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Banking Guides: Savings, Checking and Keeping Your Money Safe

Compare savings and checking accounts, understand FDIC insurance, avoid common bank fees and learn how to protect your accounts from fraud.

A woman checking her savings account on her phone at a cafe

Where you keep your everyday money matters more than many people think. The right accounts can earn meaningful interest on your savings, cost you little or nothing in fees and keep your deposits protected. The wrong ones can quietly drain money through monthly charges, overdraft fees and low rates.

This section explains how checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit work, and how to compare them on rates, fees and access. We cover how FDIC and NCUA deposit insurance protect your money and where the limits are, how to build an emergency fund, and how online banks and credit unions compare with traditional banks.

We also cover protecting your accounts from scams and identity theft, including what to do if money is taken from your account without permission. We use primary sources such as the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for rules and protections, and we date any rates or figures we mention.

Guides in Banking

A woman talks with a bank employee across a wooden desk in a small bank branch officeSaving basicsWhat Is a CD? How a Certificate of Deposit WorksWhat is a CD? A certificate of deposit is a savings account you leave alone for a set term. How CDs work, early withdrawal penalties and brokered CDs.Read the guide →A mother and her young son at a living room coffee table, sorting cash into blank envelopes and glass jarsSaving basicsWhat Is a Sinking Fund? How Families Save for Bills They Know Are ComingWhat is a sinking fund? It's money you set aside bit by bit for a bill you know is coming. Here's how to set one up, with simple math and examples.Read the guide →A woman talking with a staff member across a desk in a small local financial office, with blank paperwork between themChoosing where to keep your moneyCredit Union vs. Bank: What's the Difference and Which Is Right for You?Credit union vs. bank: how ownership, membership, rates, fees and deposit insurance compare, and how to decide which fits the way you bank.Read the guide →A young couple on their living room couch going over their budget on a phone, with a jar of saved coins and bills on the coffee tableBanking basicsChecking vs. Savings Account: What's the Difference, and Do You Need Both?Checking vs. savings account: how they differ on access, interest, fees and withdrawal limits, how deposit insurance covers both, and how to use both.Read the guide →An older couple sitting together at a kitchen table, looking over paperwork and a laptop as they review their bank accountsKeeping your money safeFDIC Insurance Limits: How the $250,000 Coverage Really WorksThe FDIC insurance limit is $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category. See how joint, IRA and trust accounts can raise your coverage.Read the guide →A man standing beside his older car in a home garage with the hood up, checking his phone as he works out a repairSaving basicsWhat Is an Emergency Fund? How Much to Save and Where to Keep ItWhat is an emergency fund? It's cash set aside for surprise bills or lost income. Learn how much to save, where to keep it and how to build one.Read the guide →A couple sitting on a bench on their front porch, looking at a phone together as they talk about their savingsBanking basicsMoney Market Account vs. Savings Account: What's the Difference?Money market account vs. savings account: how they compare on interest, minimum balances, check and debit access and deposit insurance, and which fits you.Read the guide →

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