APY GUY: Maximize Your Savings & Earnings

Savings Accounts

SoFi Checking and Savings – Now up to 4.20% APY!

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The fintech company SoFi was launched back in 2011 by four Stanford graduates originally looking to provide more affordable options for students taking on debt to fund their education.

Today, SoFi is a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq providing an array of personal finance products including: lending, investing, cryptocurrency trading, banking, credit monitoring and insurance.

SoFi’s newest product, however, is the focus of this review. The SoFi Checking and Savings launched last year in the Spring of 2022 and officially replaced their former cash management account called SoFi Money (more on that below).

SoFi Checking and Savings Account Details

image credit: sofi.com

The SoFi Checking and Savings account is actually 2 accounts that are opened together. They do not provide standalone checking or savings accounts.

The APY (annual percentage yield) you earn on each account is going to depend on whether or not you set up direct deposit.

If you set up direct deposit of at least $1,000 you’ll receive the following benefits:

  1. Higher APY on both savings and checking balances. See table below.
  2. Get your paycheck 2 days early.
  3. No overdraft fees.
  4. Up to $250 cash bonus when you deposit $5,000 or more.

Checking and Savings Rates

AccountSet up Direct DepositAPY
CheckingYes1.20%
CheckingNo1.20%
SavingsYes4.20%
SavingsNo1.20%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To put the yields above into perspective, the current national average on a savings account and an interest checking account sit at just 0.40% and 0.07% APY, respectively, according to the most recent FDIC data. That said, a small handful of the top online accounts and nationally available credit unions are now paying above the 4.60% APY mark on some high yield savings accounts.

$250 Cash Bonus (limited time)

For a limited time, SoFi is giving new members a cash sign-up bonus of either $50 or $250 depending on your qualifying direct deposit amount.

The bonus structure is as follows:

Direct DepositCash Bonus
$1k – $4,999$50
$5,000 +$250

SoFi determines your cash bonus during a 30-day “Evaluation Period.” Within 14 calendar days following the evaluation period, SoFi will determine your cash bonus and deposit funds into your checking account.

Additional Features

These two accounts come with some additional noteworthy features. These are:

  • 2-Day Early Paycheck. You must set up a direct deposit (no $ requirement) to enable this feature.
  • No-Fee Overdraft coverage. You must set up a direct deposit of at least $1,000/mo to enable this feature.
  • Get up to 15% cash back at local businesses when you pay with your SoFi debit card. No direct deposit set-up required.
  • Automatic Savings Features. Set up savings goals, round-ups and save your change features. No direct deposit required.

Account Fees

There are no monthly maintenance fees associated with these accounts. There are also no fees on overdrafts (if criteria is met) or dormant accounts.

SoFi is a part of the Allpoint network, so there are no ATM fees at the 55,000+ Allpoint ATM locations worldwide.

FAQs

Still have more questions about the SoFi Checking and Savings accounts? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and their answers.

Does SoFi Checking and Savings have FDIC insurance?

Yes, all deposits are swept daily into one or more banks – which are referred to as “The Program Banks” – where they are eligible for FDIC insurance through those partnered banks. It may take 2 business days for your funds to reach one or more of the Program Banks, but once they do they are fully FDIC-insured up to $1.5 million.

What happened to SoFi Money?

SoFi Money was the cash management account offered by SoFi before the launch of Checking and Savings. Since SoFi Checking and Savings has the best features of SoFi Money and more, SoFi is no longer offering this product to new customers.

What if I Currently Have SoFi Money?

If you are an existing SoFi Money customer, SoFi has invited you to upgrade to SoFi Checking and Savings. This invitation can be found in your email or through the app.

Does Sofi Checking and Savings have an app?

Yes. All of SoFi’s products can be accessed by downloading their IOS or Android apps. On Apple, they have a 4.8 out of 5 star rating based on over 246k reviews. On Google Play they have a 4.1 out of 5 star rating with just over 28k consumer reviews.

What if I just want the savings or checking account, but not both?

When you sign up for SoFi checking and savings, you will automatically receive both a checking and savings account. Both accounts earn 1.20% APY on balances unless direct deposit is set up. Once direct deposit is set up then the savings account earns 4.20% and balances in the checking account earn 1.20% APY. The interest is applied on all account balances (SoFi used to cap it at $50,000).

Citizens Access Online Savings Account – 4.50% APY!

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Citizens Access is the online brand of Citizens Bank which was first established in 1828 in Providence, Rhode Island.

Citizens Access offers a number of banking products including:

For the purpose of this review, we will focus on their online savings account as it is currently among the highest yielding online savings accounts on the market.

