A friend of mine said the safest money move right now is to buy Bitcoin. I nearly spit out my coffee!
If you’re looking for actually safe places to park your money — the kind with predictable returns and no emotional rollercoaster — this list is more your speed.
Here are four smart places to stash your cash (no crypto required).
1. High-yield savings accounts
These are like regular savings accounts — but earn up to 10X the national average interest rate.
Our Picks for the Best High-Yield Savings Accounts of 2025
SoFi Checking and Savings Member FDIC. APY up to 3.80%²
Rate info
Member FDIC.
| up to 3.80%²
Rate info
| $0 | |
 American Express® High Yield Savings Account Member FDIC. APY 3.70%
Rate info
Member FDIC.
| 3.70%
Rate info
| $0 | |
 Barclays Tiered Savings Member FDIC. APY 4.10%
Rate info
Member FDIC.
| 4.10%
Rate info
| $0 |
Disclaimers
SoFi disclosure:
¹ New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/26. See full bonus and annual percentage yield (APY) terms at sofi.com/banking#1.
² SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi Plus members are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.
³ We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Checking & Savings Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.
⁴ SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations.
Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms. See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks.
⁵ We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
⁶ Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.
⁷ Overdraft Coverage is limited to $50 on debit card purchases only and is an account benefit available to customers with direct deposits of $1,000 or more during the current 30-day Evaluation Period as determined by SoFi Bank, N.A. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the“30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Members with a prior history of non-repayment of negative balances are ineligible for Overdraft Coverage.
High-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) are FDIC insured, and right now can be found with rates as high as 5.00% APY.
But for example purposes, we’ll use a more common APY of 4.10% for our calculations. To put this into dollars, here’s what earnings could look like after 12 months at various balances:
Savings | Interest Earned 4.10% APY |
|---|---|
$5,000 | $205.00 |
$10,000 | $410.00 |
$20,000 | $820.00 |
$50,000 | $2,050.00 |
Data source: Author’s calculations.
Unlike my buddy’s Bitcoin, there’s zero risk to your principal. With FDIC insurance, your money stays safe. Even if the bank goes under, you’re protected up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution.
HYSA rates do ebb and flow with the economy and Federal Reserve changes. But movement is slow and often predictable.
2. Certificates of deposit (CDs)
CDs are like the “set it and forget it” crockpot of saving. You lock in a great rate, walk away, and come back to guaranteed growth.
In May 2025, short-term CDs (3- to 12-month terms) are offering rates around the 4.00% mark, with some online banks offering up to 4.65% APY. These are ideal if you anticipate needing access to your funds in the near future.
On the other hand, you might prefer locking your money in for a longer term and accepting a slightly lower rate. Mid-term CDs (1 year to 3 years) are yielding between 3.25% and 4.00% APY. Locking in these rates now can be a smart move, especially if interest rates decline in the coming months.
Keep in mind that CDs do come with early withdrawal penalties. So, choose a term that aligns with your financial goals and timeline.
3. Treasury bills (T-bills)
T-bills are like super-safe IOUs from the U.S. government. You give them money now, and they promise to pay you back later, with interest.
As of May 2025, short-term T-bills (three to six months) are yielding around 4.30% APY.
How they work: You buy T-bills at a discount (say, $975), then get the full $1,000 back when they mature in a few weeks or months. That difference is your interest.
One cool thing about T-bills is that the interest you earn isn’t taxed at the state or local level — you only pay federal taxes. This is a big win if you’re in a higher tax bracket.
You can buy T-bills straight from TreasuryDirect.gov, or invest through a brokerage.
4. Money market funds
Imagine taking CDs, T-bills, and other super-safe investments and smooshing them together into one big fund. That’s basically what a money market fund is.
You get to spread your risk across many different short-term assets, and reap the blended yield of everything.
In May 2025, many money market funds are paying between 3.45% and 4.24%.
Something to check with your current broker: Many firms automatically “sweep” your uninvested cash into one of these funds. This is a great feature to earn the most on your cash while it’s sitting idle.
Read all about one of our favorite brokers that does this and learn how its low fees and simple approach make it a great choice for protecting your savings.
Keep it boring (and safe)
If you’re like me — and not taking financial advice from your Bitcoin-loving buddy — then you know that boring and proven methods are a better way to keep your cash safe.
HYSAs, CDs, money market funds, and T-bills all offer steady, low-risk returns that won’t keep you up at night.
