Best high-yield savings accounts in 2026
The 4% names almost all have a catch. The honest floor is still a clean 3%.
FinanceRadar's catalog of 21 published high-yield savings accounts averages about 3.56% APY after the September 7 rate check. Three pay 4.00% or more. About 12 of those 21 attach a catch: a balance floor, a monthly deposit habit, a fee, or a teaser. Pibank Savings is the highest no-minimum print we confirmed on an issuer page, at 4.10%. Forbright Growth Savings is 3.85% with no fees and no minimums; the 4.15% promo is gone. CIT Bank Platinum Savings is 3.75% on $5,000 or more and 0.25% under that, after CITBOOST ended August 31. If you want a rate that does not depend on a habit or a floor, Marcus Online Savings at 3.40% and Ally Online Savings / American Express High Yield Savings at 3.00% are still the clean floor. A typical brick-and-mortar savings APY still sits well below 1%. The gap is real money: on $10,000, 3.56% versus 0.38% is about $320 a year.
FinanceRadar tracks 21 published high-yield savings accounts. After the September 7 issuer-page check, the average APY in that catalog is about 3.56%. Three of the 21 pay 4.00% or more, and about 12 of 21 still put a condition on the number you see in the headline. That split is the whole story of this category in 2026: the leaderboard is real, and so is the fine print. The full APY table and the APY catch report are the first-party sources behind every figure here.
A year ago, shopping a savings account meant typing "best HYSA" and opening whichever bank sat at the top of a roundup. That still works if you enjoy moving money every time a promo dies. It works less well if you want a rate you can leave alone. Pibank Savings at 4.10% and LendingClub LevelUp Savings at 4.00% (only in months you deposit $250) are the 4% club that is still standing. Forbright Growth Savings dropped from a 4.15% promo to a clean 3.85%. CIT Bank Platinum Savings dropped from 4.10% to 3.75% when CITBOOST ended August 31. Marcus Online Savings, Ally Online Savings, and American Express High Yield Savings sit at 3.40% and 3.00% with nothing attached. Those last three are the accounts I would actually leave a year's cash in if I did not want to babysit a rate.
The directory of every savings account we track is the companion to this guide. Use this page to decide what kind of catch you will tolerate. Use the directory when you want the rest of the 21, including the ones we left off the picks on purpose.
Top Picks
Based on features, user feedback, and value for money.
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pibank Savings | Free | 2.1(204) | Rate chasers who will live with a tiny Miami brand and an app-only shop. |
| Forbright Growth Savings | Free | 4.8(2,320) | People who want a conventional-bank rate without a floor or a habit. |
| CIT Bank Platinum Savings | Free | n/a | Balances of $5,000 or more at a First Citizens brand, if 3.75% is enough. |
| LendingClub LevelUp Savings | Free | n/a | People who already move $250 a month into savings and can automate it. |
| EverBank Performance Savings | Free | 4.8(16,724) | New customers who will confirm the ongoing rate before they treat 3.90% as permanent. |
| Marcus Online Savings | Free | 4.9(262,224) | Cash you want to stop thinking about. The best no-catch account in this catalog. |
| Ally Online Savings | Free | 4.6(111,403) | People who want a full digital bank attached to the savings rate, not a rate shop. |
| American Express High Yield Savings | Free | 4.9(4,371,800) | Amex cardholders who want savings in the same login and do not want a promo to babysit. |
Rate chasers who will live with a tiny Miami brand and an app-only shop.
People who want a conventional-bank rate without a floor or a habit.
Balances of $5,000 or more at a First Citizens brand, if 3.75% is enough.
People who already move $250 a month into savings and can automate it.
New customers who will confirm the ongoing rate before they treat 3.90% as permanent.
Cash you want to stop thinking about. The best no-catch account in this catalog.
People who want a full digital bank attached to the savings rate, not a rate shop.
Amex cardholders who want savings in the same login and do not want a promo to babysit.
Other High-Yield Savings worth considering
Beyond the editorial top picks, these are also strong choices we evaluated.
What a high-yield savings account actually is
A high-yield savings account is a deposit account that pays a variable APY well above the national average, usually from an online bank with no branches to fund. The FDIC coverage is the same as a checking account at a brick-and-mortar bank: $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category, when the account is held at an FDIC member. The rate is not a CD. The bank can change it. You can pull the money. Those two facts are why HYSA shopping never really ends.
