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Savings accounts can be a useful tool if you need somewhere to invest your money. These bank accounts can come with a range of advantages and disadvantages and weighing them up to find the best account can be tricky.
Comparing with Savvy simplifies the process, allowing you to consider the pros and cons in an easy-to-use guide while also helping you compare accounts so you can find the best one. So, read our handy guide and take the headaches out of your savings account homework.
A savings account is a fund where you can deposit money for safekeeping. Unlike an everyday bank account which is used for day-to-day transactions, these accounts don’t come with a bank card as a way of limiting access to your funds. They also incentivise your saving plans by paying you interest on your contributions, allowing you to grow your balance. This interest is calculated at a rate determined by your bank against your savings account balance. Interest rates on savings accounts are variable, meaning they’ll move in line with inflation and the country’s cash rate if your institution decides to increase or decrease them.
Savings accounts are relatively cheap ways to invest, with many only requiring an initial deposit of a few dollars to open. They also come in many different forms and levels of access. They’re highly flexible and able to be used by a vast range of individuals of all age groups. You can get savings accounts for newborn babies, businesses and pensioners. If you want to resist the temptation to tap into your funds and know exactly how much your rate will be, you can open a term deposit which locks your funds away at a fixed interest rate for a set period.
To open a regular savings account on your own, you must be over 14 years old and an Australian resident. If you’re under 14 years old, a parent or guardian must accompany you to a bricks-and-mortar branch to open a savings account. Parents also sometimes open accounts for their children to pay for their education later in life.
If you’re considering opening a savings account, there are a range of pros and cons which are worth weighing up. These features all vary from account to account and bank to bank, so it’s worth comparing them with Savvy to help you find an option that gets you the best bang for your bucks.
Advantages:
Perhaps the greatest benefit of savings accounts is that they’re interest-bearing and help you grow your balance over time. The longer you leave your money to invest, the faster your nest egg will grow. Accounts usually feature a base rate and a bonus high interest rate. That high yield rate can be up to ten times the size of the base rate. You can calculate how much interest you could earn using Savvy’s handy savings calculator.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a financial institution which doesn’t offer a regular savings account. Just about every bank, credit union or building society offers some type of savings account, meaning when you’re comparing options with Savvy, you’ll have plenty of choice.
Savings accounts are low-risk investments when compared to more volatile options such as the property or stock market. You also have the safety net of the federal government's Financial Claims Scheme, which guarantees balances up to $250,000 per account holder in the event your institution collapses.
Opening a savings account can help you become a better saver. Aside from the ability to watch your balance grow over time, banks often reward you with bonus high interest to incentivise your savings. These rates are conditional on you meeting certain requirements, such as minimum deposit or balance requirements, making a certain number of purchases through a linked transaction account or not making many or any withdrawals.
A major advantage of savings accounts is they often come with few costly fees. This not only makes them affordable methods of investing but also avoids your hard-earned interest being eaten up in unnecessary charges. Be sure to consider your options with Savvy to make sure you find an account which offers no fees as part of its service.
Chipping into your account is easy, with the ability to transfer funds electronically into your savings or make in-branch deposits. Unlike account types like term deposits, one benefit is you don’t have to make a hefty payment to open an account and can regularly add to your balance.
If you and your partner or spouse have a shared savings goal, you can open a joint savings account. This gives you both access to the same pool of money, allowing you to fast-track the achievement of your target.
Your savings goal can be as long or as short as you like, with no lock-in terms. This had the added advantage of being able to release your funds if you meet your savings target sooner than you expect.
Disadvantages:
Interest rates can fluctuate depending on decisions by your bank or the Reserve Bank’s changes to the cash rate. This can make forecasting how much you make on your investment less predictable.
The name says it all: a savings account is for saving. As such, banks tend to penalise you with lower interest rates or additional fees if you dip into your funds. They also may require you to set up a linked everyday account to access any money.
Earning a high bonus interest rate is often conditional on you meeting several account requirements, usually around minimum balances and deposits. Comparing with Savvy will allow you to find a set of conditions that you’re comfortably able to meet.
One of the disadvantages of savings accounts is their low rate of return. This can be three times lower than other high-yield investment options such as property or the share market.
Are you looking to grow your savings? Compare a wide range of savings accounts with Savvy so you find the best deal in Australia and the highest interest rate to help grow your savings.
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Disclaimer: Savvy is not advising or recommending any particular product to you. We provide general information on products for the purposes of comparison, but your personal situation or goals are not considered here. Although we try to make our comparisons as thorough as possible, we do not have information on all products on the market on our site.
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Use our savings calculator to help you calculate how much you could save over a set timeframe based on different deposit sizes and frequencies.
Your savings can put in work for you. Crunch the numbers to see how much interest you could earn on top of your interest by compounding daily, monthly and annually.
It's crucial to have a clear idea of your monthly household budget to see where your money is going and where it could potentially be better spent.
If you're applying for a loan or need to know what your salary is for your tax return, you can use our annualisation calculator to work out what you'll earn this financial year.
Setting savings goals is important. With this tool, you can work out how much you'll need to deposit to reach your financial aims over a set timeframe.
Just as important as knowing how much to deposit is working out how long it'll take to reach your goals. This savings goal calculator can help you do just that.
Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd (ABN 78 660 493 194) trades as Savvy and operates as an Authorised Credit Representative 541339 of Australian Credit Licence 414426 (AFAS Group Pty Ltd, ABN 12 134 138 686). We are one of Australia’s leading financial comparison sites and have been helping Australians make savvy decisions when it comes to their money for over a decade.
We’re partnered with lenders, insurers and other financial institutions who compensate us for business initiated through our website. We earn a commission each time a customer chooses or buys a product advertised on our site, which you can find out more about here, as well as in our credit guide for asset finance. It’s also crucial to read the terms and conditions, Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or credit guide of our partners before signing up for your chosen product. However, the compensation we receive doesn’t impact the content written and published on our website, as our writing team exercises full editorial independence.
For more information about us and how we conduct our business, you can read our privacy policy and terms of use.
© Copyright 2024 Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd T/as Savvy. All Rights Reserved.
© Copyright 2024 Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd T/as Savvy. All Rights Reserved.
Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd (ABN 78 660 493 194) trades as Savvy and operates as an Authorised Credit Representative 541339 of Australian Credit Licence 414426 (AFAS Group Pty Ltd, ABN 12 134 138 686). We are one of Australia’s leading financial comparison sites and have been helping Australians make savvy decisions when it comes to their money for over a decade.
We’re partnered with lenders, insurers and other financial institutions who compensate us for business initiated through our website. We earn a commission each time a customer chooses or buys a product advertised on our site, which you can find out more about here, as well as in our credit guide for asset finance. It’s also crucial to read the terms and conditions, Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or credit guide of our partners before signing up for your chosen product. However, the compensation we receive doesn’t impact the content written and published on our website, as our writing team exercises full editorial independence.
For more information about us and how we conduct our business, you can read our privacy policy and terms of use.
