Why Smart Savers Are Using American Express® to Build Emergency Funds

Conor Keenan Author Bio By: Conor Keenan  Last updated February 03, 2026
Conor Keenan is the Co-Founder of CompareAccounts and an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor candidate. He has covered consumer banking & investing trends for over a decade, his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reuters & Yahoo Finance.

Editorial Independence: Our opinions, reviews, and recommendations are our own. Partner commissions keep our site free, but our content remains independent.

Right now, American Express National Bank, Member FDIC, is paying 3.30% APY (annual percentage yield) on their high‑yield savings account as of February 03, 2026.
That’s over 8× the national average.

👉 Open Your High Yield Savings Account with American Express Now→

💡 One Bad Day Shouldn’t Mean Credit Card Debt

If your car breaks down tomorrow, would you be ready?

Many Americans couldn’t cover a $400 emergency without borrowing and the most common reason is simple: they don’t have an emergency fund.

A high-yield savings account is the easiest, safest way to change that.

🚨 What’s an Emergency Fund and Why Do You Need One?

Your emergency fund is your personal financial safety net. It helps you avoid:

  • High-interest credit cards

  • Dipping into investments

  • Stress, panic, and last-minute financial juggling

Experts recommend setting aside 3–6 months of living expenses, but even $500 can make a huge difference.

🧠 Your Emergency Fund Deserves a Promotion

Where you park your savings matters.

Most traditional banks are paying ~0.38% APY — barely nothing.
But American Express® is offering a high-yield savings account with 3.30% APY (as of February 03, 2026).

That’s over 9× more interest, with:

  • No fees
  • No minimum balance
  • No monthly maintenance headaches

🏦 Why American Express?

This isn’t a no-name fintech. It’s American Express — a financial institution trusted for over 170 years.

3.30% APY (as of February 03, 2026).
$0 monthly fees
No minimum deposit to open or earn interest
FDIC insured up to $250,000
Daily compounding, paid monthly
Award-winning U.S.-based customer support
Easy online and app-based management

Whether you’re saving $500 or $50,000, it’s flexible, secure, and refreshingly simple.

 

👉 Open Your High Yield Savings Account with American Express Now→

✨ No Fees. No Stress. Just Smart Saving.

Setting up your emergency fund shouldn’t be complicated.
And with this account, it’s not.

✅ No hoops
✅ No minimums
✅ No “gotchas” buried in the fine print

Just peace of mind, backed by one of the most trusted names in finance.

👉 Yes, I Want to Earn 3.30% APY with American Express

Start your emergency fund today in under 5 minutes.
No fees. No minimums. FDIC insured.

👉 Open Your High Yield Savings Account Now→

American Express High Yield Savings Account Logo

5.0

CompareAccounts™ Score

APY

3.30%

Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

  • High Yield Savings Account
  • Min. to Earn APY: $0
  • Min. to Open2: $0
  • 3.30% APY1
  • APY as of February 03, 2026
  • Interest Compounded Daily
  • $0 Monthly Fees
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • FDIC Insured up to $250,000
  • Backed by the Service & Reliability of American Express
  • Terms Apply
  • See Site for Details
Q

Terms Disclosure:
1. The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as advertised is accurate as of February 03, 2026. Interest rate and APY are subject to change at any time without notice before and after a High Yield Savings Account is opened. Interest Rate and APY of a Certificate of Deposit account is fixed once the account is funded

2. There is no minimum balance required to open your Account, to avoid being charged a fee, or to obtain the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) disclosed to you.

3. iOS and Android only. See app store listings for operating system info.

4. For purposes of transferring funds to or from an external bank, business days are Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Transfers can be initiated 24/7 via the website or phone, but any transfers initiated after 7:00 PM Eastern Time or on non-business days will begin processing on the next business day. Funds deposited into your account may be subject to holds. See the Funds Availability section of your Consumer Deposit Account Agreement and Savings Schedules for more information.

