LinuxWebLog.com

Here’s my monthly survey of the best interest rates on cash as of July 2026, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks and brokerages love taking advantage of idle cash, and you can often earn more interest while keeping the same level of safety by moving to another FDIC-insured bank or NCUA-insured credit union. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to see how much extra interest you could earn from switching. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 7/1/26.

TL;DR: Savings account interest rates dropped slightly overall. You can get 4.4% APY if you accept certain hoops/restrictions, but most are under 4% now. Short-term T-Bill rates ~3.7%. Top 5-year CD rates are ~4.1% APY, while the 5-year Treasury rate is also ~4.1%.

High-yield savings accounts*
Since the huge megabanks still pay essentially zero interest, everyone should at least have a separate, no-fee online savings account to piggy-back onto your existing checking account. The interest rates on savings accounts can drop at any time, so I list the top rates as well as competitive rates from banks with a history of competitive rates and solid user experience. Some banks will bait you with a temporary top rate and then lower the rates in the hopes that you are too lazy to leave.

• The top saving rate at the moment: Pibank at 4.40% APY (no min), but they have some weird restrictions; you can only use wire/Plaid to deposit and wire transfers to withdraw funds?! Elevault (no min) is at 4.34% APY, a division of Southern Bancorp Bank. CIT Platinum Savings held at 3.75% APY with $5,000+ balance, with a new 4.10% APY for 6 months Boost promotion; open your account by 8/31. There are many banks in between.
• SoFi Bank is at 3.10% APY (new customers can get up to $475 in bonuses with qualifying direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount (even $1) each month for the higher ongoing APY. SoFi has historically competitive rates and full banking features.
• Here is a limited survey of high-yield savings accounts. They aren’t the top rates, but a group that have historically kept it relatively competitive such that I like to track their history. This month they start at 3.00% APY on up.

Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
A common question is what to do with a big pile of cash that you’re waiting to deploy shortly (plan to buy a house soon, just sold your house, just sold your business, legal settlement, inheritance). My usual advice is to keep things simple and take your time. If not a savings account, then put it in a flexible short-term CD under the FDIC limits until you have a plan.

• No Penalty CDs offer a fixed interest rate that can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) without any fees if you want to use it elsewhere. CIT Bank has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 3.90% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit).

  Marcus has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 3.80% APY ($500 minimum deposit). Farmer’s Insurance FCU has a 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.00% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit). USALLIANCE Financial CU has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 3.85% APY ($500 minimum deposit).

• E-Trade Bank has a 12-month CD at 4.10% APY (no minimum deposit). Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest.
• Farmer’s Insurance FCU has a 12-month CD at 4.00% APY with new money required. $1,000 minimum to open. Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest.

Money market mutual funds
Many brokerage firms that pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). Note: Money market mutual funds are highly-regulated, but ultimately not FDIC-insured, so I would still stick with highly reputable firms.

• Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX) is the default sweep option for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has a 7-day SEC yield of 3.58% (changes daily, but also works out to a compound yield of 3.64%, which is better for comparing against APY). Odds are this is much higher than your own broker’s default cash sweep interest rate.
• Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund (VUSXX) is an alternative money market fund which you must manually purchase, but the interest will be mostly (100% for 2025 tax year) exempt from state and local income taxes because it comes from qualifying US government obligations. Current 7-day SEC yield of 3.63% (compound yield of 3.69%).

Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
Another option is to buy individual Treasury bills which come in a variety of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks and are fully backed by the US government. You can also invest in ETFs that hold a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Bills for you, while charging a small management fee for doing so. T-bill interest is exempt from state and local income taxes, which can make a significant difference in your effective yield.

• You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 7/1/26, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 3.63% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 3.98% annualized interest.
• The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 3.54% 30-day SEC yield (0.09% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.10 years. The Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) has a 3.57% 30-day SEC yield (0.06% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.10 years.

US Savings Bonds
Series I Savings Bonds offer rates that are linked to inflation and backed by the US government. You must hold them for at least a year. If you redeem them within 5 years there is a penalty of the last 3 months of interest. The annual purchase limit for electronic I bonds is $10,000 per Social Security Number, available online at TreasuryDirect.gov.

• “I Bonds” bought between May 2026 and October 2026 will earn a 4.26% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More on Savings Bonds here.
• In mid-October 2026, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will post another update at that time.

