How do interest rates work on savings accounts? | Capital One (2024)

    May 18, 2022 |3 min read

    And how does savings account interest work?

    May 18, 2022 |3 min read

      Earning a couple dollars helping your parents rake the lawn or take out the trash was always exciting as a kid—it didn’t matter that it wasn’t a lot of money, you were just excited to watch your piggy bank fill up.

      Bank interest is like that. While it may not feel like much now, over time interest can be a nice cushion to your savings account and help you reach your future savings goals.

      Why do banks pay interest to their customers?

      If you’ve ever wondered why banks pay their customers interest on the money in their savings accounts, the answer may be simpler than you think. When you open a savings account, money market account, CD or other type of deposit account, you’re forming a partnership with your bank. The bank can lend your money to borrowers in the form of loans, mortgages or credit cards, and in return you’re paid interest.1

      How does a savings account earn interest?

      Depending on your account, your bank could use either simple or compound interest to figure out how much money you’ll earn in interest. It can be good to know which type of interest your account uses, because it may affect your annual percent yield (APY). That’s the annualized rate that shows how much money you can earn in interest on that account over a year's time.2

      Simple interest

      Simple interest is calculated using only your principal balance, or the original sum of money deposited into your account. This type of interest doesn’t account for any interest you've earned over time. Meaning, if you started with $1,000 in your account, the bank will always base your interest on $1,000.3

      Compound interest

      Compound interest calculates your APY using your principal balance plus any interest you earn.4 Depending on your account, interest could be compounded daily, monthly, quarterly or annually. Meaning, if you started with $1,000 in your account and earned $5 in interest, the next time your bank calculates interest, they’ll base it on $1,005.

      Here’s an example of how simple interest and annually compound interest could work over 10 years at 1%.

      Simple Interest 3 Compound Interest 5
      Initial Deposit $1,000 $1,000
      1 year $1,010 $1,010
      2 years $1,020 $1,020.10
      5 years $1,050 $1,051.01
      10 years $1,100 $1,104.62

      How often does a savings account earn interest?

      It depends on your account. With most savings accounts and money market accounts, you'll earn interest every day, but interest is typically paid to the account monthly.4 However, CDs usually pay you at the end of the specific term, but there may be options to receive interest payments every month or twice a year.6 If you aren’t sure how interest works for your savings accounts, it may be time to call your bank.

      Why do we have to pay interest when we borrow money?

      Interest goes the other way when it comes to borrowing. Banks and other financial institutions typically charge interest any time they loan money. Meaning, you pay back what you borrowed and then some.1

      But how can banks afford to pay interest on their customers’ savings account deposits if they’re loaning out money? Generally, savings account rates are lower than the interest rates banks charge when they loan money.1

      Whether you’re saving or borrowing, interest is a big part of banking. And while you may not be saving up for your favorite action figure or candy bar (or whatever you bought with that lawn mowing money), it’s still exciting to see your money grow.

      This site is for educational purposes. The material provided on this site is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any Capital One product or service to your unique circ*mstances. For specific advice about your unique circ*mstances, you may wish to consult a qualified professional.

      1. What are interest rates and how do they work? (June 7, 2021). Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/what-are-interest-rates-and-how-do-they-work/.
      2. Glossary of Banking Terms and Phrases — Annual Percentage Yield (APY) (undated). Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.helpwithmybank.gov/glossary/index-glossary.html.
      3. Simple interest (undated). Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.bankrate.com/glossary/s/simple-interest/.
      4. What is compound interest? (April 20, 2020). Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.bankrate.com/banking/what-is-compound-interest/.
      5. Compound Interest Calculator (undated). Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.investor.gov/financial-tools-calculators/calculators/compound-interest-calculator.
      6. Certificates of Deposit (CDs) (undated). Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/investment-products/certificates-deposit-cds.

      May 18, 2022 |3 min read

      Related Content

      Banking Basics

      All about interest

      article | April 6, 2022 | 5 min read

      article | January 25, 2023 | 3 min read

      article | April 13, 2022 | 4 min read

      How do interest rates work on savings accounts? | Capital One (2024)

      FAQs

      How do interest rates work on savings accounts? | Capital One? ›

      Here's how to calculate interest earned on a savings account: If you put $20,000 in a simple interest savings account at a rate of 1% monthly interest, you'll earn $200 each month. With a simple interest savings account, you will always be earning 1% of $20,000 even when your balance exceeds the original deposit.

      What is the interest rate on Capital 1 saving account? ›

      No minimum deposit is needed to open an account. While some banks have tiered savings rates, based on your balance, Capital One applies the same 4.30% APY to all balances. That means you still get the same relatively high rate whether you save a little or save a lot in your account.

      How is interest compounded at Capital One on savings account? ›

      Capital One Savings Accounts: Key Features

      Interest is compounded and credited to the account monthly. The account offers basic convenience features common among major banks, including: Mobile check deposits. Electronic transfers to other accounts.

