How Online Savings Accounts Work

Banking habits continue to evolve as consumers are given more and more choices of where and how they bank. While traditional banking still has its loyal fanbase, it’s hard to compete with the convenience of being able to manage your bank accounts from a computer or smartphone.

The appreciation for face-to-face human interaction that comes with the best banks and credit unions may never go away, but the reputation that traditional banks have for charging high fees and paying low interest rates might leave you wondering how exactly you’re benefiting from keeping your money there.

When compared with traditional brick-and-mortar banks, online savings accounts often offer better interest rates, giving your savings a chance to grow. This is especially true if you open a high-yield online savings account. Learn more about these types of accounts and how you could benefit from one.

What is an online savings account?

An online savings account is a savings account with a financial institution that usually doesn’t have any brick-and-mortar branches and operates fully online. Even though they’re completely digital, online savings accounts must follow the same banking regulations as traditional banks, such as Regulation D of the Federal Reserve limiting the number of withdrawals each month to six.

Since all of your interactions with your account take place digitally, you have the freedom to manage your savings when and wherever you like, without the hassle of having to add another stop to your schedule or having to wait for the bank to open. The websites and mobile apps for online banks are essentially storefronts, so online banks often devote lots of resources to make sure they’re optimized and easy-to-navigate. This allows you to skip the lines at the bank and seamlessly move your money around with just a few clicks.

The absence of physical locations also means online banks don’t have to pay the typically associated costs, such as maintenance or real estate costs. These savings are often passed on to online bank customers in the form of higher interest rates, lower fees, no monthly maintenance fees, and no minimum account balances. This gives customers more flexibility and freedom to do what they want with their money. This means they can be a good fit for financial goals like building an emergency fund.

Online savings accounts do have their drawbacks when compared to a traditional brick-and-mortar bank, however. If you regularly deal with cash, for instance, you might find yourself without any means of depositing into your account. That’s because some online banks don’t provide ATM access. This might require a separate checking account just to handle these sorts of transactions. For those who don’t want accounts spread across multiple institutions, this could be an inconvenience.

On the plus side, there are online checking accounts that provide debit cards that can even earn you cash back or that provide budgeting tools in their mobile apps. So it’s important that you shop around to see what each bank offers and to find the account that fits your needs.

How do deposits and withdrawals work in an online savings account?

Most online banks offer several ways to make deposits and withdrawals, though they might vary from bank to bank. Here are the most common ways to fund and get money out of an online savings account:

Depositing funds into your account

  • Transfer funds from a linked account, also known as an ACH (Automated Clearing House) Transfer (usually takes one to three business days)
  • A check, either by mail or mobile check deposit
  • Direct deposit from your employer
  • Wire transfer

Withdrawing money from your account

  • Transfer money to a linked account
  • Request a check
  • Outgoing wire transfer
  • ATMs, if your savings account is linked to a debit card

Things get a bit more complicated when it comes to depositing cash because of the lack of physical branches. While there are some online banks that have a few retail locations, like Capital One cafes, these are few and far between. If you find yourself needing to deposit cash, you can try one of these options:

Cash deposits

  • Deposit locally into an account with a physical branch and transfer the funds electronically
  • Buy a money order and deposit it like you would a check
  • Load cash onto a reloadable prepaid debit card, such as the American Express Bluebird card, and transfer the money electronically to your online savings account
  • Deposit into a ATM that accepts cash deposits (if available)

Top savings accounts for June 2022

With so many savings account options to choose from, it can all be a bit overwhelming. Factors like a high APY (annual percentage yield), minimum balance requirements, and fees are incredibly important when making your decision. You could get stuck with a low yield or hidden fees. Luckily, we’ve made it easy for you to pick the best option to start earning interest today. Check out our list of the best savings accounts for June 2022.

How to open an online savings account

If you decide that an online savings account can help you meet your savings goals or other personal finance goals, then you may be ready to open an account. The process for opening an online savings account is pretty straightforward. It should only take a few minutes and usually involves completing these steps:

  1. Fill out the application Here you’ll submit your personal identifying and contact information, including your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email, and tax identification number (such as a Social Security number).
  2. Choose your account typeYou’ll need to decide whether you want to be the sole account owner or if you want a joint account. If you choose to have a co-owner, you’ll need to enter the personal information of each account holder.
  3. Designate beneficiaries In this section, you can choose who will receive the money from your account in the event you pass away.
  4. Fund the account How much you must deposit depends on the bank — many require just $1, but others may require a larger minimum deposit to open the account. Once you decide on the amount, the most common methods to fund the account are by bank transfer, sending or depositing a check, or using a wire transfer.
  5. Set up your login information Since access to your savings account is online, you’ll need to set up a username and password to complete the setup of your account.

What kind of interest rates can I expect?

Higher interest rates are one of the major benefits of online savings accounts, though they vary from bank to bank. An account with Capital One 360, for instance, will give you an interest rate of 0.70% (as of June 3, 2022), while the Aspiration Spend & Save account offers up to 5.00% APY with Aspiration Plus (as of June 3, 2022). Online banks are generally a good place to look for a high-yield savings account with a competitively high APY.

How can online banks offer such good interest rates?

Because online-only banks don’t need to pay the employee wages, maintenance, and real estate costs associated with brick-and-mortar branches, they can charge fewer fees, require no minimum balance, require a low or no minimum opening deposit, and usually offer better interest rates.

What is the typical minimum balance for an online savings account?

The minimum balance requirement for an online savings account is usually structured one of three ways:

  • No minimum balance, which is typical for many online banks
  • A minimum balance to keep the account open, which could be as little as $1 or as much as several thousand dollars
  • A minimum balance to earn the advertised high interest rate, with anything less earning a lower APY

Is online banking safe? Is my money insured?

You’ll want to make sure your new bank has the words “member FDIC” somewhere on its website or marketing materials. The FDIC, or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, is an independent agency of the United States government. If you deposit money at an FDIC-insured bank and the bank later fails, your money is protected (typically a maximum of $250,000 is covered) by that FDIC insurance

However, banks are not mandated to be FDIC-insured, so it’s always important to make sure the bank you’re considering is. To see if a bank is FDIC-insured, you can go to the FDIC BankFind page. If you are banking with a credit union, you’ll want to be sure they are covered by the NCUA.

Even if the account is insured by the FDIC, you want to make sure the bank you choose uses robust technology to protect your money because the FDIC does not provide reimbursements for fraud perpetrated against accounts.

Most banks offer some type of security guarantee and limited liability protection for its customers. Ally Bank, for example, offers a security guarantee, which states “that you will not be liable for any unauthorized Online or Mobile Banking transaction as long as you report the unauthorized transaction…within 60 days from when your statement is made available.” Ally also offers a range of security measures, from account monitoring to free anti-virus software that can protect up to three devices.

There are also measures you can take yourself to help protect your account from such events, such as setting up multi-factor authentication and text alerts, using difficult passwords, avoiding public Wi-Fi when accessing your bank information, and installing anti-virus software, to name a few.

Is your money stuck in an online savings account?

No. Just like a traditional savings account, your money is accessible to you when you need it. With just a few clicks, you can move money in and out of your savings and into another account.

Transfers to an account within the same bank are usually instant, while transferring to an account with a different bank might take a few business days before the funds are made available.

By Matt Miczulski

Source: How Online Savings Accounts Work | FinanceBuzz

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