The best online savings accounts offer high interest rates and great customer service. Savings accounts, particularly so-called “high-yield” savings accounts, are best for money you might need within a year. Any money that you don’t want to subject to the short-term risk and volatility in the stock market should be held safe in a savings account, earning as much interest as possible. Your emergency fund should primarily consist of money held in a high-yield savings account. “High-yield” is unfortunately a bit of a misnomer these days; a decade ago, interest rates were 4% and 5% among select savings accounts and money market accounts. Today, the best rates are all below 2% while a fair amount are still hovering around 1%, many rates are now dipping below the 1% mark. This trend will continue until banks need more cash from depositors.

Interest rates. Interest rates are important because money shouldn’t lose too much purchasing power. In a perfect world, interest rates offered by banks should beat inflation while preserving the balance without risk. Many banks are not now offering a savings option with interest rates high enough to meaningfully beat inflation, so if your savings is at a brick and mortar bank earning below 0.25% APY, choose one of the better options below.

Customer service. When evaluating customer service, there are two important factors to consider. The best banks offer all account maintenance and transfers through a professional, reliable, and easy-to-navigate website. Secondly, live customer service representatives should be knowledgeable, helpful, and available, although customers should have to deal with a representative infrequently if at all.

Based on my own experiences and reviews from other Consumerism Commentary readers, here are the most-recommended accounts for short-term savings. All of the listed interest rates are current as of February 2012, but they are subject to change by the banks. Although I have nine accounts listed below the table of rates, you don’t need to have accounts with that many different banks. Choose one that fits you the best.

First, here is a list of the latest interest rates. Following this table, I offer a few of my own observations and opinions about savings accounts from nine popular online banks. Read the full article →

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Almost ten years ago, the government passed a law that made electronic images of paper checks just as legitimate as the paper checks themselves. As banks implemented the law, it saved time and money by allowing banks of first deposit to scan checks after a customers deposit them for verification with the originating bank. With an image of a check being accepted in place of a paper check, more banks have begun implementing a convenience to customers as well.

Businesses were the first customers to receive these benefits. For a business that receives thousands of checks every day, bringing the physical paper checks to a branch for deposit can be an expensive and time-consuming process, fraught with the possibility of security problems with the checks in transit. Banks have offered business the option of remote deposit. With this service, the customer can scan checks using a specialized imagine device (check scanner) and transmit the images securely over the Internet or a private network connection. The funds are then available immediately rather than overnight.

With this success, banks are in the process of extended similar features to non-business customers. With the proliferation of cell phones with built-in, high-megapixel camera, banks can now offer deposits using snapshots of checks sent via text message or custom smartphone apps. For these customers, no bulky desktop scanner is necessary, and there’s no need to be home to make the deposit. You can effectively deposit checks from your mailbox down the street or from your grandmother’s house on your birthday.

Business customers still have the advantages, with very few banks actively offering this service to non-business customers. The number of banks offering this service to consumers is increasing, however.

Remote deposit is most useful for banks that don’t have local branches, like these online banks. ING Direct, still bloggers’ most favorite bank, is working to implement remote check deposit soon, but with the bank’s planned acquisition by Capital One it’s unclear when new features will be added. ING Direct recently began offering paper checks to customers, so remote deposit capture may not be too far behind.

Chase Bank offers apps for iOS and Android devices. The application allows customers to log into their bank accounts. To deposit a check, take a picture of the front and back, and send the images securely to Chase using the application. The deposit will be recorded as pending immediately, though availability will depend on the bank’s typical schedule, usually next business day availability for local checks. The availability schedule has several variables, though, so always check with the bank to determine when the funds you deposit will be available.

Ally Bank has offered remote deposit for customers since April 2011, but the bank has just recently opened the program to all customers. Ally’s eCheck Deposit service requires a scanner and some manual work, such as inputting the check amount (shouldn’t this be automatically read when scanned?) and aligning the images. Ally plans to offer a mobile application soon.

The USAA Bank mobile application for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7 includes a feature allowing remote deposit. Deposit@Mobile requires the customer to enter the check amount, take one photo of the front of the check and one photo of the back, and submit the images to the bank through the application. The bank will confirm the deposit amount.

Have you used your bank’s remote deposit service? If so, what did you think of the experience?

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In early October, I will announce the winners of the Second Annual Plutus Awards, which will include the best bank, best credit card, best brokerage, and a number of other categories. Later today, the Plutus Awards website will list the finalists. Money Magazine has already completed its survey and announced the publication’s editor’s picks for best bank this year.

For an alternative to these selections, I’ve reviewed what I believe to be the best online savings accounts, looking past the antiquated notion that a physical branch is necessary for a good banking experience.

For the best national checking account, Money Magazine recommends U.S. Bank, citing the bank’s high customer satisfaction ranking in J.D. Power & Associates. With no branches in my region and one ATM within 100 miles, U.S. Bank is not an option for me. For checking accounts, I appreciate having not only nearby ATMs but convenient branches. Wells Fargo is not my favorite bank, and like other national banks they rely on increasing fees to maintain their profits, but I have a checking account there because the branches are ubiquitous. I prefer TD Bank, but a less professional website prevents me from keeping my primary checking accounts there.

Money Magazine picked the Discover Bank Online Savings Account for best savings account. It’s difficult to argue with this selection. Although I closed my Discover account to consolidate my savings, I had a positive experience with that bank, and the interest rates they have been offering have been solid. The rates have been higher than the online banking mainstay, ING Direct.

Ally Bank wins Money Magazine’s selection for best online package, thanks to great rates, unlimited ATM fee reimbursements, and remote check deposit. The magazine also mentions that Ally introduced a debit rewards program at the same time other banks are eliminating them. I expect this benefit to be short-lived, though. Ally Bank is a result of General Motors and its subsidiaries distancing themselves from the negative public image of the company. The rebranding worked so well that more GMAC departments eventually changed their names to Ally. Here’s my review of the Ally Bank Savings Account.

Money Magazine chose Alliant Credit Union for the best credit union category. Credit unions often have regional or local associations, making it hard to determine a best credit union relevant to all Americans. I’m a fan of moving away from large banks towards credit unions, but not everyone can qualify. I’ve searched, and it doesn’t appear that I can become a member of any credit union near me.

The survey also recognizes the best regional banks: Bank of the West in the west, Huntington in the mid-west and TD Bank in the east.

Overall, the above selections are good choices for best bank. I think it’s good that the formerly innovative ING Direct receives some serious competition in the online space. With ING’s large customer base, the company has little incentive to staying competitive. Executives know that most customers will not switch to other banks just to chase higher interest rates. The more other online banks can improve their services and offer compelling products, the more ING Direct will need to worry about staying competitive.

National banks, with their overzealous fees and impersonal customer service, should be concerned about losing business to regional and local banks, credit unions, and online banks that offer more convenient services like remote check deposit and ATM reimbursements.

Money Magazine

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