Savings rates on March 13, 2026: Up to 5.00% for top HYSAs while MMAs hit 4.01% — what savers need to know
March 13, 2026 (ET) — An unexpected split has emerged in deposit markets: high-yield savings accounts are delivering up to 5. 00% APY while some money market accounts still top out at about 4. 01% APY. For anyone comparing options, the contrast between headline high-yield offers and national averages for traditional products underlines why shoppers of savings products must read the fine print today.
Savings account top earners: up to 5. 00% and the widening yield gap
Data compiled for March 13, 2026 (ET) show the three highest-APY savings offers reaching as high as 5. 00% APY. Other sizeable offers include an account listed at up to 4. 20% APY. These top-tier rates sit far above the FDIC’s national average for traditional savings accounts, which stands at 0. 39%.
The practical implication is straightforward: moving to a high-yield account can materially increase interest earned while preserving liquidity. For example, listings identify multiple online-focused banks and fintech-linked providers among the highest-APY offerings, with names present across the leaderboard for savers seeking elevated returns.
Money market accounts and the 4. 01% ceiling
Money market accounts (MMAs) present a different snapshot. The national average for MMAs is 0. 56%, per FDIC data, yet several individual money market offers are substantially higher. Standouts in the current market include one online money market deposit account at 4. 01% APY and additional accounts clustered between roughly 3. 75% and 4. 00% APY, some with minimum-balance requirements to earn the top rate.
These higher MMA yields are concentrated in particular institutions and often tied to balance thresholds. The presence of both credit unions and online banks offering competitive MMAs reflects structural advantages: lower branch overhead for online banks and not-for-profit status for credit unions are both cited as drivers of stronger deposit rates.
Expert perspectives and institutional data
FDIC data provide the national baselines: a 0. 56% national average for money market accounts and a 0. 39% national average for savings accounts. Curinos, noted for daily rate tracking, supplies the underlying rate feeds that feed high-yield lists and comparisons, tracking savings and CD rates from institutions nationwide.
Those institutional data sets also highlight a market dynamic tied to central-bank policy: Federal Reserve rate action matters. The Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate three times in 2024 and three times in 2025, a sequence that contributed to falling deposit interest rates broadly. Banks and credit unions have responded unevenly, producing the current bifurcated market in which some institutions keep offering elevated promotional APYs while national averages remain muted.
Regional and global consequences: who benefits and who is exposed
Domestically, savers who can access top offers—often online banks or eligible credit unions—stand to gain materially compared with leaving funds in traditional branch-based accounts. The distribution of high rates among online institutions signals competitive pressure that may persist even as average rates decline. International spillover is limited by deposit-insurance regimes and institution-specific protections, but cross-border investors monitoring U. S. deposit yields will note the divergence between headline offers and national averages.
Consumers should also verify protective safeguards: FDIC and NCUA coverage remain the standard for deposit protection up to applicable limits, and tax treatment of interest earnings continues to apply.
Ultimately, the market snapshot for March 13, 2026 (ET) forces a practical choice for households: accept near-average returns in conventional accounts or shop selectively for higher APYs that require account eligibility, minimum balances or online-only relationships. The arithmetic is clear and measurable—yet the path each saver chooses will reflect liquidity needs, risk tolerance and willingness to navigate account terms.
As elected and institutional authorities monitor rate trends and banks adjust offers, will the yield gap narrow, or will promotional high-APY products remain a distinct corridor for active shoppers of savings strategies?
For now, the available data underscore one inescapable fact: informed comparison remains the most reliable way to improve returns on deposits and to find where the market is still rewarding patient depositors of savings.
What will happen to deposit pricing if central-bank expectations shift again—and how should cautious households position their savings in response?
