Savings Account (redirected from Savings accounts)

Savings Account

An account at a bank in which the customer deposits money for any non-immediate use. For example, one may utilize a savings account to save funds for an expensive purchase, such as a house or a car. Because most customers keep money in a savings account for a longer period than a checking account, a savings account pays a slightly higher interest rate. However, the interest rate is not as high as a bond or another low-risk investment. Generally speaking, one may not write a check on a savings account without paying a penalty. This is to disincentivize withdrawals on savings.

---

Savings account. A savings account is a deposit account in a bank or credit union that pays interest on your balance -- though some institutions require that you have at least a minimum amount in the account to qualify for earnings.

You can deposit and withdraw from savings accounts as you wish, but you can't transfer money from the account directly to other people or organizations.

While savings accounts typically pay interest at a lower rate than other bank accounts, that may not always be the case. Savings accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.

You're covered up to $100,000 in each of three different categories of account in a single bank, or up to $250,000 if an account is a self-directed retirement account (IRA). Different branches of the same bank count as one bank.