What changed in 2026 is how banks manufacture a "top rate." Some still post one APY for every balance. Marcus Online Savings, Ally Online Savings, American Express High Yield Savings, and now Forbright Growth Savings at 3.85% still do that. Others post a leftover APY for small balances. CIT Bank Platinum Savings is the cleanest example left: 3.75% at $5,000 and up, 0.25% if you sit under that, after the CITBOOST window closed August 31, 2026. LendingClub LevelUp Savings pays 4.00% only in months you deposit $250 or more, and 3.00% in the months you do not.
A third group is harder to pin down. Pibank Savings posts 4.10% in the page body (disclosure dated July 2, 2026) while the HTML title still says 4.40%. We publish the disclosed 4.10%. EverBank Performance Savings lists 3.90% with a $0 minimum, and the advertised APY may apply to new accounts only. None of that makes these accounts unusable. It does mean the number on a comparison chart is a starting point, not a contract.
Why the catch is the product
On $10,000, the difference between the catalog average of about 3.56% and a 0.38% branch savings account is about $320 a year. The difference between Pibank Savings at 4.10% and Ally Online Savings at 3.00% is about $110 a year. That second gap is the one people chase. It is also the one that disappears if you miss a deposit or sit under a balance floor.
I keep coming back to CIT Bank Platinum Savings because the math is so specific. The 4.10% CITBOOST window ended August 31, 2026. What CIT's own page posts now is 3.75% at $5,000 and up, and 0.25% under that. If you open it with $2,000 because the minimum deposit is $100, you did not buy a 3.75% account. You bought a 0.25% account with a 3.75% advertisement.
The catch report walks the whole catalog this way. The short version: about 12 of the 21 published accounts still have a catch, and the remaining 4% names are where the catches cluster. That is why this guide's picks mix the top of the table with the clean 3% floor. A rate you keep is worth more than a rate you screenshot.
Key Features to Look For
Promo rates expire. Habit rates drop if you skip a month. Balance-tier rates punish small balances. Read the standard rate before you wire anything.
These are not the same number. CIT Bank Platinum Savings opens at $100 and needs $5,000 for 3.75%. Forbright Growth Savings now posts 3.85% with no minimum on the live page.
Most of the catalog is $0. Robinhood Gold Cash Sweep is $5 and requires a Gold subscription. Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market is $5. A fee on a 3% account eats the edge fast.
A bank charter with direct coverage is the simple case. Cash-management accounts (Wealthfront Cash Account is in this catalog) are not themselves banks. Know which one you opened before you park a year's cash.
Online-only shops pay more and take 1 to 3 days on ACH. Capital One 360 Performance Savings is the clean 3.00% account that still takes cash at cafes and branches. Ally Online Savings is the one with buckets and a real app.
BrioDirect High-Yield Savings was 4.20% earlier in July 2026 and sits at 3.75% in this catalog. Banks that live at the top of rate charts often live there for a quarter.
A $200 bonus on a mediocre ongoing rate can beat a 4% account for a year, then lose. Run the twelve-month blended yield. We do not list bonuses we have not verified in this catalog.
What to decide before you open one
Pick your catch tolerance first. Promo expiry, balance floor, monthly deposit, or messy verification: you will live with one of those if you want 4%. If you want none of them, you are shopping the 3.00% to 3.40% names.
Size the balance against the floor. CIT Bank Platinum Savings at under $5,000 is a 0.25% account.
Decide whether you will actually deposit $250 every month. LendingClub LevelUp Savings is a 4.00% account only in those months. Automate it or do not open it.
If you need cash deposits, stop reading the 4% list. Capital One 360 Performance Savings at 3.00% is the clean account in this catalog that does that job.
If the money has a date on it (a house down payment in 10 months, a tuition bill), a CD may lock a higher rate. See the CD rate guide and the CD statistics.
Evaluation Checklist
Open the bank's own rate page today and write down the APY, the standard APY, and any end date. Do not trust a chart from last week.
Find the minimum to earn the advertised APY, not just the minimum to open. CIT needs $5,000 for 3.75%.
If the account has a monthly deposit rule (LendingClub: $250), set the transfer up before the first statement cycle.
Confirm you are opening at an FDIC member bank, not a cash-management sweep. Wealthfront Cash Account is in this catalog and is not itself a bank.
Price the fee. Robinhood Gold Cash Sweep is $5 a month plus a Gold subscription. Vio Bank is $5. Walk away from both unless you have a reason we missed.
