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Savings Calculator
Use this free savings calculator to understand how your money can grow over time.
Margarette Burnette is a NerdWallet authority on savings, who has been writing about bank accounts since before the Great Recession. Her work has been featured in The Associated Press, USA Today and other major newspapers. Before joining NerdWallet, Margarette was a freelance journalist with bylines in magazines such as Good Housekeeping, Black Enterprise and Parenting. She is based near Atlanta, Georgia.
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Use the free savings calculator below to understand how your money can grow over time. When you put money in a savings account, the interest you earn builds on itself.
Savings calculator tip
First, run the numbers without a monthly deposit. Then try it again with a deposit amount that fits your budget. See how regularly adding any amount can move you closer to your savings goal.
Starting balance: This is the amount you plan to deposit in the savings account initially.
Monthly contributions:This is the amount you will deposit on an ongoing monthly basis. It's an optional field.
Time to grow: This is the period of time your money will be in savings without a withdrawal. You can select a number of years or months.
Annual interest rate: This is the yield you expect to earn in a year. The average national savings rate is 0.45%, though some high-yield savings accounts earn much more.
4.50%SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.50% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum direct deposit amount required to qualify for the 4.50% APY for savings. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.50% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that are equal to or greater than $5,000 every 30 days. Members without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 8/2/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
These cash accounts combine services and features similar to checking, savings and/or investment accounts in one product. Cash management accounts are typically offered by non-bank financial institutions.
These cash accounts combine services and features similar to checking, savings and/or investment accounts in one product. Cash management accounts are typically offered by non-bank financial institutions.
5.50%*Base annual percentage yield (variable) is 4.75% as of 7/31/23. 5.50% APY reflects a .75% boost available as a special offer with qualifying deposit. Terms apply. Cash Reserve is only available to clients of Betterment LLC, which is not a bank, and cash transfers to program banks are conducted through clients’ brokerage accounts at Betterment Securities.
Min. balance for APY
$0
CDs (certificates of deposit) are a type of savings account with a fixed rate and term, and usually have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts.
CDs (certificates of deposit) are a type of savings account with a fixed rate and term, and usually have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts.
0.50%SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.50% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum direct deposit amount required to qualify for the 4.50% APY for savings. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.50% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that are equal to or greater than $5,000 every 30 days. Members without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 8/2/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
Focus on any amount that you can save consistently. Overall, there is no one answer for how much you should have in savings, but an ideal target for an emergency fund is enough to cover three to six months' worth of basic expenses. If you are able to save 20% of your take-home income each month, for example, you may be well on your way. But it’s more important to be consistent, even if it means saving a smaller amount each month. With time, you can still reach your savings goal.
How do you calculate interest on a savings account?
Multiply the account balance by the interest rate for a select time period. The result is the amount of simple interest the account earns in that time period.
If you start with zero and put away $135 a month (about $33.75 a week) in a savings account that compounds monthly and earns a 4% annual interest rate, you would save more than $5,000 in three years. Use this savings calculator to compare other contribution amounts and yields.
How much interest can you earn on $10,000?
If your savings account earns only a 0.01% annual interest rate, which is common with large banks, your earnings after a year would be $1. Put that $10,000 in a high-yield savings account that earns 4%, for the same amount of time, and you can more than $400.
How much will a savings account grow?
The answer depends on the interest rate, deposit balances and time. The higher the rate, the faster a savings account will grow. Also, because of compounding, the more often interest is deposited into a savings account, the more the overall balance will grow. An account that compounds daily can grow slightly faster than one that compounds less frequently, such as once a month. To get the most growth over time, put your money in an account with a high yield that compounds daily.
How can I save $5,000?
If you start with zero and put away $135 a month (about $33.75 a week) in a savings account that compounds monthly and earns a 4% annual interest rate, you would save more than $5,000 in three years. Use this
If your savings account earns only a 0.01% annual interest rate, which is common with large banks, your earnings after a year would be $1. Put that $10,000 in a high-yield savings account that earns 4%, for the same amount of time, and you can more than $400.
How much will a savings account grow?
The answer depends on the interest rate, deposit balances and time. The higher the rate, the faster a savings account will grow. Also, because of compounding, the more often interest is deposited into a savings account, the more the overall balance will grow. An account that compounds daily can grow slightly faster than one that compounds less frequently, such as once a month. To get the most growth over time, put your money in an account with a high yield that compounds daily.