3 High-Yield Savings Accounts With No Minimum Balance: Up to 4.50% APY
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If you've got cash sitting in a savings account earning 0.01% APY, you're basically giving your bank an interest-free loan. That's money you could be putting to work much harder.
High-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) are one of the easiest money wins around. They're safe, FDIC insured, and right now, some are paying rates over 4.00% APY. I personally track these offers every week, and you don't need thousands of dollars to get started.
Here are three of my favorite picks for September 2025, with no minimum balance requirements.
1. Barclays Tiered Savings: 3.90% APY
Barclays offers a straightforward, no-frills savings account with a 3.90% APY on any balance up to $250,000.
It's not the very top of the leaderboard in terms of APY, but the zero minimum balance, no fees, and no ongoing deposit requirement makes it a great place to store and grow your cash.
Barclays is a global financial powerhouse, and accounts are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor. So you know your money's in good hands.
On Barclays' Secure Website.
Member FDIC.
Barclays Tiered Savings
On Barclays' Secure Website.
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- Competitive APY
- No monthly account fee
- Unlimited number of external transfers (up to daily transaction limits)
- FDIC insured
- No minimum deposit to open an account
- Balance requirement for maximum APY
- No ATM access
- No wire transfers (inbound or outbound)
- No branch access; online only
Barclays Tiered Savings rewards savers with a tiered APY structure, offering higher rates as your balance grows. No monthly fees and no minimum balance to open mean it's accessible to everyone, while unlimited transfers and withdrawals let you manage your savings your way. And now, you can take advantage of a special offer $200 bonus on top of your savings growth when you open a new account and deposit $30,000 or more. Offer ends Dec. 31, 2025. Terms apply.
2. E*TRADE Premium Savings: 3.75% APY
E*TRADE is best known for investing, but its E*TRADE Premium Savings account has quietly become one of the most competitive HYSAs on the market.
You'll earn 3.75% APY across all balances -- no strings attached. Technically, there is a $0.01 minimum balance requirement, but if you can't swing a penny, we've got bigger problems.
This is a great pick if you're already investing with E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley and want to keep cash and investments in one place. Plus, moving money back and forth between savings and your brokerage takes just a couple of clicks.
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- Conveniently transfers money to brokerage account
- Decent APY
- No monthly maintenance fees
- High deposit insurance
- Better APYs at other banks
- No ATM access
- No branch access
- Withdrawal limitations
With no fees and no account minimums, E*TRADE Premium Savings can be a great add-on to your E*TRADE brokerage account. Its APY is decent, but you can find better interest rates at other banks.
3. SoFi Checking and Savings (Member FDIC): up to 4.50% APY (limited-time boost)
I like SoFi® because it's more than just a savings account -- it's a whole ecosystem. You can bank, borrow, and even invest from the same app.
Right now SoFi® is running one of the best limited-time promos I've seen. Earn up to $300 and +0.70% Boost on Savings APY with direct deposit. Terms apply., that's an effective annual percentage yield (APY) total of up to 4.50% on your savings balance.
SoFi® made our list of top 10 safest banks in the US, with FDIC insurance up to $3 million through partner banks. It's an excellent choice for high APY, no monthly fees, and a sleek mobile app.
On Barclays' Secure Website.
Member FDIC.
SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website.
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- Competitive APY on both Savings and Checking
- No monthly account fee
- Welcome bonus up to $300 (direct deposit required)
- ATM access
- Unlimited number of external transfers (up to daily transaction limits)
- FDIC insured (up to $3M with opt-in to SoFi Insured Deposit Program)
- Early access to direct deposits
- Tools to help you track savings goals
- Combo account only; no stand-alone savings or checking
- Maximum Savings APY requires direct deposit
- No branch access; online only
- Overdraft protection requires monthly direct deposit minimum
For those who plan to set up direct deposit with their new account, we think SoFi Checking and Savings (Member FDIC) is hard to beat. Not only does this savings account offer a strong APY, but the linked checking account earns an above-average rate, too -- which is a rare perk. Plus, new customers earn a bonus of up to $300 with eligible direct deposit. Frankly, it's the kind of combo that could make it worthwhile to switch banking relationships.
Earning while you sleep
Last year, I earned $798 in bank interest just from parking my cash in a high-yield savings account. This year, I'm on track to break $1,000.
That's the power of a high APY. Compared to a traditional savings account paying 0.01% (basically pennies), a 4.00%+ yield can actually move the needle on your finances.
Your money works around the clock, growing quietly in the background while you focus on everything else in life.
Here's what a 4.00% APY looks like at different balances after a year:
| Balance | Interest Earned |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $200 |
| $10,000 | $400 |
| $20,000 | $800 |
| $50,000 | $2,000 |
If you're not seeing numbers like these in your savings account, it might be time to make a switch.
Compare all of today's best high-yield savings accounts and start earning more.
Our Research Expert
Joel O’Leary is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, covering credit cards, bank accounts, investing, mortgages, and other personal finance topics. Joel has been writing about personal finance since 2018, previously leading editorial content for the How To Money podcast and serving as a resident writer at Budgets Are Sexy. He bought his first rental property at age 18, funding the down payment with savings from his high school job at McDonald’s -- a testament to his lifelong passion for smart money decisions. His work aims to make personal finance accessible and actionable for everyday readers. When he’s not writing, Joel enjoys surfing and spending time with his family.