If you have money sitting in a savings account, you know that it’s not earning very much money right now. Interest rates are depressed because of the shrinking economy and the Federal Reserve will continue to encourage lower interest rates through their monetary policies until the economy sees a real recovery.
According to BankRate.com, the average money market account and savings account is earning just 1.17% right now. A few years ago, savers were able to get 5.25% on their money in a standard savings account. Wouldn’t it be nice to get that interest rate guaranteed in today’s market? In a depressed interest rate environment, it’s no longer possible to get that rate of return without taking on some amount of risk, but there are ways where consumers can get savings accounts that likely have higher interest rates than what they have now.
If you have money that you absolutely don’t want to take any risk on and want the protection of FDIC insurance, you do have some options. You’re not going to get a great interest rate, but you can probably do a little bit better than you’re doing now.
The online savings banks currently offering the best interest rates are offering just above 2.0% on their money right now. If you aren’t sure what interest rate that you’re getting right now, it’s definitely time to research what interest rate you’re getting, and whether or not there’s another bank that can provide a better rate.
Another way to get a better rate of return on your money is through purchasing certificates of deposit, since these are FDIC insured, you won’t need any specific commercial insurance on your investment. These are basically savings accounts with a fixed term and often have slightly better interest rates, especially if you are willing to commit to 3 or 5 years. Right now, it probably doesn’t make sense to purchase 5 year certificates of deposit because interest rates have nowhere to go but up from here, but you could put some money in a 1, 2 or 3 year CD and earn 2.75-3.25% back on your money in today’s market.
