Smart Money Moves: How to Turn $10K, $25K, or $50K Into Crypto Gains Today
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Crypto’s heating up again—here’s where to park your cash before the next leg up.
For the $10K hustler: DCA into Bitcoin and Ethereum. Boring? Maybe. But 80% of hedge funds now hold BTC—even the suits are stacking.
The $25K play: Layer-2 tokens and staking. ETH’s Shanghai upgrade slashed gas fees—now you earn yield without getting rekt by network costs.
Big $50K energy? Allocate to AI-crypto hybrids. Fetch.ai and Render pumping 300% YTD proves machines want blockchain too.
Bonus tip: Avoid ‘stablecoin farms’ offering 15% APY—unless you enjoy being the exit liquidity for VC bags.
Key Takeaways
- With the Fed holding rates steady until at least September, savers continue to benefit from unusually strong returns on cash.
- Top high-yield savings and money market accounts offer up to 5.00% this week, while the best CD rate clocks in at 4.51%.
- The best brokerage and robo-advisor cash accounts currently yield up to 4.23%, and current U.S. Treasury yields go as high as 4.81%.
- A mid-five-figure savings balance can generate hundreds of dollars in interest in just a few months—if placed in the right account.
- Our comparison tables below show how today’s top returns stack up across banks, credit unions, brokers, robo-advisors, and Treasuries.
The full article continues below these offers from our partners.
Cash Yields Remain Strong—and Likely Will for a While
Keeping cash in reserve is always a smart move—but in today’s climate of economic uncertainty, a solid cash cushion feels more important than ever. Whether you’re building up savings in a bank account or moving funds out of higher-risk investments, it’s worth asking: Is your cash working as hard as it could be? Different cash strategies come with different yields, and choosing wisely can make a big difference in the size of your future balance.
The good news for savers is that today’s options remain attractive. Returns are still buoyed by the Federal Reserve’s elevated benchmark rate—and that supportive backdrop looks likely to last a bit longer. The Fed held interest rates steady for a fifth straight meeting this week, as widely expected. However, the CME Group's FedWatch Tool now shows an 87% chance of a rate cut at the Sept. 16–17 meeting, with the odds rising to 97% for late October.
That means you still have time to take advantage of strong yields, since deposit rates at banks, credit unions, and brokerages tend to track the federal funds rate. When a cut from the Fed eventually arrives, it will push rates on savings accounts, money markets, and CDs lower. But for now, it’s an ideal time to let your cash earn real money—before rates begin to drop.
Inflation's Up—Make Sure Your Money Isn't Quietly ShrinkingHow Much Interest You Could Earn Right Now on $10K, $25K, or $50K
With a lump-sum savings deposit of $10,000, $25,000, or even $50,000, you can earn hundreds of dollars in interest if you choose one of today’s top rates. Whether you opt for a 4.00% cash management account, a top high-yield savings or money market account paying 5.00%, or something in between, here’s what different balances could earn over the next six months.
| APY | Earnings on $10K for 6 months | Earnings on $25K for 6 months | Earnings on $50K for 6 months |
| 4.00% | $198 | $495 | $990 |
| 4.25% | $210 | $526 | $1,051 |
| 4.50% | $223 | $556 | $1,113 |
| 4.75% | $235 | $587 | $1,174 |
| 5.00% | $247 | $617 | $1,235 |
Important
Don't forget that the rate you earn on a savings account, money market account, cash account, or money market fund can fluctuate—and will almost certainly drop once the Fed begins cutting rates. In contrast, CDs and Treasuries allow you to lock in your return for a set term.
This Week’s Highest-Paying Options for Savings, CDs, and Treasuries
For a low-risk return that’s still rewarding, today’s top cash investment options fall into three main categories:
You can choose a single option or mix and match based on your goals and timeline. Either way, it’s essential to know what each one is currently paying. Below, we break down the top rates in each category as of Friday’s market close, along with how they’ve changed since last week.
Bank and Credit Union Rates
The rates below represent the top nationally available annual percentage yields (APYs) from federally insured banks and credit unions, based on our daily analysis of more than 200 institutions offering products nationwide.
CD Maturing Soon? MOVE the Funds to a New One—Before the Fed Cuts RatesBrokerage and Robo-Advisor Cash Rates
The yield on money market funds fluctuates daily, while rates on cash management accounts are more fixed but can be adjusted at any time.
