Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Today, Jan. 7, 2026 -- Get up to 5.00% APY on Your Cash

Published on Jan. 7, 2026

Jake FitzGerald

By: Jake FitzGerald

Editorial Strategist

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. APY = Annual Percentage Yield.

You don't need a complicated plan to improve your finances in 2026. Choosing a better savings account is a simple place to begin.

Even as rates cool, many high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) continue to pay far more than big banks.

A few minutes of comparison now can pay off all year long.

Our Picks for the Best High-Yield Savings Accounts of 2026

Account APY Bonus Next Steps
up to 3.80%
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. Earn up to 3.80% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on one SoFi Savings account with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.10% APY as of 5/28/26) for up to 6 months. Open your first SoFi Checking and Savings account and receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 12/31/26. Rates are variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
Min. to earn: $0
Earn $50 or $400 and +0.70% Boost on Savings APY with direct deposit. Terms apply. Circle with letter I in it.

Earn up to 3.80% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on one SoFi Savings account with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.10% APY as of 5/28/26) for up to 6 months. Open your first SoFi Checking and Savings account and receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 12/31/26. Rates are variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
4.15%
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. Earn a guaranteed 4.15% APY for 90 days. After that, your savings keep growing at a competitive standard rate — currently 3.97% APY (subject to change). No minimum account balance required. Deposit or withdraw at any time with no additional fees. See product terms for complete details.
Min. to earn: $1
Earn up to $1,200 when you sign up and fund your account using code SUMMER26.¹
up to 4.10%*
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. 4.10%* APY for balances of $5,000 or more; otherwise, 0.60%* APY
Min. to earn: $5,000
Earn up to 4.10% APY with promo code CITBoost Circle with letter I in it.

With the 6 month Boost limited-time offer, you earn 4.10%* APY on balances over $5,000 (balances less than $5,000 earn 0.60%* APY). After the boost is complete you will continue to earn standard rates -- 3.75% APY for balances over $5,000 (balances less than $5,000 earn 0.25% APY). The minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $100. Member FDIC. No monthly service fees.
Disclaimers

Platinum Savings is a tiered interest rate account. Interest is paid on the entire account balance based on the interest rate and APY in effect that day for the balance tier associated with the end-of-day account balance. APYs — Annual Percentage Yields are accurate as of July 1, 2026: 0.25% APY on balances of $0.01 to $4,999.99; 3.75% APY on balances of $5,000.00 or more. Interest Rates for the Platinum Savings account are variable and may change at any time without notice. The minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $100.

Based on comparison to the national average Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on savings accounts as published in the FDIC National Rates and Rate Caps, accurate as of February 17, 2026.

* Platinum Savings APY Boost Promotion Terms and Conditions

This is a limited time offer available to New and Existing customers who meet the Platinum Savings APY Boost promotion criteria.

Accounts enrolled in the Platinum Savings Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Boost promotion will receive a 0.35% APY boost on the Platinum Savings current standard APY tiers for 6 months following the opening of a new account or when an existing Platinum Savings account is enrolled in the promotion. The Platinum Savings APY boost will be applied on account balances up to $9,999,999.00. Account balances above $9,999,999.00 will earn the standard APY. If the standard-published APY should change during the promotion period, the APY boost will move with it, offering an account APY above the standard rate.

The Promotion begins on February 13, 2026, and ends August 31, 2026. Customers enrolled in the promotion prior to the end date will receive the APY boost for the 6- month period outlined in the terms and conditions.

The promotion can end at any time without notice.

CIT General Disclosure

For complete list of account details and fees, see our Personal Account disclosures.

¹New customers only. Earn a cash bonus (the "Base Bonus") when you deposit and maintain funds with partner banks on the Raisin platform. Customers will receive a Base Bonus of $50 for depositing between $10,000 and $24,999; $125 for depositing between $25,000 and $49,999; $250 for depositing between $50,000 and $99,999; $500 for depositing between $100,000 and $199,999; and $1,000 for depositing $200,000 or more.

