When dealing with interest-bearing bank accounts, it’s important to understand the difference between annual percentage yield (APY) and interest rate. The two are similar, but they’re not exactly the same. Knowing the distinction between the two terms will help you know how much return to expect on your deposits and investments.
Here’s what you need to know about APY vs. interest rate.
APY vs. interest rate: What’s the difference?
APY reflects the total amount of interest you earn on money in an account over one year, while an interest rate is the rate at which interest is earned on the original amount. Both are expressed as percentages.
The key difference between APY and interest rate is compound interest.APY includes interest that’s earned on the original balance as well as the amount of compound interest earned in one year. Interest rate only accounts for interest earned on the original amount.
SoFi Checking and Savings
APY
4.20%SoFi members with direct deposit can earn up to 4.20% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 1.20% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum direct deposit amount required to qualify for the 4.20% APY for savings. Members without direct deposit will earn 1.20% APY on all account balances in checking and savings (including Vaults). Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 04/24/2023. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet
Bask Interest Savings Account
APY
4.75%Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 05/09/2023. APY is variable and subject to change at any time without notice. No monthly service charge. No minimum balance requirement. Must fund with 15 days of opening account.
CIT Bank Platinum Savings
Min. balance for APY
$5,000
These cash accounts combine services and features similar to checking, savings and/or investment accounts in one product. Cash management accounts are typically offered by non-bank financial institutions.
These cash accounts combine services and features similar to checking, savings and/or investment accounts in one product. Cash management accounts are typically offered by non-bank financial institutions.
4.50%Annual percentage yield (variable) is as of 5/8/23. 5.00% APY with a $75K deposit or 4.75% APY with a $25K deposit. New customers only with qualifying deposit. Terms apply.
CDs (certificates of deposit) are a type of savings account with a fixed rate and term, and usually have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts.
CDs (certificates of deposit) are a type of savings account with a fixed rate and term, and usually have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts.
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield 10-Month CD
APY
5.05%5.05% APY (annual percentage yield) as of 03/28/2023. Special Offer Expires 09/15/2023.
CIT Bank CD
Checking accounts are used for day-to-day cash deposits and withdrawals.
Checking accounts are used for day-to-day cash deposits and withdrawals.
3.30%Your annual percentage yield can be as high as 3.30% based on the following combined rate rewards: direct deposits (not including intra-bank transfers from another account) totaling $1,500 or more each month will earn 0.40%. A qualifying direct deposit is required for the remaining interest rate qualifications to apply. Ten (10) point-of-sale transactions per month using your Rewards Checking Visa® Debit Card for normal everyday purchases with a minimum of $3 per transaction, or enrolling in Account Aggregation/Personal Finance Manager (PFM) will earn 0.30%; maintaining an average daily balance of at least $2,500 per month in an Axos Self Directed Trading Invest account will earn 1.00%; maintaining an average daily balance of at least $2,500 a month in an Axos Managed Portfolio Invest account will earn 1.00%; and making a monthly payment to an open Axos Bank consumer loan (commercial and business loans excluded) via transfer from your Rewards Checking account will earn a maximum of 0.60%.
Money market accounts pay rates similar to savings accounts and have some checking features.
Money market accounts pay rates similar to savings accounts and have some checking features.
UFB Premier Money Market
Discover Bank Money Market Account
Interest-bearing accounts: APY vs. interest rate
Financial institutions are required to show rates as APY, but can also show the corresponding interest rate. When it comes to your savings account, it’s more important to know the APY, because knowing the compound frequency (that is, how often interest is paid) will give you more precise information about how much you will earn within the year.
APY vs. interest rate in your bank account
Here’s an example showing how APY is different from interest rate:
Suppose you have $10,000 and earn an interest rate of 4.17% at a bank, paid after one year, without compounding. The amount of interest you earn is $417 ($10,000 x 4.17% = $417).
Now, instead of waiting one year, suppose the bank deposits a proportional share of the interest earned after one month (that is, 1/12th of the 4.17% APY). This means the total bank balance will be a little more than $10,000: $10,034.75.
After the next month, the bank deposits another proportional share of interest. When that happens, the interest earned the previous month compounds, meaning that it also earns interest. So in the second month, you’re earning interest on $10,034.75. At the end of the second month, you’ll earn $34.87 in interest and the total bank balance will be $10,069.62.
If the interest continues to compound each month at the same rate, then at the end of one year, the account would actually earn about $425. This means that with compounding, the APY would be around 4.25% ($10,000 x 4.25% = $425). You can use a savings calculator to calculate balance amounts and try other scenarios with daily, monthly and annual compounding.
So in this example, where interest is compounded monthly, the interest rate is 4.17% and APY is 4.25%.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between APY and interest rate?
The difference between APY and interest rate is that APY includes compound interest, and interest rate doesn’t.
Why is APY higher than the interest rate?
APY is higher than the corresponding interest rate because APY includes interest on the original amount and compound interest. In contrast, the interest rate only features interest on the original amount, with no compounding interest.
What’s the difference between APY and interest rate?
The difference between APY and interest rate is that APY includes compound interest, and interest rate doesn’t.
Why is APY higher than the interest rate?
APY is higher than the corresponding interest rate because APY includes interest on the original amount and compound interest. In contrast, the interest rate only features interest on the original amount, with no compounding interest.
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