When you think of interest-generating bank accounts, your mind likely goes to savings. After all, that’s your reward for building an emergency fund or socking away money for a future expense, right? A regular, end-of-month deposit into your savings account, courtesy of your bank.
The good news: You can also earn interest with select checking accounts.
What Is a High-Interest Checking Account?
A high-interest, or high-yield, checking account offers a higher interest rate (annual percentage yield, or APY) on your money. Unlike a traditional checking account, you may have to keep a minimum balance in the account at all times and meet other requirements — for instance, pay a monthly fee, make a certain number of debit card purchases or schedule a recurring direct deposit — to earn the higher interest rate.
High-interest checking accounts are a solid way to earn more for your money. Whether you bank with a federal credit union, online bank or other type of financial institution, high-yield checking accounts can be a great place to store your cash.
Here’s an overview of high-yield checking accounts, what you need to know when choosing one and the top checking accounts available in the market today.
The 7 Best High-Interest Checking Accounts
| Name | APY | Monthly Fees | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SoFi Money |
0.25% |
None |
SEE DETAILS | ||
NBKC Everything Checking Account |
0.15% |
None |
SEE DETAILS | ||
Consumers Credit Union |
2.09% to 4.09% |
None |
SEE DETAILS | ||
Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking |
0.03% |
None |
SEE DETAILS | ||
Capital One 360 Checking Account |
0.10% |
None |
SEE DETAILS | ||
Ally Interest Checking Account |
0.10% to 0.25% |
None |
SEE DETAILS | ||
Axos Rewards Checking |
1.00% |
None |
SEE DETAILS |
Here are the seven best high-interest checking accounts where you can save your money and make a little more at the same time.
SoFi Money
- Free debit card
- Fee-free ATM usage via Allpoint
- Overdraft protection
SoFi Money takes a number of steps to make the transition to online banking easy:
- Through a partnership with Allpoint, account holders won’t pay fees at 55,000 ATMs worldwide.
- Overdraft protection — SoFi Money members who meet certain criteria and accidentally spend more than they have in their account will be covered up to $50 with no fees.
- SoFi’s website and mobile apps have detailed FAQs, and they make it simple and easy for you to find any information you want.
NBKC Everything Checking Account
- 24/7 mobile banking
- Up to $12 monthly ATM-fee reimbursement
- No foreign transaction fees
The NBKC Everything Checking Account offers other perks, too:
- Access to over 37,000 ATMs. Keep in mind that the mega-banks, like Wells Fargo and Bank of America, have less than 20,000 in-network ATMs. Plus, NBKC will reimburse you up to $12 monthly to refund those pesky, out-of-network ATM fees.
- 24/7 mobile banking.
- The ability to set up auto-pay for recurring bills.
Consumers Credit Union
- Free nationwide checking
- Anyone can join CCU
- Can bank online or in person
Consumers Credit Union knows plenty of people still write checks so it allows unlimited check writing. Plus, there is a feature to get paid at day early when you have direct deposit and your employer has provided the requested information. Consumers brags that clients with balances up to $10,000 can earn 80x the national average.
Capital One 360 Checking Account
- 70,000 fee-free ATMs
- 24/7 banking
- Options for overdraft protection
If you’re looking for a bank with a lot of clout in the industry and both in-person and online banking options, the Capital One 360 checking account could be a solid option for you. In December 2021, Capital One became the largest bank in the country to eliminate all overdraft fees.
Charles Schwab High-Yield Investor
- Low opening requirement
- Unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide
- Need linked brokerage account
With no foreign transaction fees and top-notch security, this account could work for you if you’re a frequent traveler. Another perk: You can manage all of your Charles Schwab accounts in one place. That means no juggling multiple logins and websites to access your funds.
Ally Interest Checking Account
- 40,000 fee-free ATMs
- No overdraft fees as of 2021
- Super-transparent fees
Overall, Ally is an online-only bank with a pretty good high-yield checking account. In June 2021, Ally Bank eliminated overdraft fees on all accounts for all customers. Another perk is Ally’s super-transparent fees. For example, there’s no gray area over what an outgoing domestic wire will run you ($20).
