people’s minds. Until then, the only way to get that type of interest rate on an essentially 100% risk-free asset was to lock it up in a 60-month CD. Even today, check out the rates for CDs of your local bank and you’ll be hard pressed to find one under 60 months that comes close to beating the rates of high yield online savings accounts.
Now the landscape is slightly different (and more crowded). There are half a dozen reputable banks offering these high yield savings accounts and they differ by fractions of a percent. At the moment, FNBO Direct, HSBC Direct, and E*Trade all have competitive rates. You would do far better with your funds in any one of those banks than in the one you’re in now (probably).
On Interest Rates
Despite what you may think, interest rate isn’t everything when you’re trying to decide which online bank to put your deposits. It’s important, but there are many other features to consider. Even if you had the FDIC limit available to save in an account, the difference in interest earned between a 3.50% APY and a 3.00% APY is $500 before taxes. If you’re in the 25% tax bracket, that’s a take home difference of $375. You might say – that’s nearly $400, that’s a big difference! Remember that’s on a balance of $100,000… if you’re putting in $10,000, that’s only a difference of $37.50. If you’re talking $5,000, that’s a difference … you get the idea.
Interest rates change frequently. Between when I opened my E*Trade account and when I funded it, the rate fell from 3.50% APY to 3.15% APY (it’s now that 3.30%). Unlike CDs, there is no guarantee on the rates. You get whatever the bank feels like offering. So if you pick a bank based on rate alone, you could be making a mistake because those rates chance quickly.
Don’t decide on rate alone, it’s the features of the account that are important. Those features will help you in save more.
Feature Set
Linking High Yield Savings Accounts:
I was surprised when HSBC Direct let me link my HSBC Direct account with my ING Direct account. The ability to transfer from one high yield savings accounts to another is great, it cuts your transfer time in half (the alternative is to transfer to an intermediary checking account). I was surprised because many other accounts don’t let you do that. You can’t log into an ING Direct account and link it to the HSBC (or E*Trade or Emigrant Direct) account because they require a paper check. In fact, to my knowledge, only HSBC Direct (of the major banks) lets you link up to other online savings accounts (I could be wrong).
Corollary: Linking to Brokerage, Checking Accounts:
The one advantage E*Trade has over the competition is that you can link your savings account with a brokerage account. This allows you to transfer funds instantly between the two, so you’re earning the best possible rate on your cash. E*Trade also has a checking account and that can be linked to the savings account, maximizes the rate.
Washington Mutual, E*Trade, and ING Direct all offer a high yield checking account, in addition to the savings account. You can get checks, an ATM card, and access to your funds whenever you need them. WaMu has the added bonus of brick and mortar branches, if you have one nearby then that’s a definite plus.
Create Additional Accounts Easily:
ING Direct makes it absolutely painless to create sub-accounts. Each of these accounts have their own account number, but they are managed through one customer login. This is valuable because it helps you save more money. If you are able to create a new account for each of your savings goals, you’re more likely to actually save. Planning a cruise over the holidays this year? Open the Carnival Imagination 2008 account, schedule monthly transfers, and start packing your bags. You’re more likely to save because: 1) you’ve made it automatic with monthly transfers, 2) you can see the account grow, rather than seeing some master account grow and “remembering” some of it is earmarked for the trip (or your children’s education, or a new house, etc.)
ING isn’t the only bank that offers this, HSBC does too (Emigrant Direct does not), but they are definitely the easiest.
Promotions:
This is the least important “feature” about a bank. ING Direct has had a standing referral bonus of $25 for new accounts. Click a referral link, deposit more than $250, and you’ll receive $25. The referrer earns $10. HSBC used to run a $50 promotion that expired several months ago but, to my knowledge, no one else has ever run that type of promotion.
The Best Online Bank
The best online bank is the one that has the features you need. If you have savings goals and are having a difficult time achieving them, perhaps ING Direct is your best option. If you don’t need the help and want the highest rate, HSBC Direct has the highest rate.
If you want the flexibility of checking, ING just released their checking program while WaMu and E*Trade have had checking products for quite some time. If you have a checking account at the same bank you have the high yield savings, you can transfer between the two instantaneously (plus the interest rates on the checking accounts are far superior to standard rates).
So don’t pick a bank on interest rate alone, pick the one that offers the types of services that will help you reach your goals.
(Photo: jbhill)
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