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A savings account is a valuable tool that can help you achieve your long-term goals and increase your financial security, but you need some money in the account if you want it to work for you. A lot of people are uncertain of how much money to keep in savings, and the answer is that it depends on your situation. Here's what you need to know.
Savings accounts are ideal for storing your emergency fund and money you plan to use in the near term for large purchases. We'll look at both of these below.
Your emergency fund should contain three to six months of living expenses that you can draw upon to help you cover unexpected bills. Some people prefer to keep more than this in their emergency fund, especially if they believe they'd have trouble finding a new position after a job loss.
It's up to you to decide which bills to include in your emergency fund. You can count all your monthly costs, including extras like streaming services. Or you can limit yourself to the essentials. Just know that if you have a bare-bones emergency budget, you may have to cut some discretionary spending from your budget if you fall on hard times.
Savings you intend to use to make a down payment on a house, buy a new car, or take a vacation are usually best kept in a bank account where you can access them easily. How much you save will depend on the cost of the purchase in question.
Some high-yield savings accounts include an envelope-style savings feature that lets you separate your savings for individual goals. This may be useful to those saving for multiple things at once.
Make sure you're getting the best account for you by comparing savings rates and promotions. Here are some of our favorite high-yield savings accounts to consider.
| Account | APY | Bonus | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. 
4.90/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
up to 4.50%
Rate info
Earn up to 4.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.80% APY as of 8/5/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking & Savings account with Eligible Direct Deposit by 1/31/26. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
Min. to earn: $0
|
Earn up to $300 and +0.70% Boost on Savings APY with direct deposit. Terms apply.
Earn up to 4.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.80% APY as of 8/5/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking & Savings account with Eligible Direct Deposit by 1/31/26. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
|
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings Account
On American Express's Secure Website.
4.80/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
3.50%
Rate info
3.50% annual percentage yield as of October 12, 2025. Terms apply.
Min. to earn: $0
|
N/A
|
Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings Account
On American Express's Secure Website. |
Open Account for Western Alliance Bank High-Yield Savings Premier
On Western Alliance Bank's Secure Website.
4.40/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
4.10%
Rate info
The annual percentage yield (APY) is accurate as of September 30, 2025 and subject to change at the Bank’s discretion. Refer to product’s website for latest APY rate. Minimum deposit required to open an account is $500 and a minimum balance of $0.01 is required to earn the advertised APY.
Min. to earn: $500 to open, $0.01 for max APY
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N/A
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Open Account for Western Alliance Bank High-Yield Savings Premier
On Western Alliance Bank's Secure Website. |
The annual percentage yield (APY) is accurate as of September 30, 2025 and subject to change at the Bank’s discretion. Refer to product’s website for latest APY rate. Minimum deposit required to open an account is $500 and a minimum balance of $0.01 is required to earn the advertised APY.
Most savings accounts are FDIC-insured, which means they protect your money up to $250,000 per depositor per account. This means that if you have an individual savings account and the bank that provides it goes out of business, the FDIC will pay you back up to $250,000 for your losses. If you have a joint savings account, it'll reimburse you up to $500,000.
But if you exceed the FDIC insurance on your account, you risk losing that extra money if your bank fails. You're better off spreading your savings between several banks so all your money is FDIC-insured.
Another thing to keep in mind is that savings account annual percentage yields (APY) are pretty low. Even the best savings accounts usually can't keep up with inflation. That's why it's best to invest money you don't plan to use within the next five years or so. You'll probably earn more this way, and that can reduce the savings burden on you.
Here are a few strategies that can help you boost your savings account balance:
One of the easiest ways to grow your savings is by choosing the right account. Typical brick-and-mortar savings accounts offer APYs of 0.07% or less. By contrast, high-yield savings account rates can be 10 times higher than that. That makes a huge difference in how much interest you'll get in a year. If you want to estimate how much you'll earn from your savings account, check out our guide on how to calculate your savings interest rate.
It's not necessary to find the account with the highest available APY. You just need one with a good interest rate. Banks can change these rates at any time, so what's the highest today may not be the highest tomorrow.
Some savings accounts charge monthly maintenance fees or excess withdrawal fees if you take money out of your savings account more than six times per month. Understanding these fees can help you avoid them. For example, limiting your withdrawals or keeping your balance high enough to waive the maintenance fee can help you hold onto more of your savings. You could also switch savings accounts to avoid fees, as well.
Some banks enable you to automatically transfer funds from your checking account to your savings account. This is smart if you can afford to do it. You won't have to worry about forgetting to make these transfers yourself or accidentally spending money intended for savings.
Many people are missing out on guaranteed returns as their money languishes in a big bank savings account earning next to no interest. Motley Fool Money's top savings account picks can earn you more than 10x the national average savings account rate.
There is no clear savings goal you should hit by 30 or any age. It's a good idea to strive to have at least three to six months of living expenses in a savings account that you can draw upon in an emergency. Beyond that, how much you need in savings depends on your personal financial goals.
It's generally not a good idea to exceed the FDIC insurance on your savings account. This is up to $250,000 per depositor per account. Exceeding this could put your money at risk if your bank fails. You may also prefer to invest money you don't plan to use in the next five years or so rather than leaving it in a savings account where it likely won't beat inflation.
There's nothing wrong with keeping a little cash on hand if you want, but money you keep at home or in a safe deposit box isn't going to earn any interest. Putting it in a savings account keeps it accessible while enabling you to grow your wealth over time.
