Since I rent rather than own the apartment in which I live, my landlord is required by law to keep the security deposit I paid several years ago in an interest-bearing savings account. Although it would have been better if the company kept the security deposits in a high-yield online savings account, the funds are deposited into Wachovia, which offers a paltry 0.75% interest rate.
I received my yearly check over the weekend for this interest, which amounted to $1.86. That’s the same amount they’ve sent for the past three years. It’s “nice” to see the increase of average savings account interest rates has not affected Wachovia.
Updated February 6, 2012 and originally published January 2, 2007. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
Rank: Platinum
Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I might be mistaken, but I believe that in the City of Chicago, the interest on the security deposit is defined by the Tenant ordinance. As of a couple of years ago, it was around 5%. It sucks that the landlord gets to “pick” where the money is kept…
In SF the interest on the deposit is 1%, more than a standard savings account at WAMU, which is like 0.26%. not that i’m letting my money accrue interest at that rate, my roommate does that.
I just got my pathetic $2 check as well, although, last year I remember including the interest (some $18, I think) as income on my taxes. What gives?