Please note that the account is FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor or $500,000 for joint accounts. The FDIC treats both Citizens Bank and their 100 percent online subsidiary Citizens Access as the same entity for coverage, so if you have a deposit account already with Citizens Bank this will count towards your coverage limit.

To see if this account is right for you, continue reading our review below.

Citizens Access Online Savings Rate + Account Details

The Citizens Access Online Savings account is a fairly straightforward account that can be opened online in 5 minutes. The minimum deposit requirement to fund the account is higher than usual at $5,000.

Savings Rate

Min DepositAPY
$5,0004.50%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To put this yield into perspective the current national average for a savings account sits at just 0.39% APY according to FDIC data and only a handful of institutions are paying around 5.00% APY.

Opening and Funding the Account

Opening a Citizens Access Savings account can be done online in 5 minutes with a simple 5 step process (as shown above). To get started, navigate here.

Here’s what you’ll need to complete the process:

Personal Info

  • Social Security Number
  • Residential Address
  • Email

Financial Info

  • Your bank account number from which you will be transferring the initial $5,000.
  • Your bank or credit union’s routing number.

If you’d prefer to send a physical check to fund your new account, you may also do that. Here’s how:

  • Make the check payable to you from another US financial institution. Citizens Access does not allow foreign checks.
  • Endorse the back of the check with your signature, your Citizens Access account number and “For Deposit Only to Citizens” on the endorsement line.
  • Mail to the following address: Citizens Access PO Box 6801 Carol Stream, IL 60197-6801

Accessing Your Funds

As a purely online bank, Citizens Access does not have any physical branch locations or ATM access.

When you would like to access the funds in your online savings account, you have two options.

  1. Set up a recurring transfer to an external bank account.
  2. Contact Citizens Access (888) 201-6505 and have them mail you a physical check.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the market for a competitive, no-frills online savings account, then Citizens Access may be a solid option for you. The rate is quite competitive and if the Fed continues to raise prime rates, we expect this account’s APY to continue to climb along with the market.

On the downside, this account lacks many features other savings account offers such as mobile apps for both Apple and Android devices. Many online savings accounts have robust apps allowing consumers to transfer funds, make mobile check deposits, etc.

There is also no ATM card or ATM access associated with this account, so accessing cash will always be a two step process of first transferring it to your external bank account, then using your current debit/ATM card for withdrawals.

CIBC Agility Savings Account – Now 4.27% APY!

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CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) is one of the “big five” banks of Canada and is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

The institution was formed by the largest chartered bank merger in Canada’s history in 1961 when the Canadian Bank of Commerce (founded in 1867) merged with the Imperial Bank of Canada (founded in 1873).

Today, CIBC holds roughly $770 billion in assets and brings in $18.7 billion in revenue (as of 2020) with operations spanning the globe.

For U.S. based customers, CIBC has an offshoot called CIBC U.S. which is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, but backed by the 150 year-old Canadian bank.

CIBC U.S. has a noteworthy variable rate savings account called the “Agility Savings” that features a spectacular APY of 4.27%.

This account can be opened online by anyone in the U.S. that has a valid ID and is 18 years of age. To see if this account is right for you, continue reading our review below.

CIBC Agility Savings Account APY + Details

image credit: us.cibc.com

To open the CIBC Agility Savings account you must make an initial minimum deposit of at least $1,000, but once the account is opened interest is earned on all balances above $0.01.

CIBC U.S. is member FDIC and all consumer deposits are federally insured up to the applicable limits.

Savings Rate

Min. DepositMin. BalanceAPY
$1,000$0.014.27%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To put this yield in perspective, the current average for a savings account sits at just 0.39% APY and the current average on a money market account sits at just 0.57% APY according to FDIC data.

Interest is compounded and credited to your account monthly.

Per federal regulation D, this account is limited to 6 transactions per monthly statement cycle. If you exceed this amount CIBC will charge $10 for each subsequent transaction. No external transfers can be made either within the first 90 days of opening the account.

CIBC U.S. Fee Schedule

Depending on the actions you take with your CIBC Agility Savings account you may encounter some fees from time to time.

Below is a complete outline of the fees CIBC imposes for various account activities (or inactivities).

CIBC Fee Schedule

ActivityFee
Statement Copies$5 each
Stop Payment$5.00
Hold Mail Fee$25 per request
Stop Payment$30
Automatic transfer from one account to another to cover overdraft$35.00 per item, max $175.00 day
Overdraft fee (item paid)$35.00 per item, max $175.00 day
Returned deposited item fee (chargeback)$10.00
Account research$25.00 per half hour, $25.00 minimum
Account closed within 90 days of opening$25
Dormant account fee$5 per month with a max of $60 annually

You can read more about CIBC U.S. deposit account disclosures and terms of service here.