6 Best Investment Accounts for Handling Uninvested CashU.S. Treasury Rates
Treasury securities pay interest through maturity and can be purchased from TreasuryDirect or traded on the secondary market through a bank or brokerage. I bonds must be bought from TreasuryDirect and can be held for up to 30 years, with rates adjusted every six months.
This Week’s Best Cash Rates, All in One Place
Here's a summary look at all of the cash vehicles above, sorted by today's highest rates. Note that the rates shown are the top qualifying rate for each product type.
How to Choose the Best Place for Your Cash
Bank and Credit Union Products
The most basic place to stash cash is a bank or credit union savings account—sometimes called a high-yield savings account—that lets you add and withdraw money as you please. But don't assume your primary bank pays a competitive rate. Some banks pay virtually zero interest.
Fortunately, our daily ranking of the best high-yield savings accounts gives you 20 options that pay 4.30% to 5.00% APY. Note, however, that savings account rates can change at any time.
A money market account is a savings account that lets you write paper checks. If this is a useful feature to you, compare the best money market accounts.
If you don't need paper check-writing, choose whichever account type—money market or savings—pays the better rate. Today's top money market account rate is 5.00%—currently matching the best high-yield savings rate. But again, money market rates are variable, just like savings account rates—meaning they can be lowered at any time.
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a bank or credit union product with a fixed interest rate, promising a guaranteed return for a set period of time. Generally ranging from 3 months to 5 years, CDs offer a predictable return with a rate that cannot be changed for the duration of the term.
But be aware that it's a commitment with teeth: If you cash in before maturity, your earnings will be dinged with an early withdrawal penalty. Our daily ranking of the best nationwide CDs currently includes 12 options paying at least 4.50%—with a top rate of 4.51% APY.
Brokerage and Robo-Advisor Products
Unlike a money market account at a bank, money market funds are mutual funds invested in cash and offered by brokerage and robo-advisor firms. Their yields can fluctuate daily but currently range from 3.98% to 4.23% at the three biggest brokerages.
For uninvested cash held at a brokerage or robo-advisor, you can have the funds "swept" into a cash management account where they will earn a return. Unlike money market funds, cash management accounts offer a specific interest rate that the brokerage or robo-advisor can adjust whenever it likes. Currently, several popular brokers are paying 3.83% to 4.00% APY on their cash accounts.
U.S. Treasury Products
The U.S. Treasury offers a wide array of short- and long-term bond instruments. Treasury bills have the shortest duration, ranging from 4 to 52 weeks, while Treasury notes have a maturity of 2 to 5 years. The longest-term option is a Treasury bond, which has a 20- or 30-year maturity. Today's rates on the various Treasury products range from 3.67% to 4.81%.
You can buy T-bills, notes, and bonds straight from TreasuryDirect or buy and sell them on the secondary market at brokerages and banks. Selling a Treasury product allows you to exit before the bond matures. However, you may pay a fee or commission for secondary market purchases and sales, while buying and redeeming at TreasuryDirect—the U.S. Treasury’s online platform for buying federal government securities—has no fees.
You can also buy Treasury ETFs, which trade on the market like a stock. Treasury ETFs have advantages and limitations, which you can read about here.
U.S. Treasury I bonds have a rate that's adjusted every six months to align with inflation trends. You can redeem an I bond anytime after one year or hold it for as long as 30 years. While you own the bond, your rate will change every six months.
I bond rates increased on May 1, from 3.11% for bonds issued during the previous six months to 3.98% for new bonds purchased from May 1 to Oct. 31, 2025. For existing I bond holders, your next six-month rate will also increase—by almost a full percentage point. See our story about the recent rate change, including rate tables for different bond dates.
How We Find the Best Savings and CD Rates
Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs and savings accounts to customers nationwide and determines daily rankings of the top-paying accounts. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), and the account's minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000. It also cannot specify a maximum deposit amount that's below $5,000.
Banks must be available in at least 40 states to qualify as nationally available. And while some credit unions require you to donate to a specific charity or association to become a member if you don't meet other eligibility criteria (e.g., you don't live in a certain area or work in a certain kind of job), we exclude credit unions whose donation requirement is $40 or more. For more about how we choose the best rates, read our full methodology.
