Fed Just Hiked Rates—These Accounts Now Pay MAXIMUM Yields on Your Cash
Breaking: The Federal Reserve just pulled the trigger on interest rates—and your cash just got a major upgrade opportunity.
High-Yield Havens
Forget traditional savings accounts paying peanuts. The new rate environment creates clear winners—high-yield savings accounts and money market funds now deliver returns that actually matter. We're talking about accounts hitting 4-5% APY while banks offer 0.01% with a straight face.
Digital Advantage
Fintech platforms and online banks bypass brick-and-mortar overhead, passing savings directly to customers. No branches, no fancy marble lobbies—just raw yield hitting your balance every month.
Timing Is Everything
The Fed's move creates a narrow window for maximum gains. These rates won't last forever—but smart movers lock in premium returns while traditional banks hope you don't notice your money decaying from inflation.
Because nothing says 'modern banking' like institutions paying less than inflation while charging $35 for overdrafts—your cash deserves better.
Key Takeaways
- Savers are still earning strong returns on cash, despite this week's cut by the Fed.
- The top high-yield savings and money market accounts offer up to 5.00%, while the best CD rate is 5.50% this week.
- The best brokerage and robo-advisor cash accounts pay up to 4.18%, while U.S. Treasuries yield as much as 4.75% today.
- A $25,000 deposit could earn more than $500 in six months if you choose the right savings account. Bigger deposits could earn more than $1,000.
- Our tables below compare today's top rates from banks, credit unions, brokers, robo-advisors, and Treasuries.
The full article continues below these offers from our partners.
Cash Yields Reach Up to 5.50%—For Now
Is your cash earning all it could? Putting it in the right account can mean hundreds more in your pocket over time.
The good news for savers is that today’s options remain strong. One certificate of deposit (CD) is even paying 5.50%, though the offer is capped at $5,000 and set to expire next week. For larger deposits, the leading rate is still the 4.60% deal that topped the charts last week.
That's despite the Federal Reserve cutting rates by a quarter point this week, a MOVE that was widely expected. With the central bank projecting another half-point in reductions before year’s end, deposit rates at banks, credit unions, and brokerages could adjust quickly. That means today’s top yields may not last, making now an opportune time to put your cash to work at the best available returns.
How Much Can You Earn 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
The rate you earn from 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—if it hasn't already. In contrast, CDs and Treasuries allow you to lock in your return for a set term.
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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, knowing what each one is currently paying is essential. Below, we break down the top rates in each category as of Friday’s market close and 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.
Brokerage 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 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.
You'll want to look for a high-yield savings account, and it pays to choose from those offering the best rates in the country.
Fortunately, our daily ranking of the best high-yield savings accounts gives you 16 options that pay 4.30% or more—and as much as 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 useful 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 4.80%, matching the best high-yield savings rate. But again, money market rates are variable, just like savings account rates. That means they can be lowered at any time.
A certificate of deposit (CD) doesn't carry that risk. A CD is a bank or credit union product with a fixed interest rate, promising a guaranteed return for a set period, generally three months to five years. Our daily ranking of the best nationwide CDs currently includes 14 options paying at least 4.40%—with a new top rate of 5.50% APY. That CD showed up in our rankings this week, but it's only available on balances up to $5,000 and must be opened by Sept. 27. For a larger deposit, the next-best rate is last week's leader paying 4.60% APY.
But be aware that CDs are a commitment with teeth: If you cash in before maturity, your earnings will be dinged with an early withdrawal penalty.
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 they currently range from 3.96% to 4.18% 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 3.58% 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 four to 52 weeks, while Treasury notes have a maturity of two to five 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 3.56% to 4.75%.
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 holders of existing I bonds, your next six-month rate will also increase—by almost a full percentage point. See our story about the recent rate change, including the 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 leave out credit unions whose donation requirement is $40 or more. For more about how we choose the best rates, read our full methodology.
