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Best Online Savings Accounts

December 26, 2008

The best online savings accounts offer high interest rates, no fees, a low minimum balance, easy online transfers, simple ways to deposit and withdraw your money, and of course - good customer service.

Online savings accounts from banks like ING Direct, FNBO Direct, HSBC Advance, WT Direct, Emigrant Direct, and E*Trade Bank have become very popular due to the high yield interest rates they can pay, usually an APY that even the best banks offline can’t match.  As online banking has become widespread, more and more financial companies have begun offering online bank accounts, giving you many different options.

As you review these online savings accounts you’ll find that many of them have pretty similar features but there is usually one or two differences which can help you choose the best savings accounts for your money.

Here is a look at some of the best online savings accounts:


FNBO Direct Online Savings

 

FNBO Direct

FNBO Direct has been known for high interest rates and good customer service. With no minimum balance, an option for online bill pay, and an ATM card to access your cash this high yield savings account is one of the best. I use FNBO Direct and would recommend it. – FNBO Direct

 

ING DIRECT

ING Direct

ING Direct has been around for a while and is probably the most well known online savings account.  ING is famous for offering a new customer bonus for opening an account. 

They also introduced the ING Electric Orange Checking account which typically offers a competitive interest rate for a checking account.  Before FNBO Direct came along we used to keep all of our emergency fund in this online bank account . – ING Direct


HSBC Direct Online Savings

 

HSBC Advance

HSBC Advance also offers decent interest rates on the money you deposit into their online savings account. 

Like FNBO Direct, HSBC has no fees and no minimums on their accounts. One benefit of HSBC Advance is they allow you to link your account to multiple other banks to ease money transfers. Earlier this year, Forbes ranked HSBC highly in their annual global ranking. – HSBC Advance
 

WT Direct Online Savings

WT Direct

WT Direct is the online bank of Wilmington Trust.  With similar features to the other online savings accounts, WT Direct often runs new customer promotions to help set itself apart. 

The latest promotion allows you to earn up to $250 in bonuses depending on your balance in your online savings account over time. – WT Direct

 

Etrade Bank

E*Trade Bank

E*Trade is best known for it’s online brokerage account offerings but they needed a way for customers to earn interest on the money they had sitting around, waiting to make a trade.  

The online savings account from E*Trade has historically offered a competitive interest rate and you can link your bank account with your brokerage account – E*Trade Bank

FDIC Insured

One common question I get asked is whether online savings accounts are FDIC insured.  People that use them for large amounts of cash obviously want to know if that money is protected by the FDIC.  Of course you’ll have to check when applying but as of the writing of this post, all the online savings accounts above are FDIC insured.

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Comments

9 Responses to “Best Online Savings Accounts”

  1. Rich Life Carnival #26 | Rich Life Carnival on January 2nd, 2009 11:59 pm

    [...] presents Best Online Savings Accounts posted at Money Smart [...]

  2. Carnival of Personal Development Edition #3 | Joyful Days on January 4th, 2009 10:12 pm

    [...] presents Best Online Savings Accounts posted at Money Smart [...]

  3. scmfinance on January 6th, 2009 10:50 pm

    Your article was featured in the 52 Week Experiment’s Weekend Edition: http://www.the52weekexperiment.com/2009/01/weekend-edition.html

    I really had not given much thought to online savings accounts. Being fairly young, I guess most of my money goes straight into the stock market. Obviously, I’ll need to eventually change that and I appreciate your review as a starting point for my research.

    Again, thank you for the submission.

  4. Carnival of Economics - January 13, 2009 « Economics 101 on January 13th, 2009 3:54 pm

    [...] presents Best Online Savings Accounts posted at Money Smart [...]

  5. Blog Carnival - A Carnival of Everything Home | My DIY Home Tips on January 15th, 2009 6:38 am

    [...] presents Best Online Savings Accounts posted at Money Smart [...]

  6. Emergency Funds for Losing Your Job | Money Smart Life on March 25th, 2009 7:31 am

    [...] friend if you lose your job in this bad economy.  We’ve had an emergency fund in an online savings account ever since we joined the work force and last week was the first time I thought I might have to [...]

  7. Personal Financial Advice from Blogs this Week - January 2 2009 | Personal Investment Management and Financial Planning Blog Directory on November 13th, 2009 5:02 pm

    [...] presents Best Online Savings Accounts posted at Money Smart [...]

  8. libia schulein on March 2nd, 2010 8:19 pm

    I, would like to open and account for my fiance, at the current moment he is in the, UK, doing a job… i want to open it under my name, can you please guide me and help me, how to do online banking… never done it before, what do i need to do,

    thank you, Libia Schulein

  9. Emergency Funds for College Graduates | Money Smart Life on March 9th, 2010 6:02 am

    [...] Should You Keep Your Emergency Fund?A free, online savings account is my preference for parking short-term savings cash. I like the ING Direct Orange Savings account. [...]

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