Best high-yield savings interest rates today, November 18, 2025 (Earn up to 4.3% APY)

Core Insights - High-yield savings account rates are declining, but some accounts still offer rates above 4% APY, emphasizing the importance of research to find competitive offers [1][2] Group 1: Current Savings Rates - The average interest rate on traditional savings accounts is only 0.40%, while the highest savings account rate available is 4.3% APY from SoFi as of November 18, 2025 [2][7] - High-yield accounts typically provide significantly higher rates compared to traditional savings accounts [2] Group 2: Historical Trends - Savings account interest rates have varied over the past decade, with rates between 0.06% to 0.10% from 2010 to 2015 due to the 2008 financial crisis and the Federal Reserve's near-zero target rate [3] - From 2015 to 2018, rates gradually increased but remained low historically, followed by a sharp decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing rates down to around 0.05% to 0.06% by mid-2021 [4] - Rates have since recovered due to the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes in response to inflation, but recent cuts in the federal funds rate have led to declining deposit rates [5] Group 3: Savings Account Suitability - High-yield savings accounts are suitable for short-term savings goals, such as emergency funds or vacations, allowing easy access to funds [6] - For long-term goals like education or retirement, savings accounts may not provide sufficient returns compared to market investments [5]