Three years ago, before my husband and I were married, we sat down and shared our entire financial portfolios with one another. Within just a few seconds of showing him that I stored all my cash in a savings account that generated 0.01% APY, he reacted with panic.
I had no idea that my money would grow faster if it was in a high-yield savings account with a much higher annual percent yield.
Since moving my money into a high-yield savings account at Ally, where the APY is currently 2%, I’ve been able to grow my cash and take advantage of perks offered through my account that help me earn more money every year. Here’s how I maximize those features.
During the pandemic, when the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates, the APY for my high-yield savings account dropped, and the money in my account was earning less than before (it went from over 2% to 0.5%).
One of the perks of Ally is that they often offer special and limited deals on high-interest-earning CDs. I put a large chunk of money, for the first time, into a CD that offered 2% interest, with no penalty for withdrawing the money.
Because it was so easy to transfer the cash back and forth, I moved money in and out of the CD when my high-yield savings account APY climbed back up again.
Comparing these rates to my old bank, I noticed that the APY and promotional CD rates were at least 50% higher.