Rewards checking accounts
These unique checking accounts pay above-average interest rates, but with unique risks. You have to jump through certain hoops which usually involve 10+ debit card purchases each cycle, a certain number of ACH/direct deposits, and/or a certain number of logins per month. If you make a mistake (or they judge that you did) you risk earning zero interest for that month. Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others would rather not bother. Rates can also drop suddenly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling.

• La Capitol Federal Credit Union pays 6.50% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases of at least $5 each per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization, Louisiana Association for Personal Financial Achievement ($20).
• OnPath Federal Credit Union (my review) pays 6.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and login to online or mobile banking once per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization. You can also get a $150 Visa Reward card when you open a new account and make qualifying transactions.
• Genisys Credit Union pays 6.75% APY on up to $7,500 if you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ each per statement cycle, and opt into online statements. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
• Oklahoma Central Credit Union pays 6.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases (non-ATM) per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union if they are “affiliated with another credit union”.
• First Southern Bank pays 5.50% APY on up to $25,000 if you make at least 15 debit card purchases, 1 ACH credit or payment transaction, and enroll in online statements.
• Credit Union of New Jersey pays 5.50% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit, online bill payment, or automatic payment (ACH) per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
• Andrews Federal Credit Union pays 5.25% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization.
• Capitol Credit Union pays 6.00% APY on up to $15,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization ($5 to Wild Basin Wilderness).
• Find a locally-restricted rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.

Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
CDs offer higher rates, but come with an early withdrawal penalty. By finding a bank CD with a reasonable early withdrawal penalty, you can enjoy higher rates but maintain access in a true emergency. Alternatively, consider building a CD ladder of different maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you have access to part of the ladder each year, but your blended interest rate is higher than a savings account. When one CD matures, use that money to buy another 5-year CD to keep the ladder going. Some CDs also offer “add-ons” where you can deposit more funds if rates drop.

• NASA Federal Credit Union has a 5-year certificate at 4.28% APY ($1,000 minimum), 4-year at 4.20% APY, 3-year at 4.15% APY, 2-year at 4.10% APY, and 1-year at 4.05% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone nationwide can join via a complimentary membership to the National Space Society (NSS).
• Advancial Federal Credit Union has has a 5-year certificates at 4.14%/4.24%/4.34% APY APY based on either a $1,000/$25,000/$50,000 opening balance. Early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone nationwide should be able to join via membership with partner organization US Dog Agility Association, but I would call to verify first.
• Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) has a 5-year certificate at 4.15% APY ($500 minimum), 4-year at 4.09% APY, 3-year at 4.09% APY, 2-year at 4.30% APY, and 1-year at 4.00% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 4-year and 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization American Consumer Council (use promo code “consumer” when joining).
• You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. You may need an account to see the rates. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance and easy laddering, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. Right now, I see a 5-year non-callable brokered CD at 4.40% APY (callable: no, call protection: yes). Be warned that both Vanguard and Fidelity will list higher rates from callable CDs, which importantly means they can (and will!) call back your CD if rates drop significantly later.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk (tbh, I don’t use them at all), but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

• Willing to lock up your money for 10 years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. You might find something that pays more than your other brokerage cash and Treasury options. Right now, I see a 10-year CDs at [none available] APY (non-callable) vs. 4.47% for a 10-year Treasury. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs where they can call your CD back if interest rates drop.

All rates were checked as of 7/1/26.

* I no longer recommend fintech companies due to the possibility of significant loss due to poor recordkeeping and the lack of government protection in such scenarios. The point of cash is absolute safety of principal.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

(Update: This offer has been extended to August 31, 2026.)

CIT Bank has a new limited-time Platinum Savings APY Boost Promotion, offering a boosted interest rate of 4.10% APY for 6 months on their Platinum Saving account that is 0.35% APY above the standard APY (currently 3.75% APY) for balances of $5,000 and above. Thankfully, this offer is available to both new and existing customers that activate the promotion.

New customers will need to sign up for a new CIT Bank Platinum Savings account using the promo code CITBoost to qualify. There is a $100 minimum balance required to open, and you will need a $5,000 minimum balance to get the higher interest rate on this tiered account. There are no monthly service fees.

Existing customers with a Platinum Savings account opened prior to the promotion must enroll via the enrollment web page using promo code CITBoost. You will not get the 6-month boost automatically. Note that the terms also add the following:

Customers are ineligible to participate in the Platinum Savings APY Boost promotion if:

– They are earning an APY over the standard rate.
– They participated in a cash bonus promotion in the past 6 months.

