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Best Interest Rates on Cash: Bank Accounts, Treasury Bills, Money Markets, ETFs – September 2026

MyMoneyBlog.com - Mon, 09/14/2026 - 14:50

Here’s my monthly survey of the best interest rates on cash as of September 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 9/14/26.

TL;DR: Savings account interest rates are mostly stable, while rates on some longer-term CDs have risen significantly. You can get 4.34% APY on savings if you accept certain hoops/restrictions, but most are under 4% now. Short-term T-Bill rates ~3.8%. Top 5-year CD rates are now ~4.8% APY (brokered), while the 5-year Treasury rate is also ~4.8%.

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: 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 10/31. 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. Marcus has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.00% APY ($500 minimum deposit). CIT Bank has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 3.90% APY ($1,000 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 4.00% APY ($500 minimum deposit).
  • Eagle Bank has a 12-month CD at 4.45% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit). Early withdrawal penalty is not clearly disclosed, but is 90 days of interest according to 3rd-party sources.

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 3.63% (changes daily, but also works out to a compound yield of 3.69%, 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 3.71% (compound yield of 3.77%).

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 9/11/26, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 3.85% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.34% annualized interest.
  • The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 3.63% 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 3.63% 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 4.28%/4.39%/4.49% 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.
  • Popular Direct has a 5-year certificate at 4.50% APY ($10,000 minimum) but with a huge early withdrawal penalty of 730 days of interest.
  • Sallie Mae Bank has a 5-year certificate at 4.40% APY ($2,500 minimum) but with a more reasonable early withdrawal penalty of 180 days of interest.
  • 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 4.80% 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 4.85% APY (non-callable) vs. 4.97% 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 9/14/26.

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

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Categories: Finance

Watch astronaut Christina Koch and Google’s James Manyika discuss space, technology, and discovery.Watch astronaut Christina Koch and Google’s James Manyika discuss space, technology, and discovery.

GoogleBlog - Mon, 09/14/2026 - 14:00
Christina Koch sits down with James Manyika, Google’s Senior Vice President of Research, Labs, Technology & Society.
Categories: Technology

Distribution Release: Univention Corporate Server 5.2-6

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. The Univention team have published a new version of the project's Debian-based Univention Corporate Server. The latest release updates handling of group mailboxes and makes it easier to identify objects in the management interface. "The latest patch-level release of Univention Corporate Server bundles all new features and improvements....
Categories: Linux

BSD Release: FreeBSD 15.1

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Colin Percival has announced the release of FreeBSD 15.1, the second release in FreeBSD's latest stable branch: "The FreeBSD Release Engineering team is pleased to announce the availability of FreeBSD 15.1-RELEASE. This is the second release of the stable/15 branch. Some of the highlights: the iwlwifi(4) and other....
Categories: Linux

Distribution Release: EasyOS 7.4

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Barry Kauler has announced the release of EasyOS 7.4. The new version focuses on polishing classic software options, providing X11 support, fixes for the ROX-filer file manager, and improving video playback by swapping out Celluloid for SMPlayer. "Version 7.4 is a 'milestone' release, consolidating EasyOS as supporting 'legacy'....
Categories: Linux

DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 1177

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. This week in DistroWatch Weekly:
Review: RakuOS 44 and TROMjaro 2026.05.08
News: Ubuntu MATE updates status of distribution, Asahi Linux fixes dual-boot issue with MacOS 27, Antergos gets new life, Arch Linux suffers repeat incidents in AUR repository
Questions and answers: Setting variables across multiple shells
Released last....
Categories: Linux

Development Release: AnduinOS 2.0.0 Beta 2

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. The AnduinOS team has announced the availability of a development snapshot of AnduinOS 2.0.0, the upcoming major update of the project's Ubuntu-based Linux distribution featuring a highly customised GNOME desktop. This version is derived from the long-term supported Ubuntu 26.04: "Today, AIURSOFT Limited is thrilled to announce the....
Categories: Linux

Distribution Release: GLF OS Quasar

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Gaming Linux FR has announced the release of GLF OS Quasar, a major update of the project's NixOS-based distribution focused on gaming. This version updates the GNOME desktop to version 50 and introduces numerous enhancements: "Based on NixOS 26.05, Quasar delivers a major update to the GLF OS....
Categories: Linux

Distribution Release: Alpine Linux 3.24.0

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. The Alpine Linux development team has announced the release of Alpine Linux 3.24.0, a significant update of the project's independently-developed, general purpose Linux distribution designed primarily for power users: "We are pleased to announce the release of Alpine Linux 3.24.0, the first release in the 3.24 stable series.....
Categories: Linux

Distribution Release: SysLinuxOS 13.2

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Franco Conidi has announced the release of SysLinuxOS 13.2, an updated build of the project's Debian-based distribution made primarily for system integrators and network administrators. The new version uses the Btrfs filesystem on new installation and integrates the Snapper utility for managing snapshots of Btrfs subvolumes. "SysLinuxOS 13.2....
Categories: Linux