Customers may earn an additional bonus by setting up a recurring deposit within 14 days of their initial deposit (the “Recurring Deposit Bonus”). To qualify, the recurring deposit must be established within 14 days of the initial deposit date and it must execute at least two (2) times within 90-days of the initial deposit. Recurring Deposit Bonus eligibility is determined by your Base Bonus tier:

  • Customers depositing between $10,000–$24,999 with aggregate recurring deposits of $100 or greater receive a $10 bonus
  • Customers depositing between $25,000–$49,999 with aggregate recurring deposits of $250 or greater receive a $25 bonus
  • Customers depositing between $50,000–$99,999 with aggregate recurring deposits of $500 or greater receive a $50 bonus
  • Customers depositing between $100,000–$199,999 with aggregate recurring deposits of $1,000 or greater receive a $100 bonus
  • Customers depositing between $200,000+ with aggregate recurring deposits of $2,000 or greater receive a $200 bonus

Customers are eligible to earn the Recurring Deposit Bonus associated with their Base Bonus tier or any lower Recurring Deposit Bonus tier. For example, a customer with an initial deposit of $200,000 (qualifying for the highest Base Bonus tier) whose aggregate recurring deposits total $500, is eligible for the lower tier and will receive the $50 Recurring Deposit Bonus. However, setting up a recurring deposit greater than your Base Bonus tier's required threshold will not qualify you for a higher Recurring Deposit Bonus.

The Recurring Deposit Bonus is paid in addition to the Base Bonus. To qualify for the Base Bonus and Recurring Deposit Bonus, your first deposit must be initiated between June 1, 2026, and August 31, 2026, by 11:59 PM ET, and the promo code SUMMER26 must be entered at the time of sign-up. Only funds deposited within 14 days of the initial deposit date and maintained with partner banks on the Raisin platform for 90 days will be eligible for the Base Bonus. Bonus cash will be credited directly to your Cash Account within 30 days of meeting all qualifying terms. This offer is available to new customers only and may not be combined with any other bonus offers. Raisin may modify or end this offer at any time and may withhold or revoke bonuses in cases of fraud, abuse, or violation of these terms or Raisin’s Terms of Service.

Best HYSA rates today, Jan. 7, 2026

Bank Account APY Requirements
Varo Savings up to 5.00% Start earning 2.50% APY, then qualify to earn 5.00% APY on your balance up to $5,000.00 next month by 1) Receiving direct deposit(s) totaling $1,000 or more; and 2) Ending the month with a positive balance in all your Varo accounts.
Pibank Savings 4.60% No minimum balance
TIMBR High Yield Savings 4.40% $1,000 min. required to open
Newtek Bank Personal High Yield Savings 4.35% No min. balance to open, min. $0.01 required to earn interest
Axos ONE® up to 4.21% Receive at least $1,500 in total monthly qualifying direct deposits and maintain an average daily balance of more than $1,500
Data source: Issuing banks. Rates are accurate as of Jan. 6, 2026.

Right now, with the Axos ONE® checking and savings bundle, earn up to 4.21% APY on your savings when you meet account requirements. Growing your savings balance has never been easier. Check out our full review to learn more, or click below to open an account now.

Rates as of

Axos ONE®

Read Review
Member FDIC.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. 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
Read Review
APY
up to 4.21% Rate info Circle with letter I in it. The Axos ONE® Checking account will earn a promotional rate of 0.51% APY for the statement cycle in which the requirements are met. Axos ONE Savings earns a base rate of 1.00% APY. It earns a promotional rate of 4.21% APY on the first $499,999.99 and 4.01% APY on any additional balance for the statement cycle in which the requirements are met.
Min. To Earn APY
$0 for base rates, $1,500 for max APY
  • 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 4.21% 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.

Open a Axos ONE® Account

The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 2/1/2026. 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

  1. Your Axos ONE® Checking account has received monthly qualifying direct deposits of at least $1,500 in total.
  2. The average daily balance of your Axos ONE® Checking account is at least $1,500.

Option 2

  1. Your Axos ONE® Checking account has received monthly qualifying deposits of at least $5,000 in total.
  2. 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 4.21% APY on the first $499,999.99 and 4.01% APY on any additional balance 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 ACH deposit of your paycheck or government benefits, such as Social Security, Disability, etc. International paychecks, international government benefits, other deposits (i.e., real time payments, 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) mobile check deposits, (iv) real time payments. 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, (v) ATM deposits.

