Finding the best interest rates is a lot easier today than it was even a few years ago. Here at Dough Roller, we track rates on everything from checking and savings accounts to mortgages to CDs. It occurred to me, however, that there was no one single page on the site where you could find the top rate for each type of account. So we created this page, updated monthly, to track the highest (or lowest) rates available.
Deal of the Day: Earn 1.75% APY on an FDIC-insured money market account account at CIT Bank.
We focus on those financial institutions that have low fees, great rates, and are typically available anywhere in the U.S. You can find local banks and credit unions that offer comparable rates, but their availability is limited geographically.
April 2018 Update: There were several important rate hikes over the past month:
- CIT Bank hiked the rate on its 11 month no-penalty CD to 1.85% APY.
- Barclays increased its rate on its 1 to 5-year CD rates. It’s 1-year CD now stands at 2.10% APY.
- CIT Bank launched a money market account that pays 1.75% APY.
- The Fed raised its Fed Fund rate by 25 basis points.
- Synchrony Bank raised its rates on several CD products. It’s 1-year CD now pays 2.05% APY
Mortgage rates were little changed. The average 30-year fixed rate comes in at 4.44% (up just 4 basis points from a month ago) with 0.5 in fees/points.
With that said, here are some of the best interest rates we’ve found for April 2018:
Best Bank Account Rates
Savings Accounts: The top savings account rate goes to Dollar Savings Direct at 1.80% APY (see table below). Several banks come in a close second, including CIT at 1.75% APY on its money market account (where I keep some of our emergency fund), Synchrony Bank also pays 1.55% APY, and Ally Bank (where I bank) is at 1.45% APY. These represent some of the highest rates on a nationally available savings account.
Here’s a comparison table we update daily with current competitive rates:
Best CD Rates: The rates on certificates of deposit vary based on the term. The longer the term, the higher the rate. Keep in mind that penalties may apply if you close the CD before the end of the term. For a 12-month CD, the best rate we could find is 2.07% APY (exclusively at PenF) and 2.00% at Ally (with a $25,000 minimum). Synchrony Bank is also competitive at 1.95% APY with a minimum balance of $2,000. The rates, of course, go up for longer-term certificates of deposit.
Checking Accounts: Most checking accounts do not pay interest. For online banks, however, you’ll find plenty of options where you can earn some interest on your funds. There are two things to keep in mind. First, many banks offer higher interest rates only if you keep a lot of money in your checking account. Second, the rates are lower than a savings account or CD.
Some top paying checking accounts that we like include FNBO Direct, which currently pays 0.65% APY. For those with at least $15,000 in checking, you can earn 0.60% APY from Ally Bank. I list Ally second because most people don’t keep that much cash in checking, but it’s an option for those who do. These rates are unchanged from previous months. And for those looking for bonus offers, Chase is offering bonuses of up to $300 for new checking accounts.
Bonus: I also keep a running list of popular checking account promotions you can check out.
Mortgage Rates
Mortgages: Listing the “best” mortgage rate is really impossible. Rates change throughout the day, vary by state, and are highly dependent on a number of factors including your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, and down payment. That being said, the average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage moved down this month to 4.44% according to Freddie Mac (up from 4.40% last month). The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage nudged up to 3.90% (up from 3.85% a month ago).
You can find competitive mortgage and refinance rates at LendingTree or on the table below:
Best Credit Card Interest Rates
Credit Cards: The longest 0% introductory period stands at 21 months on both purchases and balance transfers. In addition, the Chase Slate offers 0% on balance transfers for 15 months with no balance transfer fee if initiated in the first 60 days of opening the account. You can find a current list of the best 0% credit card offers here.
If you find better rates on any of the above financial products, please let us know in the comments below.
Note that the above rates were as of April 2, 2018. Rates are subject to change, so please confirm the rates directly with the financial institution.
Good info. Thank you.
One other thing that I would find very helpful, if it exists, would be a list of credit cards that offer 0% interest and 0% balance transfer fee for any period of time…even just 6 to 9 months would be helpful.
SmartyPig has had their interest rates at 1% for quite some time now, no minimum required…
Thanks for collecting all this information! Interest rates are one of the important things to factor in when determining where to keep your money. I would put it out there that interest rates are not the only factor to consider, but having as much information as possible about these rates is great!
Hi,
I just open a sfgi direct account at http://www.sfgidirect.com/ while reading your newsletter. Easy to set up and give 1% APY. Thank you so much for your valuable advices!
Isabelle, thanks for letting us know about this option.
Hi Rob, For people in Michigan, Lake Michigan Credit Union pays 3% on a checking account up to $15,000 You must set up a direct deposit and due 10 transitions a month with your debit card. So for me it is worth using your debit card for 10 small transitions to get the 3% and I use it more for a savings account.
Kevin, thanks for the tip.
This is a great list to have, thanks!
One thing I noticed when I (recently) took out a HELOC, was that a local credit union offered the lowest overall plan because there were no closing/origination fees. They even waived the appraisal fee. The rate was .25% higher than an online rate I found, but by doing the math (mine is a short term), using the local guys turned out to be the best deal.
