Money Basics: Managing a Savings Account (2024)

FAQs

What are the basics of a savings account? ›

Savings accounts offer one of the simplest ways to earn interest on the money you have. They offer higher interest rates than a regular checking account, while still making it easy to spend and withdraw money. However, savings account rates are much lower than other investments, and they don't keep pace with inflation.

Generally, experts recommend saving three to six months' worth of living expenses in an emergency fund. Ginty, however, suggests that people with children or dependents save more than that. “If you're a single parent, I'd recommend at least six months, but somewhere between six and 12 months.

Savings accounts can protect your money from being lost, damaged or stolen. Savings accounts help you get to your goals faster. How are simple interest and compound interest different? Compound interest stays the same over time, but simple interest grows.

The seven percent savings rule provides a simple yet powerful guideline—save seven percent of your gross income before any taxes or other deductions come out of your paycheck. Saving at this level can help you make continuous progress towards your financial goals through the inevitable ups and downs of life.

Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.

Key takeaways. Fidelity's guideline: Aim to save at least 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60, and 10x by 67. Factors that will impact your personal savings goal include the age you plan to retire and the lifestyle you hope to have in retirement.

How much money should I save a month? ›

How much should you save each month? For many people, the 50/30/20 rule is a great way to split up monthly income. This budgeting rule states that you should allocate 50 percent of your monthly income for essentials (such as housing, groceries and gas), 30 percent for wants and 20 percent for savings.

Saving $1,000 per month can be a good sign, as it means you're setting aside money for emergencies and long-term goals. However, if you're ignoring high-interest debt to meet your savings goals, you might want to switch gears and focus on paying off debt first.

CDs are best for individuals looking for a guaranteed rate of return that's typically higher than a savings account.

Thankfully, most of the bigger names in the banking world are covered by FDIC insurance. This means that in the event of a bank failure, up to $250,000 of your money in a savings account will be returned to you (this amount is per depositor, per bank, so if it's a joint account, up to $500,000 is protected).

Although each financial situation is unique, it doesn't typically make sense for you to keep all of your money in a high-yield savings account. After all, most high-yield savings accounts limit withdrawals to only six per month, so a checking account is typically a better place to store your spending cash.

A savings account is a deposit account designed to hold money you don't plan to spend immediately. This is different from a checking account, a transactional account meant for everyday spending, allowing you to write checks or make purchases and ATM withdrawals using a debit card.

First things first: There's nothing wrong with keeping $10,000 in a savings account. If you're working with a reputable bank, your money will have Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance up to $250,000 per person per account ($500,000 for joint accounts).