Distribution Release: RefreshOS 3-0

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. eXybit Technologies has announced the release of RefreshOS 3-0, a major update of the project's beginner-friendly, desktop Linux distribution based on Debian 13 and featuring the KDE Plasma desktop: "RefreshOS 3 'Colorful Cosmos' is officially here, bringing the biggest visual and usability upgrade the project has seen so....
Categories: Linux

Distribution Release: RELIANOID 7.10.0

DistroWatch.com - Thu, 06/18/2026 - 18:35
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. RELIANOID, a Debian-based Linux distribution featuring an open-source load-balancer, has reached version 7.10.0: "We are glad to present both RELIANOID 7.10.0 Community edition and RELIANOID 8.6 Enterprise edition, delivering significant improvements in security, system stability, observability, and load balancing capabilities. Both versions share a modernized Debian 12.14 base....
Categories: Linux

TikTok Says End-To-End Encryption Makes Users Less Safe

Slashdot.org - Wed, 03/04/2026 - 13:00
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: TikTok will not introduce end-to-end encryption (E2EE) -- the controversial privacy feature used by nearly all its rivals -- arguing it makes users less safe. E2EE means only the sender and recipient of a direct message can view its contents, making it the most secure form of communication available to the general public. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and X have embraced it because they say their priority is maximizing user privacy. But critics have said E2EE makes it harder to stop harmful content spreading online, because it means tech firms and law enforcement have no way of viewing any material sent in direct messages. The situation is made more complex because TikTok has long faced accusations that ties to the Chinese state may put users' data at risk. TikTok has consistently denied this, but earlier this year the social media firm's US operations were separated from its global business on the orders of US lawmakers. TikTok told the BBC it believed end-to-end encryption prevented police and safety teams from being able to read direct messages if they needed to. It confirmed its approach to the BBC in a briefing about security at its London office, saying it wanted to protect users, especially young people from harm. It described this stance as a deliberate decision to set itself apart from rivals. "Grooming and harassment risks are very real in DMs [direct messages] so TikTok now can credibly argue that it's prioritizing 'proactive safety' over 'privacy absolutism' which is a pretty powerful soundbite," said social media industry analyst Matt Navarra. But Navarra said the move also "puts TikTok out of step with global privacy expectations" and might reinforce wariness for some about its ownership.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apple Announces Low-Cost 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip

Slashdot.org - Wed, 03/04/2026 - 12:00
Continuing its product launches this week, Apple today announced the "MacBook Neo," an all-new, low-cost Mac featuring the A18 Pro chip. It starts at $599 and begins shipping on Wednesday, March 11. MacRumors reports: The MacBook Neo is the first Mac to be powered by an iPhone chip; the A18 Pro debuted in 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple says it is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads, and up to 2x faster for tasks like photo editing. The MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2408-by-1506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and an anti-reflective coating. The display does not have a notch, instead featuring uniform, iPad-style bezels. It is available in Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus color options. The colored finishes extend to the Magic Keyboard in lighter shades and come with matching wallpapers. It weighs 2.7 pounds. There are two USB-C ports. One is a USB-C 2 port with support for speeds up to 480 Mb/s and one is a USB-C 3 port with support for speeds up to 10 Gb/s. There is also a headphone jack. The MacBook Neo also offers a 16-hour battery life, 8GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 connectivity, a 1080p front-facing camera, dual mics with directional beamforming, and dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Intel's Make-Or-Break 18A Process Node Debuts For Data Center With 288-Core Xeon 6+ CPU

Slashdot.org - Wed, 03/04/2026 - 11:00
Intel has formally unveiled its Xeon 6+ "Clearwater Forest" data-center processor with up to 288 cores, built on the company's new Intel 18A process and using Foveros Direct packaging. The chip targets telecom, cloud, and edge-AI workloads with massive parallelism, large caches, and high-bandwidth DDR5-8000 memory. Tom's Hardware reports: Intel's Xeon 6+ processors with up to 288 cores combine 12 compute chiplets containing 24 energy-efficient Darkmont cores per tile that are produced using 18A manufacturing technology, two I/O tiles made on Intel 7 production node, as well as three active base tiles made on Intel 3 fabrication process. The compute tiles are stacked on top of the base dies using Intel's Foveros Direct 3D technology, whereas lateral connections are enabled by Intel's EMIB bridges. Intel's 'Darkmont' efficiency cores have received rather meaningful microarchitectural upgrades. Each core integrates a 64 KB L1 instruction cache, a broader fetch and decode pipeline, and a deeper out-of-order engine capable of tracking more in-flight operations. The number of execution ports has also been increased in a bid to improve both scalar and vector throughput under heavily threaded server workloads. From a cache hierarchy standpoint, the design groups cores into four-core blocks that share approximately 4 MB of L2 cache per block. As a result, the aggregate last-level cache across the full package surpasses 1 GB, roughly 1,152 MB in total. This unusually large pool is intended to keep data close to hundreds of active cores and reduce dependence on external memory bandwidth, which in turn is meant to both increase performance and lower power consumption. Platform-wise, the processor remains drop-in compatible with the current Xeon server socket, so the CPU has 12 memory channels that support DDR5-8000, 96 PCIe 5.0 lanes with 64 lanes supporting CXL 2.0.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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