Axos Rewards Checking
- Access to 24/7 to virtual financial assistant
- Free debit card
- Low minimum opening deposit
Here are the guidelines to receive the higher rate from Axos Bank: Receive $1.5K or more monthly deposits (0.40%), use your Axos debit card for 10 (minimum of $3) transactions (0.30%), maintain at least $2,500 per month in an Axos Invest Managed Portfolios Account (0.10%), have a daily balance of $2,500 per month in an Axos Invest Self Directed Trading Account (0.10%) and use your Rewards Checking account to make an Axos consumer loan payment in full each month (0.10%).
Why You Should Consider High-Yield Checking Accounts
We’ll be honest — with today’s interest rates, you won’t be raking in the dough like in years past. The national average for interest checking accounts is a not-so-hot 0.03% annual percentage yield (APY), according to the FDIC.
However, if you can earn something versus nothing for keeping your money in a checking account, we think it’s worth exploring. Any secure account where you can safely store and grow your money is a win in our book.
Check out our current list of bank promotions for a chance to gain a monetary bonus when signing up for a new bank account.
Who Can Get a High-Yield Checking Account?
The short answer? Anyone 18 years old and up. To open any account in the U.S., you typically need the following:
- Be age 18 and older
- A U.S. citizen
- Your social security number
- A government-issued ID
Certain accounts might suit different individuals better. For instance, a super-organized person who can meet some banks’ regular requirements to earn a higher interest rate might fare better with one type of account than someone who’s more of a “set it and forget it” type who will be fine with a lower rate and fewer requirements.
Regardless, anyone can benefit from a high-interest checking account.
How Banks Offer Higher Interest Rates
Banks offer attractive rates to incentivize people to open accounts with and keep their money with them. Some companies are able to offer even higher rates than their competitors. For example, online-only banks typically have an edge here. They have less overhead than their brick-and-mortar counterparts and can pass these savings (in the form of higher interest rates) on to consumers.
What to Look for When Opening a High-Interest Checking Account
You want to have a lay of the land before you sign on the (digital) dotted line for a new bank account. Here are some key items you want to review before going with a high-interest checking account:
- The APY
- Minimum to open the account
- Monthly maintenance fee
- ATM fee
- Minimum deposit requirement
- Direct deposit requirement
- Daily balance requirement
- Number of debit card transactions you need to hit
Rates can change, so make sure you review your account offerings compared to others on the market from time to time to ensure you have the best setup for you.
How to Choose a High-Interest Checking Account
If you’re thinking about moving to a high-interest checking account, take a few things into consideration.
- Look for accounts that won’t negate those interest earnings by charging you fees. However, if you carry a high balance, it may be worth paying a small monthly fee to get a better interest rate. Do the math.
- Keep an eye on minimum balance requirements. We focused on accounts that don’t require a minimum balance, but if you know that you’ll consistently have at least $1,000 in your account at all times, you may want to shop around a bit more. There may be a great deal out there.
- Look at the requirements. Maybe you don’t use your debit card that much or you don’t want to have a direct deposit. Choose an account that fits with the way you like to use your account.
- Keep ATMs in mind if you use them. It’s 2022, and you shouldn’t have to pay those fees. There are too many banks that are willing to cover those for you.
- Look for accounts with a mobile app. If you do a lot of banking on your phone, make sure the bank you choose has a solid banking app. Once you find the checking account that checks all the right boxes for you and how you like to use your account, sign up and start earning money on your money already.
- Think outside the box. If your primary bank doesn’t offer a high-yield checking account (or the rates or monthly fees are a no-go), see what else is available. Consider all your options for opening a checking account — whether it’s a brick-and-mortar bank, credit union, digital-only service or other institution altogether, it quite literally pays to open an account with a bank that will reward you for having an account with them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About High-Interest Checking Accounts
Here, we’ve answered popular questions about high-interest checking accounts.
How We Picked the 7 Best Checking Accounts That Pay Interest
Our methodology for this list is simple: According to the FDIC, the average interest rate for interest-bearing checking accounts is currently 0.03%. So, we looked for accounts that came in around that range or, ideally, were higher. (Note: APR fluctuates over time, so a lower rate now could rise in the future.)
Beyond the interest rate, we looked at what else the account brings to the table. We gave preference to ones that don’t have maintenance fees or require minimum balances and that offer ATM fee reimbursement.
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