Where an emergency fund belongs: reachable the same day, insured, and earning something rather than nothing. Each rate below carries the date it was checked.
The large banks
BarclaysTiered Savings · No minimum3.65%→Checked Aug 25, 2026
Marcus by Goldman SachsHigh-Yield Online Savings · No minimum3.40%→Checked Aug 31, 2026
Synchrony BankHigh Yield Savings · No minimum3.30%→Checked Aug 31, 2026
WealthfrontCash Account · $1 minimum · A brokerage cash account, swept to partner banks, not a bank account itself3.30%→Checked Aug 31, 2026
Ally BankOnline Savings Account · No minimum3.00%→Checked Aug 25, 2026
American ExpressHigh Yield Savings Account · No minimum3.00%→Checked Aug 31, 2026
Capital One360 Performance Savings · No minimum3.00%→Checked Aug 25, 2026
CIT BankPlatinum Savings · $5,000 minimum · Top rate requires $5,000; below that it drops sharplyCheck current rate→
Rates are read from each bank’s own page by hand, on the date shown. Where no date is shown we have not verified a rate, and the link goes straight to the bank.
What to check before you move money
How fast it reaches checking. An emergency fund that takes three business days to arrive is not doing its job.
Whether the rate is introductory. An APY that drops after three months, or above a balance cap, is a different product from the one advertised.
That it is insured. FDIC for a bank, NCUA for a credit union, up to $250,000 per depositor per institution.