High-yield savings, ranked by APY
As of September 28, 2026, the top high-yield savings accounts pay 3.75%–4.21% APY — Axos Bank at 4.21%, SoFi at 4.20%, EverBank at 3.90% — versus the FDIC national average of 0.38% and M&T Bank's 0.01%.
† Conditions — Axos: $1,500/mo direct deposit · CIT: $5,000 min balance · SoFi: linked checking + direct deposit
National average · FDIC, published monthly. FDIC, as of August 2026
| Rank | Bank | APY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Axos Bank (4.21% requires Linked Axos ONE® Checking Account Required and At least $1,500 in total monthly qualifying direct deposits AND average daily balance of at least $1,500 in Axos ONE® Checking. direct deposit; 1.00% base) | 4.21% |
| 2 | SoFi (4.20% requires Recurring direct deposit (payroll, pension, gov't benefit) OR $5,000 in qualifying deposits every 31 days. Required to earn 3.30% base APY; also unlocks 0.90% promo boost. direct deposit and Linked SoFi Checking Account (auto-opened); 3.30% base) | 4.20% |
| 3 | EverBank | 3.90% |
| 4 | CIT Bank (3.75% requires $5,000 or more to earn 3.75% APY; balances below $5,000 earn 0.25% APY minimum balance for top apy; 0.25% base) | 3.75% |
| 5 | Axos Summit Savings | 3.75% |
| — | M&T Bank (your current bank) | 0.01% |
What you'd earn at each, by balance.
What you'd earn at each, by balance.
Annual interest = principal × APY, simple interest. All accounts FDIC insured up to $250,000.
| Balance | M&T Bank0.01%APYYour current bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $0.50/yr | $210.50/yr | $195/yr |
| $10,000 | $1/yr | $421/yr | $390/yr |
| $25,000 | $2.50/yr | $1,052.50/yr | $975/yr |
| $50,000 | $5/yr | $2,105/yr | $1,950/yr |
| $100,000 | $10/yr | $4,210/yr | $3,900/yr |
Personalize the gap.
Compared at M&T Bank's 0.01% standard APY vs. Axos Bank's 4.21% APY. Simple interest.
That's $2,100 over five years, just by switching where the dollars sit.
Why does M&T Bank pay so little on savings?
M&T Bank is a Buffalo-headquartered regional lender whose growth has come from acquiring other banks' branch networks rather than from bidding for deposits — most recently People's United Financial in 2022, which extended its footprint across New England. Buying a bank buys its depositors outright, and those customers arrive already banking at whatever rate the acquired institution paid, which removes the usual reason to compete on APY. Relationship pricing does the rest: M&T's savings products are built to reward holding a linked M&T checking account rather than holding a balance. M&T Relationship Savings pays 0.01% APY as of September 28, 2026 and carries a $7.50 monthly service fee, waived with a $500 minimum balance or a linked M&T checking account.
What about M&T Bank's higher-tier savings accounts?
M&T's other savings product is M&T Premium Savings, which the bank positions above Relationship Savings with separate standard and preferred interest tiers and a $20 monthly service charge — waived with a $10,000 average daily balance or a linked MyChoice Premium, Power, M&T Select, or Advantage checking account. As of September 28, 2026, M&T does not publish an APY for Premium Savings on mtb.com: the product page renders the tier table's headers — Balance, Standard Interest Rate, Standard APY, Preferred Interest Rate, Preferred APY — with no values in them, before or after entering a ZIP code. Arca compares only rates a bank publishes, so the M&T figure on this page is Relationship Savings at 0.01% APY.
Top high-yield savings rates vs. M&T Bank
On $10,000, EverBank Performance Savings (3.90% APY) earns about $390 a year with no requirements. M&T Relationship Savings (0.01% APY) earns about $1.
| Account | Max APY ↓ | A year on $10,000 | Bank site |
|---|---|---|---|
Axos ONE® Savings Axos Bank · Member FDIC Requirements: Linked checking · Direct deposit · +1 more | 4.21% APY 1.00% without requirements | $421 a year on $10,000 | Visit site |
See details for Axos ONE® SavingsAxos ONE® Savings pays up to 4.21% APY as of September 28, 2026, and requires a linked checking account and direct deposit.