      How does the interest rate on my savings account work? ›

      Simple interest = Principal x Interest rate x Time period

      Say you have $1,000 in a savings account with a simple interest rate of 2.00% APY. Using the formula, here's how much you'd earn: 1,000 x 0.02 x 1 = 20. That means you'd earn $20 in a year, leaving you with a new balance of $1,020.

      Why is my Capital One savings account interest so low? ›

      So why does your savings account sometimes have a low savings rate and other times a high savings rate? One reason is the Federal Reserve, called The Fed for short. It sets monetary policy—among other things. And one of the ways it steers the economy through choppy or clear waters is by changing interest rates.

      How does Capital One calculate interest? ›

      Capital One adds up each day's balance and divides the total by the number of days in the billing period. Capital One also sets a daily periodic rate, which is the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) divided by 365. To calculate the interest, Capital One multiplies the average daily balance and the daily periodic rate.

      Is Capital One the best high yield savings account? ›

      The Capital One 360 Performance Savings™ offers a solid APY of 4.15% with no minimum balance requirements and zero monthly fees. Capital One also offers a Capital One 360 Checking with no fees and access to 40,000-plus fee-free ATMs. It ranked “best overall” on CNBC Select's list of the top no-fee checking accounts.

      Is it safe to put money in Capital One savings account? ›

      Your money is safe at Capital One

      Capital One customers don't need to purchase or apply for FDIC insurance—coverage up to the FDIC's limit is automatic whenever a deposit account is opened.

      How much is 0.01 interest rate? ›

      How much interest can you earn on $10,000? In a savings account earning 0.01%, your balance after a year would be $10,001. Put that $10,000 in a high-yield savings account for the same amount of time, and you'll earn about $50.

      How is daily interest calculated on a savings account? ›

      If interest is compounded daily, divide the simple interest rate by 365 and multiply the result by the balance in the account to find the interest earned in one day. Add the daily interest earned to the balance.

      Can you get 7% interest savings account? ›

      Which bank gives 7% interest on a savings account? Right now, only one financial institution is paying at least 7% APY: Landmark Credit Union. Landmark pays 7.50% on its Premium Checking Account — however, there are some major caveats to consider.

      Is savings account interest paid monthly? ›

      Your savings account interest could compound daily, monthly, quarterly, or annually. Suppose you deposit $5,000 into a savings account, don't deposit or withdraw any more money, and the interest rate doesn't change.

      Which bank gives 6% interest on savings account? ›

      Cons. Cardholders of the Mango Prepaid Mastercard® (issued by Metropolitan Commercial Bank) have access to a savings feature where they can earn up to 6.00% APY on balances up to $2,500 by meeting two requirements: Make a minimum deposit of $25 and have that minimum balance at the end of the month.

      Why is my Capital One interest rate so high? ›

      Depending on your card, things like missing payments, making late credit card payments, going over your credit limit or failing to make the minimum payment might trigger an APR increase.

      Why am I getting more interest in my savings account? ›

      The interest rate on your savings account is influenced by what the Federal Reserve does. The Federal Reserve has been raising the federal funds rate to combat inflation.

      How often do saving account rates change? ›

      Interest rates on high-yield savings accounts are variable and can change at any time. More specifically, rates typically change after a Federal Reserve committee meets to adjust the federal funds rate. The account's annual percentage yield (APY) determines how much interest you earn on your money each year.

      Which bank gives 6% interest in savings account? ›

      Cardholders of the Mango Prepaid Mastercard® (issued by Metropolitan Commercial Bank) have access to a savings feature where they can earn up to 6.00% APY on balances up to $2,500 by meeting two requirements: Make a minimum deposit of $25 and have that minimum balance at the end of the month.

      Where can I get 5 percent interest on my money? ›

      Summary of the Best 5% Savings Accounts
      BankAPYMin. Dep.
      M1 Financeup to 5.00% APY$0
      Newtek Bank5.00% APY$0
      Valley Direct Bank5.00% APY$0
      Adda Bank4.85% APY$1
      5 more rows
      Aug 8, 2023

      What is the interest rate on a 12 month CD from Capital One? ›

      How Capital One 360 CDs compare
      CD TermNational Deposit RatesCapital One 360 CD Rates
      12 month1.72%4.85%
      24 month1.47%4.40%
      36 month1.37%4.30%
      48 month1.30%4.20%
      2 more rows

      What are the rates for Capital One 360 money market? ›

      Rate information:

      If your daily balance is less than $10,000, you'll earn 0.7971 % on your entire account balance, which adds up to an annual percentage yield of 0.80% . If your daily balance is $10,000 or more, you'll earn 0.7971 % interest on your entire account balance, with an annual percentage yield of 0.80% .

      Top Articles
      Latest Posts
      Article information

      Author: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

      Last Updated:

      Views: 6564

      Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

      Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

      Author information

      Name: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

      Birthday: 1996-05-19

      Address: Apt. 114 873 White Lodge, Libbyfurt, CA 93006

      Phone: +5983010455207

      Job: Legacy Representative

      Hobby: Blacksmithing, Urban exploration, Sudoku, Slacklining, Creative writing, Community, Letterboxing

      Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.