3 Safe Ways to Earn 4%+ on Your Retirement Savings
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When you're retired or near retirement, you don't want to take big risks with your savings. It's a good time to move some money into safe havens.
But that doesn't mean you have to settle for low or no growth. There are still ways to earn at least 4% per year with little to no risk, even after the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts.
Here are three simple ways to protect and grow your savings.
1. High-yield savings accounts
For any cash that you might need soon -- think near-term expenses and an emergency fund -- a high-yield savings account (HYSA) is your best bet.
Why open an HYSA?
- You can withdraw money at any time
- They're safe and FDIC-insured
- The best HYSAs have annual percentage yields (APYs) around 4.00% or more
HYSAs are just as safe as traditional savings accounts, and they pay about 10x the average interest rate.
One of our favorite HYSAs, the Axos ONE® bundle account, earns up to 4.31% APY so long as you have qualifying direct deposits of at least $1,500 per month. Most retirees could just direct deposit their Social Security checks and earn that top-tier APY -- no other hoops to jump through.
Axos ONE®
On Axos Bank's Secure Website.
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- Earn a competitive APY on checking and savings
- Pay no monthly maintenance or account fees
- No cap on how much you can save
- Access to fee-free ATM network
- Extra conditions required to earn the advertised rate
- No physical branches for in-person help
The Axos ONE® bundle makes your money work overtime – all under one roof. Meet the direct deposit and balance requirements, and you’ll earn up to 4.31% APY on savings and up to 0.51% APY on checking, some of the highest rates we’ve seen lately. There are no physical branches, but you can still access cash easily through a network of over 95,000 fee-free ATMs. It’s a simple, high-reward setup that actually pays off.
The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 12/2/2025. The base and promotional interest rate and corresponding APY for Axos ONE® Checking is variable and is set at our discretion. The base and promotional interest rate and corresponding APY for Axos ONE® Savings is variable and is set at our discretion. Axos ONE® Savings is a tiered variable rate account. Axos ONE® Checking is a non-tiered variable rate account. Interest rates may change as often as daily without prior notice. Fees may reduce earnings.
Promotional terms and conditions are subject to change or removal without notice. Incentive may be taxable and reported on IRS Form 1099-MISC. Consult your tax advisor. After the accounts are opened, the amount of incentive earned will depend on meeting the additional requirements outlined below.
The Axos ONE® Checking account will earn a base rate of 0.00% APY. The Axos ONE® Savings account will earn a base rate of up to 1.00% APY.
Axos ONE® accounts are eligible to receive a promotional APY for each statement cycle where the promotional criteria are met during the Qualification Period. To receive the promotional APY on both Axos ONE® Checking and Axos ONE® Savings, the Axos ONE® Checking account must meet both of the requirements in either Option 1 or Option 2 below during the Qualification Period:
Option 1
- Your Axos ONE® Checking account has received monthly qualifying direct deposits of at least $1,500 in total.
- The average daily balance of your Axos ONE® Checking account is at least $1,500.
Option 1
- Your Axos ONE® Checking account has received monthly qualifying direct deposits of at least $1,500 in total.
- The average daily balance of your Axos ONE® Checking account is at least $1,500.
Option 2
- Your Axos ONE® Checking account has received monthly qualifying deposits of at least $5,000 in total.
- The average daily balance of your Axos ONE® Checking account is at least $5,000.
If both of the requirements in either Option 1 or Option 2 above are met during the Qualification Period:
- The Axos ONE® Checking account will earn a promotional rate of 0.51% APY for the statement cycle in which the requirements are met.
- The Axos ONE® Savings account will earn a promotional rate of up to 4.31% APY for the statement cycle in which the requirements are met.
The Qualification Period begins on the first business day of the month and runs through the 25th of the month. If the 25th of the month is followed by a non-business day, the average daily balance will be calculated including the following non-business day(s). Any qualifying deposits or qualifying direct deposits received after the 25th of the month will count toward the next Qualification Period. The Qualification Period for new accounts will begin on the day the account is approved. New accounts opened on or after the 25th of the month will be eligible to earn the promotional APY starting in the following month.
A direct deposit is an electronic deposit of your paycheck or government benefits, such as Social Security, Disability, etc. International paychecks, international government benefits, other deposits (i.e., online banking transfers, ATM and mobile check deposits, etc.), or person-to-person payments are not considered a direct deposit.
Qualifying deposits only include deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers from external accounts, (ii) inbound wire transfers from external accounts, (iii) check deposits. Qualifying deposits do not include: (i) transfers internal to the bank (i.e., transfers between an account holder's Checking and/or Savings account), (ii) interest payments, (iii) promotional bonuses, (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds.
Both accounts must be in an open and active status on the 25th of the month and on the date the interest is paid to receive the promotional APY for that statement cycle. If either account closes during the Qualification Period, neither account will be eligible to earn the promotional APY for that statement cycle. Account transactions may take one or more business days from the transaction date to post to the account.
2. Certificates of deposit (CDs)
CDs are a great place to put money that you won't need for at least a few months. Your deposit is locked up for a certain period -- usually between three months and five years. In exchange, you get a fixed interest rate.
Why open a CD?
- CDs, like savings accounts, are safe and FDIC-insured
- Your interest rate never changes, even if the Federal Reserve cuts rates again
The Fed is expected to announce another rate cut at its Dec. 10 meeting, and if that happens, new CD rates will likely drop. So you may want to lock in today's CD rates ASAP.
One of the best deals you can get today is the Synchrony Bank 9-month CD, which has an APY of 4.10% and no minimum deposit requirement. That's almost unbeatable, as far as guaranteed returns go.
Synchrony Online CD
On Synchrony Bank's Secure Website.
3. Quality short-term bond funds
If you're willing to take a little more risk for a chance at yields above 4%, short-term bond funds can offer a nice balance of growth and stability. Look for funds that are focused on corporate or investment-grade debt. These are made up of bonds issued by companies with strong records of repaying their debts -- and paying interest to investors.
Why invest in short-term bond funds?
- They have lower risk than most stocks
- Most have low expense ratios (fees)
- Many have yields around 4% or more
- If interest rates drop, older bonds with higher rates become more valuable. That can push your fund's share price up, which means you may be able to sell at a profit.
What are the tradeoffs?
- Bond funds are not FDIC-insured
- Even strong, investment-grade companies can hit trouble and see their bond ratings fall, which can drag down your fund's share price
- Their share price can also drop if interest rates go up
Buying bond funds is easy through almost any stock broker.
Don't settle for a low APY
A lot of the big banks pay their customers rock-bottom APYs. Their savings are actually losing value because of inflation. That's not acceptable -- even for the safest, most conservative part of your nest egg.
Interest rates have been on the decline, and there's a good chance they'll keep dropping. The time to start protecting and growing your wealth is now.
Our Research Expert
James McClenathen is a full-time Managing Editor and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, overseeing the production and quality of editorial content while also writing about credit cards, investing, and everyday money management. He has worked at The Motley Fool since 2012 and brings extensive experience as an editor, reporter, and finance expert. A graduate of the University of Michigan, James has spent more than a decade of his career helping readers make smarter financial decisions.