How to Open the CIBC Agility Savings Account

The Agility Savings account can be opened online in minutes!

As mentioned this account is available to anyone in the U.S. that is 18 years old or older with a valid ID, internet connection and $1,000 for the initial deposit.

Here’s how to open the account in minutes.

  1. To open the account, navigate to the CIBC U.S. Agility Savings landing page here and click “Apply Now.”
  2. From here it is a 4-step process that starts with your personal information. Fill in the required personal information and then click “Continue.“
  3. Read and accept the account disclosures and click “Continue.“
  4. Fund your account. This will require the routing number of your current bank and the bank account number you’ll be transferring the funds from.

What information do I need to have handy?

  1. Driver’s license or government issued ID.
  2. Home address, phone number and email.
  3. Social security card or number.
  4. Existing bank account routing number.
  5. Existing bank account number with at least $1,000 in the account.
  6. Employment information.

Managing the CIBC Agility Saving Account

As mentioned the account can be managed completely online through the web or their native IOS or Android app. CIBC has multiple apps available for download. You will want to download the CIBC US mobile banking application to manage your Agility Savings account.

The mobile banking app by CIBC has mixed reviews, averaging 2.1 stars out of 5 on IOS and 3.9 stars out of 5 on Google Play.

App Features:

  • View account balances and recent transactions
  • Transfer funds using their person to person payment system. Send funds with just a phone number or email.
  • Transfer funds between CIBC US accounts.
  • Mobile check deposit
  • Check status of deposits
  • Pay bills electronically
  • Schedule future bill payments
  • Contact representative for assistance
  • Locate branches and ATMs

CIBC Agility Online CD Rates

CIBC currently offers 5 online “Agility” CDs with terms ranging from 9 months to 30 months. They currently come with impressive yields when compared to the national average, but the yields are tiered based on deposit amount. Depositing $25,000 or more will get you a higher rate. See all rates and deposit requirements below.

CD TermAPY
9 months4.72%
9 months ($25k +)4.77%
12 months4.97%
12 months ($25k +)5.02%
18 months4.35%
18 months ($25k +)4.40%
24 months4.35%
24 months ($25k +)4.40%
30 months4.20%
30 months ($25k +)4.25%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To put these yields in perspective, the current national average for a 12 month CD and a 36 month CD sit at just 1.54% and 1.34% APY, respectively, according to the FDIC.

All CIBC online Agility CDs come with a minimum deposit requirement of $1,000.

LendingClub High Yield Savings – Now 4.25% APY!

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You may recall LendingClub, founded in 2006, as the very first peer-to-peer lending platform to register their securities with the SEC.

By December of 2015, the San Francisco based start-up had claimed to facilitate $15.98 billion in loans on its platform.

In 2016 however, the company was hit hard with problems and scandals. The company was failing to bring on investors, had scandals involving some of their loans, and the board of directors were concerned with LendingClub’s CEO.

Fast forward to 2020, LendingClub decides to drop its peer-to-peer lending platform entirely and acquires Radius Bank to commence more traditional banking operations.

Today, they offer a number of competitive, FDIC-insured, high yield deposit accounts with both fixed and variable rates.

For the purpose of this review we will focus on Lending Club’s high yield savings account which offers a competitive yield of 4.25% APY.

LendingClub High Yield Savings Account Rate + Details

To open LendingClub’s high yield savings account you’ll need a minimum deposit of $100 to complete the account opening process. Once your account is open there are no monthly balance requirements or maintenance fees of any kind.

Savings Rate

Min DepositAPY
$1004.25%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To put this yield into perspective, the current national average for a money market account and a savings account sit at just 0.57% and 0.39% APY, respectively, according to FDIC data, with the top yields from online banks and credit unions now topping 5.00% APY following the latest rate hike by the Fed.

Opening and Funding Your Account

You’ll need to be a US citizen or legal resident and 18 years old or older to obtain this account.

To get started, you’ll want to have the following information readily available:

  • Social Security Number
  • Current Physical Address
  • Email Address
  • Bank account number and routing number – or – debit card from the institution you wish to transfer funds from

Please make sure this account has the $100 you’ll need to open your new LendingClub high yield savings account.

If you have all of this information handy, the account should only take 3 minutes to open online.

📍 Please Note: LendingClub may hold your funds for up to 5 business days during their “review process.” Also, although LendingClub does not pull your credit score if you have a hold on your credit for security purposes, LendingClub will manually review your application.