Decide where cash goes in. If you deposit cash, Capital One 360 at 3.00% is the clean account that does that. The 4% shops will not.
Write a calendar reminder for any promo end date. CITBOOST already ended August 31, 2026.
Pricing Overview
People who will meet a habit or live with a thin brand. Pibank Savings, LendingClub LevelUp Savings, Poppy Bank Premier Online Savings.
EverBank Performance Savings at 3.90% (may be new-accounts only), Zynlo Money Market at 3.90%, Forbright Growth Savings at 3.85% with no minimums, Openbank at 3.80% with a $500 minimum, CIT and BrioDirect at 3.75%.
Money you do not want to babysit. Marcus Online Savings at 3.40%, then Ally Online Savings and American Express High Yield Savings at 3.00%.
Pricing Comparison
| Account | APY | Min deposit | Monthly fee | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pibank Savings | 4.10% | $0 | $0 | Body discloses 4.10% (as of 7/2/26); title still says 4.40% |
| LendingClub LevelUp Savings | 4.00% | $0 | $0 | 4.00% only in months you deposit $250+; else 3.00% |
| Poppy Bank Premier Online Savings | 4.00% | $1,000 | $0 | Live rate unconfirmed (reviews 4.00–4.25%); $1k min for APY |
| EverBank Performance Savings | 3.90% | $0 | $0 | Advertised APY may be new-accounts only |
| Zynlo Money Market | 3.90% | $0 | $0 | None on file |
| Forbright Growth Savings | 3.85% | $0 | $0 | 4.15% promo gone; live page is 3.85% with no minimums |
| Openbank High Yield Savings | 3.80% | $500 | $0 | None on file |
| CIT Bank Platinum Savings | 3.75% | $100 | $0 | CITBOOST ended 8/31/26; under $5k earns 0.25% |
| Bask Interest Savings | 3.75% | $0 | $0 | Stackable boosts |
| BrioDirect High-Yield Savings | 3.75% | $5,000 | $0 | Cut from 4.20% earlier July 2026 |
| Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market | 3.55% | $100 | $5 | Stale listing plus a $5 fee |
| Barclays Tiered Savings | 3.50% | $0 | $0 | Tiered; 3.65% at $250k–$1M |
| Marcus Online Savings | 3.40% | $0 | $0 | None on file |
| Robinhood Gold Cash Sweep | 3.35% | $0 | $5 | Requires Gold subscription |
| Wealthfront Cash Account | 3.30% | $1 | $0 | Boosts; not a bank |
| Synchrony High Yield Savings | 3.30% | $0 | $0 | None on file |
| UFB Portfolio Savings | 3.26% | $0 | $0 | Bundle boost |
| Betterment Cash Reserve | 3.25% | $10 | $0 | New-customer boost |
| Capital One 360 Performance Savings | 3.00% | $0 | $0 | None on file |
| American Express High Yield Savings | 3.00% | $0 | $0 | None on file |
| Ally Online Savings | 3.00% | $0 | $0 | None on file |
Rates re-checked against issuer pages on 2026-09-07 for Pibank, Forbright, and CIT. Other rows still carry the 2026-09-03 catalog figures. APYs are variable. Full first-party table: /statistics/high-yield-savings.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Opening CIT Bank Platinum Savings with a few hundred dollars because the minimum deposit is $100, then earning 0.25%.
- ×
Treating Forbright as a 4.15% account. The live page is 3.85% with no minimums, as of September 6, 2026.
- ×
Signing up for LendingClub LevelUp Savings without automating the $250 monthly deposit, then wondering why the statement says 3.00%.
- ×
Paying $5 a month for Robinhood Gold Cash Sweep to earn 3.35%, which is less than Marcus at 3.40% with no fee.
- ×
Ignoring BrioDirect's cut from 4.20% to 3.75% and assuming any 4% name stays there.
- ×
Leaving five figures at a branch savings account that still pays well below 1% because moving money feels like work.
Expert Tips
- →
If you will not re-read the rate page in 90 days, take Marcus at 3.40% and stop. The 4% club is a part-time job.
- →
On balances under $5,000, skip CIT. The 3.75% is not for you.
- →
Automate LendingClub's $250 deposit from the checking account you already use, on payday, or do not open the account.
- →
Use the HYSA statistics page when you want the live catalog average, not a remembered number from this guide.
- →
If the cash has a date, price a CD. Popular Direct's 18-month CD is 4.35% in the CD catalog, which beats every HYSA here, in exchange for locking the money. That is a different product.