Still, I am appreciative that existing customers are again eligible for this promotion, as most other banks will only allow new customers to participate.

Note that if the base rate on the Platinum Savings account changes, during the promo you will maintain a 0.35% APY interest rate boost above the standard interest rate.

1APY disclosure for Platinum Savings:

Platinum Savings is a tiered interest rate account. Interest is paid on the entire account balance based on the interest rate and APY in effect that day for the balance tier associated with the end-of day account balance. *APYs — Annual Percentage Yields are accurate as of February 17, 2026: 0.25% APY on balances of $0.01 to $4,999.99; 3.75% APY on balances of $5,000.00 or more. Interest Rates for the Platinum Savings account are variable and may change at any time without notice. The minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $100.

2 Discloser on multipliers:

Based on comparison to the national average Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on savings accounts as published in the FDIC National Rates and Rate Caps, accurate as of February 17, 2026.

* Platinum Savings APY Boost Promotion Terms and Conditions

This is a limited time offer available to New and Existing customers who meet the Platinum Savings APY Boost promotion criteria.

Accounts enrolled in the Platinum Savings Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Boost promotion will receive a 0.35% APY boost on the Platinum Savings current standard APY tiers for 6 months following the opening of a new account or when an existing Platinum Savings account is enrolled in the promotion. The Platinum Savings APY boost will be applied on account balances up to $9,999,999.00. Account balances above $9,999,999.00 will earn the standard APY. If the standard-published APY should change during the promotion period, the APY boost will move with it, offering an account APY above the standard rate.

The Promotion begins on February 13, 2026, and ends June 30, 2026. Customers enrolled in the promotion prior to the end date will receive the APY boost for the 6-month period outlined in the terms and conditions.

The promotion can end at any time without notice.

For complete list of account details and fees, see the CIT Bank Personal Account disclosures.

Rate hike for No-Penalty CD. CIT Bank (not to be confused with Citi Bank) is an online-only bank that has a multi-year history of competitive rates, although they do like to start up new product lines while keeping low rates on their older product lines. Here are the current noteworthy accounts:

• 11-Month No-Penalty CD at 3.90% APY***. $1,000 minimum balance and no monthly fees.
• Platinum Savings Account at 3.75% APY* if you maintain a $5,000 daily balance or higher. 0.25% APY if your daily balance is under $5,000. No monthly fees. If you have any other savings accounts at CIT and can meet the minimum balance, you should consider moving funds over to this account. You can also open this new account without having to open another bank or credit union account.
• Savings Connect Account at 3.65% APY** if you open with $100. No minimum balance and no monthly fees.
• Member FDIC.

Check out my rate chaser calculator to see if it makes sense for you to move money over.

New customer? Opening process overview. Here’s my review of the opening process if you are a new customer.

• The application process was completely online. You provide the usual personal information.
• You must submit to a credit check, but in my experience it was a “soft” pull which did not harm my credit. None of my various credit monitoring services showed it was a hard pull.
• You may fund via (1) electronic ACH transfer, (2) wire transfer, (3) mobile check deposit via CIT Bank mobile app (iOS and Android), and (4) mailing in a paper check. There was no option for credit card funding. I picked online ACH funding and you need to provide routing and account numbers, followed by manual verification via micro-deposits after a day or two. There was no instant linking option via login information.

After deposit verification, then your funding will go through.

You have successfully verified your external account. Please allow up to 5 business days for your funds to appear in your CIT Bank account.
No further action is required for this account. Thank you!

Existing savings or money market customer? Check your rate. If you already have an existing High Yield Savings account, it may remain at a lower interest rate than the currently-promoted accounts. If so, take a minute and upgrade yourself to the better interest rate.

Bottom line. CIT Bank is a lean bank offering targeted products for folks looking to get higher interest rates on their cash balances. They don’t maintain physical bank branches or fancy apps. However, I have been pleasantly satisfied with their customer service on my accounts with them.

* Here are the disclosures for the Platinum Savings:

Platinum Savings is a tiered interest rate account. Interest is paid on the entire account balance based on the interest rate and APY in effect that day for the balance tier associated with the end-of day account balance. *APYs — Annual Percentage Yields are accurate as of January 9, 2026: 0.25% APY on balances of $0.01 to $4,999.99; 3.75% APY on balances of $5,000.00 or more. Interest Rates for the Platinum Savings account are variable and may change at any time without notice. The minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $100.