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.

At Motley Fool Money, we rate savings accounts on a five-star scale, shown in tenths of a point to highlight even small differences between products. Accounts are evaluated across four main criteria:

  • APY
  • Brand and reputation
  • Fees and minimum requirements
  • Accessibility and features

Scores may be adjusted to reward limited-time high rates or penalize accounts with excessive fees. Our goal is to highlight accounts that are competitive, easy to use, and backed by trusted institutions. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates bank accounts.

At Motley Fool Money, we rate savings accounts on a five-star scale, shown in tenths of a point to highlight even small differences between products. Accounts are evaluated across four main criteria:

  • APY
  • Brand and reputation
  • Fees and minimum requirements
  • Accessibility and features

Scores may be adjusted to reward limited-time high rates or penalize accounts with excessive fees. Our goal is to highlight accounts that are competitive, easy to use, and backed by trusted institutions. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates bank accounts.

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Why opening an HYSA now still makes sense

Another Fed rate cut was announced in December -- making a total of three cuts in 2025 -- but the best high-yield savings accounts still pay rates several times higher than what most big banks are paying.

What makes an HYSA appealing isn't just the rate. Your money stays safe with FDIC protection (up to $250,000 per depositor), and you can transfer it in or out whenever you need. That flexibility makes it an easy choice for both short-term goals and rainy-day savings.

One thing to keep in mind: rates can shift quickly. When the Fed cuts rates, top APYs trend lower -- so acting sooner could help you take advantage of a stronger return in the new year while competitive APYs are still available.

Open a high-yield savings account in 3 simple steps

It only takes a few minutes to get started. Here's how:

  1. Compare your options. Look for an account with a high APY, no monthly fees, and easy access to your cash. If the bank also offers checking, it can make transfers between accounts faster and simpler.
  2. Apply online. Most banks let you open an account directly through their website. You'll just need to share basic details like your name, address, and Social Security number.
  3. Transfer your funds. Once approved, move money from your checking or another savings account. Most transfers process within a few business days.

That's all it takes to start earning more on your money. Just remember to update any automatic transfers or deposits so they connect to your new account.

What does a higher APY really do for your money?

The right savings account doesn't just keep your money safe -- it helps it grow faster than you might think. At around 4.00% APY, your balance compounds quietly in the background, earning interest on top of interest every single month.

Here's what that kind of steady growth looks like over time -- even if you never add another dollar:

Starting Balance After 1 Year After 5 Years After 10 Years After 20 Years
$5,000 $5,204 $6,105 $7,454 $11,113
$10,000 $10,407 $12,210 $14,908 $22,226
$20,000 $20,815 $24,420 $29,817 $44,452
Data source: Author's calculations.

That's the power of compounding -- your savings balance growing on its own, little by little, without any extra work from you.

The gap between the national average rate (0.38%) and today's top HYSAs is huge. Over time, that difference can mean thousands of extra dollars in your pocket. Opening one of the best high-yield savings accounts today can help your money do more -- while these higher APYs are still around.

FAQs

  • You can. Most HYSAs allow unlimited transfers into the account, but withdrawals are sometimes capped at around six per month.

  • Focus on three things: a top-tier APY, no monthly fees, and easy access to your cash. Beyond that, it can help to choose a bank that also offers checking -- it keeps transfers fast and simple.

  • Yes. Deposits at FDIC-insured banks (and NCUA-insured credit unions) are protected up to $250,000 per person, per institution.

Our Research Expert

Jake FitzGerald
Jake FitzGerald icon-button-linkedin-2x

Jake FitzGerald is a former full-time Editorial Strategist and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money. Jake led content production and distribution while also writing about credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial products. He has more than a decade of experience editing and shaping financial content to give readers clear, trustworthy money advice. His work focuses on delivering practical insights that empower people to make smarter financial decisions. Off the clock, he’s a fan of college football tailgates and still loyal to his favorite putter -- despite what his short game suggests.