Managing Your Account

The easiest way to manage your LendingClub account is through their IOS or Android app or simply with their online banking.

Funds can be added to your account after account opening through LendingClub’s mobile deposit. This is available on both their banking apps or by initiating ACH transfers or wire transfer through their online banking portal.

Lending Club’s IOS app scores a 4.4 star rating out of 5 with over 2,300 consumer reviews and their Android app scores a 3.3 star rating out of 5 with over 1,460 consumer reviews.

Transaction Limits

LendingClub imposes daily transaction limits for their high yield savings account that is determined by how long you’ve been a customer of theirs.

See the matrix below for more details.

EligibilityNew Client90 days + $10k Balance120 days + $50k Balance
Incoming ACH$10k daily$150k daily$250k daily
Outgoing ACH$10k daily$50k daily$250k daily
Mobile Check Deposit$50k daily$150k daily$250k daily
ATM Card$500 daily$1k daily$2k daily

LendingClub ATM Card

image credit: https://legacy-bank.lendingclub.com/

LendingClub gives you the option to obtain a free ATM card that is tied to your high yield savings account.

They are a member of two of the largest nationwide surcharge-free ATM networks: MoneyPass® and SUMSM.

You can use your ATM card at any of their 37,000 locations nationwide without incurring an ATM surcharge fee.

Apple Launches High Yield Savings Account – 4.15% APY!

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image credit: apple.com/newsroom/

Apple teamed up with Goldman Sachs to launch their high yield savings account on April 17, 2023 (see press release here).

Like many popular online savings accounts, this high yield savings account from Apple comes with no minimum deposit requirements, minimum balance requirements or monthly maintenance fees.

To see if this savings account is right for you, continue reading our review below.

Apple Savings Account Rate + Details

The Apple Savings account is FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor via Goldman Sachs.

As noted, this account comes with no minimum deposit requirement ($250k maximum) and can be set up and managed through your Apple Card in your Apple Wallet dashboard.

High Yield Saving Rate

Minimum BalanceAPY
$04.15%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To put this yield into perspective, the national average for a savings account and money market account sit at just 0.37% and 0.54%, respectively, according to FDIC data, with the top yields from online banks just now inching over the 5.00% APY mark.

Compounding and Crediting Interest

Interest on your Apple Savings account is compounded daily and credited back to your account monthly. Interest payments can be tracked via your Apple Wallet account.

Setting Up Your Account

Setting up and managing your high yield savings account is pretty simple and straightforward. To start, you’ll need an Apple Card with Apple Wallet.

Once you have this, go to your Apple Wallet dashboard and look for the high yield savings offer. This should be a one click set up.

Once it’s set up all of your Daily Cash earned will automatically be deposited into the savings account. If you’d like to change this destination you can configure it in your settings.

Also, if you’d like to add more funds to your high yield savings account you can do this via your Apple Cash balance or by linking up a separate bank account.

Accessing Your Cash

You may withdraw or deposit funds into your savings account via your Apple Cash account.

Transfers must be at least $1.00 and can not exceed $10,000. There is also a $20,000 cap on transfers per 7 day rolling period (i.e. you can only transfer up to $20k within any 7 day period).

To learn more about deposits and withdrawals, you can visit the deposit account agreement (PDF here).

How does Apple High Yield Savings Compare?

Apple isn’t the only tech company to launch a savings account in this interest rate environment.

Take a look at some other well known tech and fintech firms that have recently launched savings accounts and compare their APYs (annual percentage yields) with Apple and Goldman Sachs offer.

Institution + AccountAPY
Apple High Yield Savings4.15%
PayPal Savings4.15%
SoFi Online Bank Account4.00%
Affirm Savings3.75%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

Final Thoughts

If you’re already using an Apple Card with Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, then opening up this high yield savings account with an APY of 4.15% to help grow your Daily Cash is a no brainer.

Just remember, this is a variable-rate account, meaning it can change at any time without notice.

Live Oak Bank CD Rates – Now up to 5.00% APY!

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Live Oak Bank based out of Wilmington, North Carolina is a digital, cloud-based bank that has no branches or ATMs. Their primary focus is on small business banking and their mission is to be America’s best small business bank. They’ve made considerable ground on this front as they were the leading SBA and USDA lender by volume in 2019. On top of that Live Oak Bank is still relatively new – being one of the last banks to get a charter prior to the recession of 2008.

Although their focus is on small business, Live Oak Bank offers its products and services to both personal and business customers in all 50 states.