** Here are the disclosures for the Savings Connect:

APY — Annual Percentage Yield is accurate as of January 9, 2026. Interest Rates for the Savings Connect Account are variable and may change at any time without notice. The minimum to open a Savings Connect account is $100. Fees could reduce earnings on the account.

For complete list of account details and fees, see the CIT Bank Personal Account disclosures.

*** Here is the fine print (disclosures) for the 11-month No-Penalty CD:

APY — Annual Percentage Yield is accurate as of January 9, 2026. $1,000 minimum to open the account.
With a No-Penalty CD, you may withdraw the total balance and interest earned, without penalty, beginning 7 days after funds have been received for your CD. No withdrawals are permitted during the first 6 days following the receipt of funds.

Updated offer. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card is one of the co-branded rewards card for Marriott hotels (which includes The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, W Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield brands). Right now, there is a special offer that is higher than the standard offer. Here are the highlights:

• 125,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night Award after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening Free Night award worth up to 50k points; you are also now allowed to top off the award nights with up to 25,000 of your own points, in order to reach a 75,000 point award night. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Special Offer: Get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases. The credit are split up semi-annually. Spend $250 between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2026 to earn a $50 statement credit. Earn another $50 statement credit after spending $250 or more between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2027.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
• 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
• 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
• Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R) with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless(R) Card.
• 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year.
• 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• $95 annual fee.

Keep in mind the following:

This credit card is not available to you if (1) you currently have any of the following cards or (2) you received a new cardmember bonus for any of the following cards within the last 24 months: Marriott Bonvoy® Premier credit card, Marriott Rewards® Premier credit card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® credit card, Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus credit card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® credit card.

The new cardmember bonus is not available to you if (1) you currently have or had any of the following cards within the last 30 days: Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card, The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express; or if (2) you applied and were approved for any of the following cards within the last 90 days or (3) received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus for any of the following cards within the last 24 months: Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express® Card.

What is a reasonable estimate for the value of a Marriott Bonvoy point? Since 2022, Marriott no longer has a fixed hotel category chart for booking points. You can still use these points at either long-time Marriott brands (Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Springhill Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites) or former Starwood brands (Westin, Sheraton, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton, W Hotels, St. Regis, Le Méridien, Aloft), but now it is “dynamic” awards where the points required are more linked to the actual cash cost than before.

Based on multiple real-world searches of redeemable properties, I choose to use a conservative estimate of 0.70 cents per Bonvoy point. Other estimates that I’ve seen are 0.8 cents per point. That means 50,000 Bonvoy points = estimated $350 redeemable value. Remember to compare the full price of the hotel price with all taxes, as that is what you would have to pay instead of just points. With the flexibility of points, you could book a week stay at a modest hotel or a couple nights at a luxury resort.

You can use the Marriott free night search tool to price out some sample hotels for yourself.

NEW: Certificates can be combined with up to 25,000 points for nicer hotels. Marriott now allows you to supplement your free night certificates with up to 25,000 points of your own. In other words, if your certificate is worth 50,000 points, the maximum hotel value you can redeem for is 75,000 points after adding 25,000 points of your own. Here are details on the Free Night Award Top Off option.

Bonvoy Points can also be transferred to airline miles with a bonus. You can convert your Bonvoy points to miles at 39 participating airlines. The standard ratio with most programs is 3:1 (60,000 Bonvoy: 20,000 airlines) miles. Most programs will add on a bonus 5,000 miles for every 60,000 points you transfer to frequent flyer miles (does not apply to American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, Delta SkyMiles and Korean Air SKYPASS.) If you’re a United MileagePlus® member, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer. More information here.

Finally, Marriott points are also convertible to gift cards, but it takes 60,000 points to redeem for a $200 gift card for Marriott or retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Nordstrom. That ratio isn’t all that great, so you’ll definitely get the most value via hotel night redemptions or airline miles transfer.

No annual fee alternative. Look at the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card, which also offers bonus points and some (lesser) perks, but with no annual fee.

Bottom line. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card is currently offering a special offer for new cardholders. As with all hotel cards, the value is dependent on your unique travel preferences. If you stay at Marriott properties regularly, the free night award every year should easily cover the annual fee.