 On American Express National Bank's Secure Site, Member FDIC

American Express High Yield Savings Account Logo

5.0

CompareAccounts™ Score

APY

3.30%

Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

  • High Yield Savings Account
  • Min. to Earn APY: $0
  • Min. to Open2: $0
  • 3.30% APY1
  • APY as of February 03, 2026
  • Interest Compounded Daily
  • $0 Monthly Fees
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • FDIC Insured up to $250,000
  • Backed by the Service & Reliability of American Express
  • Terms Apply
  • See Site for Details
Q

Terms Disclosure:
1. The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as advertised is accurate as of February 03, 2026. Interest rate and APY are subject to change at any time without notice before and after a High Yield Savings Account is opened. Interest Rate and APY of a Certificate of Deposit account is fixed once the account is funded

2. There is no minimum balance required to open your Account, to avoid being charged a fee, or to obtain the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) disclosed to you.

3. iOS and Android only. See app store listings for operating system info.

4. For purposes of transferring funds to or from an external bank, business days are Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Transfers can be initiated 24/7 via the website or phone, but any transfers initiated after 7:00 PM Eastern Time or on non-business days will begin processing on the next business day. Funds deposited into your account may be subject to holds. See the Funds Availability section of your Consumer Deposit Account Agreement and Savings Schedules for more information.

 On American Express National Bank's Secure Site, Member FDIC

Customers Also Viewed These High-Yield Savings Accounts From Our Partners

Up to $300 Bonus

sofi logo

5.0

CompareAccounts™ Score

up to APY

4.00%​

Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

  • Checking & Savings Account
  • Min. to Open: $0
  • Bonus: up to $300 with Direct Deposit
  • Up to 4.00% APY on Savings Balances with Qualifying Activities
  • $0 Monthly Fees
  • FDIC Insured up to $250,000
  • Earn $50 or $300 with direct deposit, terms apply
  • Limited Time Offer: +0.70% Boost to 4.00%​ APY for up to 6 Months on New Accounts with Eligible Direct Deposit.
  • Terms Apply
  • See Site for Details
Q

1. Up to $300 Bonus Tiered Disclosure
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 Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 12/31/2026. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.30% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 3.30% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

2. APY disclosures
Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet

3. Fee Policy
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 Bank Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.

4. Additional FDIC Insurance
SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance 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 $2M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/terms See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/receivingbanks


5. ATM Access
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
may be incurred when using out-of-network ATMs. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.

6. Early Access to Direct Deposit Funds
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
Overdraft Coverage is a feature automatically offered to SoFi Checking and Savings account holders who receive at least $1,000 or more in Eligible Direct Deposits within a rolling 31 calendar day period on a recurring basis. Eligible Direct Deposit is defined on the SoFi Bank Rate Sheet, available at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. Members enrolled in Overdraft Coverage may be covered for up to $50 in negative balances on SoFi Bank debit card purchases only. Overdraft Coverage does not apply to P2P transfers, bill payments, checks, or other non-debit card transactions. Members with a prior history of unpaid negative balances are not eligible for Overdraft Coverage. Eligibility for Overdraft Coverage is determined by SoFi Bank in its sole discretion. Members can check their enrollment status, if eligible, at any time by logging into their account through the SoFi app or on the SoFi website.

8. 0.70% Savings APY Boost
Earn up to 4.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.30% APY as of 12/23/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account and pay the $10 SoFi Plus subscription every 30 days OR receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 3/30/26. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

On SoFi's Secure Site,
Member FDIC

Synchrony Bank Logo

4.5

CompareAccounts™ Score

APY

3.50%

  • High-Yield Savings Account
  • Min. initial deposit: $0.00
  • 3.50% APY — far above the national average
  • Member FDIC
  • No Minimum Balance
  • No Monthly Fees
  • Interest Compounded Daily
  • Full Liquidity - Withdraw Funds Anytime
  • Terms Apply
  • Trusted Fortune 500 Bank with Nationwide Reach Serving Millions of Customers
  • See Site for Details
Q

Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is subject to change at any time without notice. Offer applies to personal accounts only. Fees may reduce earnings. For High Yield Savings accounts, the rate may change after the account is opened. Visit synchrony.com/banking for current rates, terms and account requirements. Member FDIC.

On Synchrony Bank's
Secure Site, Member FDIC