Today, on the personal side of their operation, they have several noteworthy deposit accounts that are FDIC insured and come with high yields compared to the current national average(s).

If you’re in the market for an FDIC-insured savings account or certificate of deposit you may want to check out Live Oak Bank’s current CD rates and online savings account offer. Please note that Live Oak Bank does not offer IRA CDs at this time.

Our full review of these products continue below.

Live Oak Bank CD Rates + Account Details

image credit: liveoakbank.com

Live Oak Bank currently has 7 standard term certificates of deposit to choose from. The terms range from 6 months to 5 years and still provide ascending rates (albeit not by much). CDs sold at Live Oak Bank are federally insured by the FDIC up to $250,000 per depositor. Live Oak Bank CDs have a minimum deposit requirement of $2,500 and a maximum deposit allowance of $250,000.

Interest is compounded daily and credited monthly. A nice feature of Live Oak Bank CDs is that they let you transfer your interest to an external account every month if you so choose. This is great for individuals or couples living off of the interest as income. The default option, however, is for the interest to simply go back into the CD account for further compounding.

CD Rates

TermAPY
6 months4.80%
1 year5.00%
18 months2.00%
2 year2.00%
3 year2.00%
4 year2.00%
5 year2.00%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To give the offers above some context, the current national average for a 12 month CD and a 5 year CD sit at roughly 1.49% and 1.35% APY, respectively, according to recent FDIC data.

Opening a Deposit Account

Opening a deposit with Live Oak Bank is pretty straight forward and can be done online in minutes. To start you will click on the “get started” button in the upper right. From there you will begin the application process.

You should have all of your personal information handy when starting this process. Necessary information may include:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Email Address (must be unique for each account holder)
  • Mobile Phone Number
  • Social Security Number
  • They may request additional documentation for verification purposes

You will need to also have the routing and bank account number of the bank/account you’ll be transferring the funds from.

Early Withdrawal Fees

As with most bank CDs, you will incur a fee if you withdraw your funds prior to the maturity date. The fees are based on the term length of your deposit.

CD TermFee
24 months or less90 days simple interest
24 months or greater180 days simple interest

Live Oak Bank CDs come with a standard 10 day grace period. During this time you can withdraw or add funds to your deposit penalty free. If nothing is done during this period, a new CD with the same terms and the current rate will be opened with your funds. Live Oak Bank will notify you prior to your grace period but you should have your own reminders set as well.

Live Oak Bank Online Savings Account

Live Oak Bank has one of the most competitive online savings accounts on the market currently. The account comes with no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum balance requirements and has a minimum deposit requirement of just $10.00 to open the account.

Please note that If an account has a balance less than $10.01 and no activity for 24 consecutive months (“no activity” is defined as no withdrawals, deposits, contact with a Customer Success Manager, nor customer log-ins to the online banking website), a dormant account fee will be assessed, and the account will be closed. The amount of the fee will be the account balance or $10.00, whichever is less.

Live Oak Bank Online Savings Account Rate

Minimum BalanceAPY
$04.00%
APY = Annual Percentage Yield

To put this offer in perspective, the current national average for a savings account sits at a paltry 0.37% APY currently.

You’ll need the same personal information you would for a CD to open a Live Oak Bank online savings account. Funding the account can be done in 1 of 4 ways:

  1. You can transfer funds electronically via ACH. To do this, log on to the Live Oak Bank Portal and choose the ‘Transfer Funds’ option. You may transfer funds between Live Oak accounts and linked external accounts. Please allow 1-2 business days for the process to complete.
  2. You can mail a physical check to their HQ at:
    Live Oak Bank
    Attention: Deposits
    1757 Tiburon Drive
    Wilmington, NC 28403
  3. Deposit a check with the Live Oak Bank Mobile App. The app is available for both IOS and android phones. Just keep in mind the mobile deposit cutoff time is 4:00 p.m. ET. Any deposits received after 4:00 p.m. ET will be processed on the following business day.
  4. Wire funds into your account. Log on to the Live Oak Bank Portal for wire instructions. You must have an open account to deposit by wire. A new account cannot be opened by wire.

There might be some additional fees you’ll want to look out for depending on what kind of actions you intend to take with this account. Below is a list of possible fees you may run into.

Live Oak Bank Fee Schedule

Fee DescriptionFee Amount
Monthly Account Fee$0
Fee for each transaction after the 6 permitted by Federal regulation D$10 for ea. after the sixth in a monthly statement cycle.
Stop Payment$25
Returned Item$10
Non-Sufficient Funds$25
Legal Actions$50 minimum
Incoming Wire$15
Outgoing Wire$19