Wealthfront Cash Account

The Wealthfront Cash Account is the benchmark cash management account: an uncapped no-hoops rate, the best transfer speed in the category, and category-defining FDIC sweep coverage. It is the reference point for people comfortable holding money at a brokerage rather than a bank, and who want a high rate without juggling balance tiers or activity requirements to earn it. The terms are simple to state. Opening takes $1, there is no monthly fee, and there is no minimum balance to earn the rate. The base rate is 3.30% APY, in effect since January 30, 2026 and still current on wealthfront.com as of July 22, 2026, and it applies to all balances with no hoops. Two boosts sit on top of that base: a 0.65% new-client boost that runs for 3 months on balances up to $150,000, and a permanent 0.25% boost that requires $1,000 or more per month in direct deposits plus a funded investing account. Stacked, those boosts reach the advertised headline of up to 4.20% APY, but the durable number for most balances is the 3.30% base. Liquidity is the account's strongest practical feature. Withdrawals are instant, 24/7, to linked accounts, and the account includes a debit card, ATM access, and checking features, so it can work as a spending account rather than a park-it-and-wait savings vehicle. There is no lockup and no notice period. On safety, deposits are held at Wealthfront Brokerage and swept across 30+ partner banks, which delivers pass-through FDIC coverage of up to $8M for individual accounts and $16M for joint accounts. The honest flags. Wealthfront Brokerage is not itself a bank; your FDIC protection depends on the sweep mechanism reaching the program banks, and there are cash-in-transit nuances while funds move between the brokerage and those banks. The top headline rate of 4.20% is not the rate you hold by default; it requires the boosts, and the new-client portion expires after 3 months. There is no physical presence, so there are no branches and no in-person service. None of this makes the account unsafe, but it is a brokerage cash product, not a bank account, and it should be evaluated as one.