Cash Is Quietly Paying Up to 5% Right Now—If You Know Where To Look

Key Takeaways

• Safe places to keep savings are still offering stronger returns than many people expect.
• Top savings accounts, CDs, brokerage cash accounts, and Treasuries pay 3%–5% with almost no risk—some with their return guaranteed.
• Our latest chart lets you quickly compare today’s best cash yields side by side.

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See Today’s Best Cash Yields—All in One Chart

Savers don’t have to take big risks to earn a respectable return right now. Several low-risk options are still paying solid yields on cash, with savings accounts, CDs, brokerages, and Treasuries near multiyear highs—even after the Federal Reserve trimmed its benchmark rate by 0.75 percentage points last fall.

Every week, we chart the best-paying options across the major cash categories—all in one place for easy comparison. The top high-yield savings accounts still pay up to 5.00% if you meet certain requirements, or around 4.50% for no-strings-attached accounts. Among CDs, the best nationwide rate is 4.30%, and brokerages, robo-advisors, and Treasuries continue to offer attractive returns in the mid-3% to upper-4% range.

These yields make now an appealing time to put idle cash to work while rates remain elevated. Below, we’ll show how much you could earn on different balances and how the top yields stack up by product type.

Why This Matters

Inflation is currently about 2.4%, so savings should earn at least that much to avoid losing purchasing power. Today’s top cash options clear that bar by a wide margin.

How Much You Can Earn on $10K, $25K, or $50K

Even if you’re staying cautious amid market swings, keeping your cash sidelined doesn’t mean it has to sit idle. The right account can still turn short-term safety into meaningful earnings.

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 3.25% 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.

These examples assume you can earn the stated annual percentage yield (APY) for the full six months, which may not be possible with variable-rate options.

Important

The rate you earn from a savings account, money market account, cash account, or money market fund is variable and will generally drop whenever the Fed cuts rates. In contrast, CDs and Treasuries allow you to lock in your yield for a set time period.

This Week’s Highest-Paying Options for Savings, CDs, Brokerages, and Treasuries

For a low-risk return that’s still rewarding, today’s top cash options fall into three main categories—each with slightly different trade-offs depending on how long you want to keep funds parked.

2. Bank and credit union products: Savings accounts, money market accounts (MMAs), and certificates of deposit (CDs)
3. Brokerage and robo-advisor products: Money market funds and cash management accounts
4. U.S. Treasury products: T-bills, notes, and bonds, plus inflation-protected I bonds

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.

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U.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.

Related Eduction

How Federal Reserve Rate Changes Affect Borrowing

Inflation: What It Is and How to Control Inflation Rates

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.

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