Hello everyone. I’m looking into transferring several credit card accounts into an overall better credit card and/or cards. 0% transfer rates and obviously low APR’s would be ideal. If anything comes to mind, please share. I’ll continue to research and Rob… I’m so happy that I stumbled on to Dough Roller!!!
The Discover It card offers 0% introductory APR for 18 months on balance transfers, which like you said it’s the longest period among all credit card offers right now. There is a 3% balance transfer fee which is about standard in the industry.
Times have changed on the percentages earned in savings accounts. Its not the best choice these days to grow money. But, its better than checking accounts! You definitely need to know what’s happening in order to make the best choice for your goals.
I am not a saver in this form anymore because of the scarily low interest rates, I like my money active for me.
Great news on the mortgage rates for anyone wanting to make their money work for them in that manner. I’d rather over pay on my mortgage than place extra money in savings at the moment.
After researching customer service reviews for the top online banks for savings accounts, I am hesitant about opening an account with an unfamiliar bank (to me).
I am thinking about opening up an account with American Express even though their rates are a bit lower. I have been an AMEX credit card holder since 1989 and have always received great customer service.
Do you think there is much difference among the online banks regarding customer service?
AMERICAN EXPRESS IS THE BEST!!!!! If you have ANY problem with anyone they will do the research and in the meantime remove the charge until it is straightened out! ALL other credit cards make you go thru a ringer when you have any problems with charges and getting a credit!
AMEX is worth every penny!
This article, like many, is incomplete.
The top savings account rate with no fees/minimums is MySavingsDirect (from Emigrant Direct Bank) with a whooping 1.04% APR (1.05% APY if you dare).
Thanks for letting us know.
Quick question which may be a silly one: I recently opened a Capital One 360 savings account. Will the interest rate on that account or really any of the savings accounts listed about change as rates increase? Or do you have to open a new savings account to have the new rates?
Thanks so much!!
Don’t fall for any of this. Many banks list a high APY (which is NOT the Annual Percentage Rate (APR)) at the beginning of each month to make it into article like this. Soon after they drop dramatically.
Besides, APY does not do you any good, the APR is what counts. There are several banks out there who give you 1% true APR, and that for over 1 year, a professional would never mess around with what we call fake advertising APY’s.
Actually, I’ve been tracking rates for years now, and the banks listed don’t play games with their interest rates. The rates you see have been in place for some time. And the APY is what counts. It factors in compounding.
It would be extremely useful if you could provide banks that have minimum premature penalties on 5 year cd’s. Ally used to have a penalty of 2 months on a 5 year cd, before they raised it. I took advantage at that time. Consider that it paid 2.4 percent. If you kept it a year, the interest rate would be 10/12 of 2.4 percent. That is 2 percent. A very good deal for a one year cd..
MySavingsDirect offered by Emigrant bank has a APY of 1.25%, no minimum balance and no monthly fees.
I just opened a savings account at GE Capital Bank, and they’re offering a 1.05% APY.
I like Discover Bank’s savings account that offers 0.95% APY and cash back (up to $120 per year) checking account that provides unlimited free checks with no minimum balance requirement.
Actually Lake Michigan credit union does not require you to be a MI resident. If you check around there are plenty of CU and Small banks that offer high interest rate checking accounts that often exceed the 1% savings rates you have quoted.
Rick, right you are. Just make sure you understand the limitations. They limit the amount you can save, require direct deposit, require a certain number of debit transactions each month. This doesn’t make them bad deals. It’s just important to know the requirements before opening an account.
What banks or credit unions offer good interest rates on their HELOC? I am in Texas.
Do you know the name of a lender that will give me a decent rate on a small investment property to refinance? The rates I have been getting are very high and closing costs range from $3800 to $5800!! Any information is greatly appreciated.!
Great list, thanks for all the info.
Just out this last week, too late for your survey. A 11 month no-penalty CD from Ally for 1.25 percent. Since this is equivalent to a straight savings account, go for the no-penalty CD.
United Bank is advertising a 1.25 APR money market account.
Capital one is offering $200 to open a new money market account 1% interest, may be targeted, and purepoint.com offers 1.25% interest savings.
Pure Point Financial 1.25% savings $10k min, Dime bank 1.1% money market $1k min
Always love what you do Rob! Thanks! Your posts and podcasts on building a blog and growing it remain my favorite. Thanks!
Check out Everbank Yield Pledge Money Market Account. 1.11% rate locked in for at least 1 year.
There is also CIT Bank which has a 1.05% APY and pays a bonus with $15k+.
Purepoint Financial has an interest rate of 1.25 percent. I switched to them months ago
Here are my favorites:
Savings: Purepoint Financial at 1.25%
CD: Ally 11-month NO PENALTY CD at 1.50% (No penalty to withdraw after first 6 days)
Interest checking: Alliant Credit Union at 0.65%
I wish you would add the early withdrawal penalty to the 5 year CD.
In the past, I have found holding a 5 year CD for at least 1 year was superior than a straight
savings account, if the early withdrawal penalty was not too severe.
The best interest rates I’ve found for CDs is at Connect One Bank. You cannot beat this deal__A 10-month CD (open with $500) @ 2.17% APY/2.15% APR If you want to earn really good interest with only $100 to start, check out the 15 month CD rate (2.00% APY/1.98% APR) at HavenSavings Bank.