High‑yield savings still near 5%
High‑yield savings accounts are still advertising yields up to about 5.00% APY as of March 20 — rates above 4% remain on the market for shoppers who compare options (fortune.com). Experts recommend shopping around and reviewing accounts regularly to lock in top returns (fortune.com).
Fortune’s March 20 roundup names Varo, Axos, Newtek and Wealthfront among the day’s highest advertised savings offers. (fortune.com) Varo’s own product page sets its top tier on the first $5,000 and ties that yield to receiving at least $1,000 in monthly direct deposits plus ending the month with a positive balance. (varomoney.com) Axos’s Axos ONE bundle posts a promotional 4.21% savings APY for the statement cycle when customers meet monthly direct‑deposit and average‑balance qualifiers, and the promotional savings rate is reported to apply up to $249,999.99 in some disclosures. (cnbc.com) (mybanktracker.com) Newtek’s online pages show competitive savings and short‑term CD yields in the low‑to‑mid 4% range, while NerdWallet reports Newtek temporarily paused new personal high‑yield savings applications because of high demand. (newtekbank.com) (nerdwallet.com) FDIC data compiled by the St. Louis Fed shows the national average savings APY at about 0.39% in March 2026, and the FDIC’s standard deposit insurance limit remains $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. (fred.stlouisfed.org) (fdic.gov) Major comparison services vary widely in scope—Forbes says it reviewed roughly 370 accounts for its March roundup while WalletHub tracks 1,400+ offers—and multiple trackers note that top advertised yields are often tiered, balance‑capped, or promotional rather than unconditional base rates. (forbes.com) (wallethub.com)
