Savings and CD interest rates have increased, but ignore click-bait lists

Every little bit helps. The interest rates banks are offering on certificates of deposit have been rising. Dreamstime People with some savings naturally hope to earn the most interest possible on those dollars, but click-bait lists may have created some unrealistic expectations. It’s true that interest rates have been rising for savings accounts and certificates of deposit, and sit higher than just weeks ago. For certificates of deposit, in which funds are deposited for a fixed period of time, the sweet spot is currently 12-month CDs offering rates in the mid-4-percent range — higher than those offered for either longer or shorter terms. Don’t waste time clicking top-10 lists that tease rates twice that high. For example, MarketWatch (part of the Dow Jones network) published one on Aug. 4 with this headline: “This CD is offering 9%, and another 7.5% — plus 8 more of the best CD APYs of August 2026.” As you might have guessed, that 9 percent CD isn’t available to anyone in South Carolina. Neither is the 7.5 percent CD, unless you become a dues-paying member of a nonprofit group in order to become a member of a credit union in California, and neither is the 6.5 percent 78-month CD listed next. Here’s what’s going on: The highest interest CDs on those lists are usually offered by smaller credit unions, whose memberships are often limited to geographic areas or specific employers. I would be thrilled to get a 78-month 6.5 percent interest CD, but I don’t qualify for membership with Lynchburg Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union in Virginia. Credit unions can be a good place to find attractive rates because they are essentially not-for-profit banks, and while some have restrictive membership rules, others do not. Broadly speaking, credit unions, banks that primarily operate online and smaller brick-and-mortar banks tend to offer the best rates. It is worth shopping around for savings accounts because — and this is frankly appalling — some of the nation’s largest traditional banks are still paying practically no interest at all (0.01 percent) on savings. If you’re not earning at least 3 percent interest on savings, you could do better. Here are some things to keep in mind: So how to find the best rates? Start by checking institutions you’re already comfortable with, then see if you could do better. There’s no harm in searching for the “best interest rates on CDs” or “best interest rates on savings” online, but don’t waste time on results that overpromise. If you prefer to use a brick-and-mortar bank near you, know that smaller banks often have attractive rates that may not appear online. Charleston-area First Capital Bank, for example, doesn’t publish CD interest rates on its website but often runs ads I see in my Sunday paper.