Red Flags to Watch For
- !
This is not financial advice. A 3.75% APY with a $5,000 floor is a 0.25% account if you never get there. Read CIT's tiers before you send $500.
- !
A monthly fee on a savings account is a smell. Robinhood Gold Cash Sweep charges $5 and requires Gold. Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market charges $5. On a $5,000 balance, $60 a year is 1.20 points of APY gone.
- !
A site title that disagrees with the page (Pibank's title still says 4.40% while the body discloses 4.10%) means you read the disclosure, not the tab.
- !
New-account-only APYs (EverBank may be in this bucket) are teasers. Ask what existing accounts earn.
- !
Fintech cash accounts that are not banks can be fine. They are not the same product as a Marcus or Ally savings account. Know which one you opened.
- !
A $1,000 or $5,000 'minimum for APY' dressed up as a $0 minimum deposit is the most common bait in this catalog.
The Bottom Line
The 21 published HYSA in FinanceRadar's catalog average about 3.56% APY after the September 7 issuer-page check. Three print 4.00% or more, and about 12 of 21 still have a catch. Pibank Savings at 4.10% is the highest no-minimum rate we confirmed on an issuer page. Forbright Growth Savings is 3.85% with no fees and no minimums; the 4.15% promo is gone. CIT Bank Platinum Savings is 3.75% on $5,000+ and 0.25% under that. LendingClub LevelUp Savings is 4.00% only in months you deposit $250. EverBank Performance Savings is 3.90% and may be new-accounts only. If you want a number that does not depend on a habit or a floor, Marcus Online Savings at 3.40% is the clean pick, with Ally Online Savings and American Express High Yield Savings at 3.00% right behind it. Read the catch report before you chase 15 basis points.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest high-yield savings APY in FinanceRadar's catalog?
As of the September 7, 2026 issuer-page check, Pibank Savings lists 4.10% APY, the highest no-minimum print among 21 published high-yield savings accounts. Forbright Growth Savings is 3.85% with no minimums. CIT Bank Platinum Savings is 3.75% at $5,000+. Three of the 21 accounts pay 4.00% or more (Pibank, LendingClub LevelUp, Poppy).
How many high-yield savings accounts have a catch?
About 12 of FinanceRadar's 21 published high-yield savings accounts still have a catch. Typical catches are a balance floor (CIT Bank Platinum Savings pays 0.25% under $5,000), a monthly deposit habit (LendingClub LevelUp Savings needs $250 deposited to keep 4.00%), a fee (Robinhood Gold, Vio), or a teaser (EverBank may be new-accounts only). Forbright's 4.15% promo and CITBOOST both ended.
What is a good HYSA rate if I do not want a promo or a minimum balance?
Marcus Online Savings pays 3.40% with a $0 minimum deposit, a $0 monthly fee, and no catch on file. Forbright Growth Savings now posts 3.85% on the same terms. Ally Online Savings and American Express High Yield Savings pay 3.00%. The catalog average is about 3.56%, so you give up some yield versus Pibank at 4.10% for a brand you already know how to spell.
Is CIT Bank Platinum Savings still paying 4.10% APY?
No. CIT's own Platinum Savings page posted 3.75% APY on $5,000 or more and 0.25% under that as of September 7, 2026. The CITBOOST promo that paid 4.10% ended August 31, 2026. The account still opens at $100, which is easy to confuse with the $5,000 floor.
Does LendingClub LevelUp Savings really pay 4.00%?
Yes, in any month you deposit at least $250. In months you do not, the APY is 3.00%. There is no minimum deposit to open and no monthly fee. If you will not automate the $250 transfer, you are opening a 3.00% account with extra rules.
How does a high-yield savings account compare to the average savings rate?
FinanceRadar's 21 published HYSA average about 3.56% APY after the September 7 check. A typical branch savings account still pays well below 1%; the FDIC national average cited in our category copy is 0.38%. On $10,000, that spread is about $320 a year. The accounts are variable-rate and FDIC-insured when held at a member bank, unlike a CD, which locks the rate for a term.
Should I use a HYSA or a CD if I know I will not need the money for a year?
A CD can pay more in exchange for locking the money. In FinanceRadar's CD catalog the top print is Popular Direct CD at 4.35% for 18 months with a $10,000 minimum. Every HYSA in this guide is variable and withdrawable. If the date is firm and you can meet the CD minimum, compare the CD guide and /statistics/cd-rates before you leave the cash in a 3% savings account.
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