| |||
SoFi High-Yield Savings Account SoFi · Member FDIC Requirements: Direct deposit · Linked checking · +1 more | 4.20% APY 3.30% after Dec 31, 2026 | $420 a year on $10,000 | Visit site |
See details for SoFi High-Yield Savings AccountSoFi High-Yield Savings Account pays up to 4.20% APY as of September 28, 2026, and requires direct deposit and a linked checking account. Earn 4.20% APY now, dropping to 3.30% APY when the intro period ends on December 31, 2026.
| |||
EverBank Performance Savings EverBank · Member FDIC Full rate, no requirements | 3.90% APY | $390 a year on $10,000 | Visit site |
See details for EverBank Performance SavingsEverBank Performance Savings pays 3.90% APY as of September 28, 2026 with no minimum balance, no direct deposit required, and no linked checking account required.
| |||
Axos Summit Savings Axos Bank · Member FDIC Full rate, no requirements | 3.75% APY | $375 a year on $10,000 | Visit site |
See details for Axos Summit SavingsAxos Summit Savings pays 3.75% APY as of September 28, 2026 with no minimum balance, no direct deposit required, and no linked checking account required.
| |||
CIT Platinum Savings CIT Bank · Member FDIC Requirements: Min balance | 3.75% APY 0.25% below the minimum balance | $375 a year on $10,000 | Visit site |
See details for CIT Platinum SavingsCIT Platinum Savings pays up to 3.75% APY as of September 28, 2026, and requires a minimum balance.
| |||
For reference M&T Relationship Savings | 0.01% APY | $1 a year on $10,000 | |
One year of interest on $10,000 at today's APY, rounded to the dollar. Each bank provides its own FDIC insurance; Arca is not a bank and does not hold deposits.
See all current rates →Questions, answered.
What is M&T Bank's current savings account APY?
M&T Relationship Savings pays 0.01% APY as of September 28, 2026. On a $10,000 balance that earns $1 per year, versus roughly $421 at a 4.21% APY high-yield savings account like Axos Bank, or $420 at a 4.20% account like SoFi. Source: Arca Savings, updated September 28, 2026.
Did M&T's acquisition of People's United change my savings rate?
M&T completed its acquisition of People's United Financial in 2022 and converted those branches to M&T. Former People's United savings customers now hold M&T accounts: M&T Relationship Savings pays 0.01% APY as of September 28, 2026, against 4.21% APY at Axos Bank on the same balance. Source: Arca Savings, updated September 28, 2026.
Will switching savings accounts affect my M&T checking account or mortgage?
No. Opening a high-yield savings account at Axos Bank, SoFi, or Marcus by Goldman Sachs has no impact on your M&T checking account, mortgage, credit cards, or any other M&T products. Source: Arca Savings, updated September 28, 2026.
Is a high-yield savings account as safe as M&T Bank?
Yes. Axos Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, SoFi, and American Express High Yield Savings are all FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor per institution as of September 28, 2026 — the same protection you have at M&T Bank. Source: Arca Savings, updated September 28, 2026.
How much interest does M&T Bank pay per month on $10,000?
M&T Bank pays about $0.08 per month on a $10,000 savings balance — $1 a year at 0.01% APY as of September 28, 2026. EverBank Performance Savings pays about $32.50 a month, or $390 a year, on the same balance. The monthly difference is roughly $32.42. Source: Arca Savings, updated September 28, 2026.
Is M&T Bank's savings account good for an emergency fund?
No — M&T Relationship Savings is safe but costly for an emergency fund. It pays 0.01% APY as of September 28, 2026, so a $10,000 emergency fund earns $1 a year, against $390 at EverBank Performance Savings. M&T Relationship Savings also charges $7.50 a month unless you keep a $500 minimum balance or link an M&T checking account. Both are FDIC insured to $250,000. Source: Arca Savings, updated September 28, 2026.
How do I calculate interest on a M&T Bank savings account?
Multiply your balance by the APY. M&T Relationship Savings pays 0.01% APY as of September 28, 2026, so $10,000 earns $1 a year and $25,000 earns $2.50. APY already includes compounding, so no separate compounding step is needed. Arca's free calculator does this for any balance and compares it against current high-yield rates. Source: Arca Savings, updated September 28, 2026.