High-Yield Savings Account Comparison

Newtek Bank vs. Sallie Mae Bank

Comparing Newtek Bank and Sallie Mae Bank for high-yield savings: Newtek Bank's Personal High Yield Savings pays 4.20% APY while Sallie Mae Bank's High-Yield Savings Account pays 3.90% APY.

See how they compare on rate stability, mobile app ratings, and more below.

Analysis by Aviel Fahl
Updated February 6, 2026

The Bottom Line

Who pays more interest on $10,000? Newtek Bank pays $30 more than Sallie Mae Bank annually ($420 vs $390).

Choose Newtek Bank if getting the best rate matters most, or mobile app quality matters.

Comparison of Newtek Bank vs Sallie Mae Bank savings accounts
Metric

Newtek Bank

Personal High Yield Savings

Feb 6, 2026

Sallie Mae Bank

High-Yield Savings Account

Feb 6, 2026
APY4.20%3.90%
Est. Earnings
$5,000+$210
$10,000+$420
$25,000+$1,050
$5,000+$195
$10,000+$390
$25,000+$975
Min Deposit
$0.01$0

Snapshot view. Rates subject to change.

Features
FDIC InsuredNo MinimumsGreat iOS AppDaily CompoundingRate Changes Often
FDIC InsuredNo MinimumsDaily CompoundingStable Rate

Prefer In-Person Banking?

Both of these banks are online-only. If you need physical branch access, check out our list of high-yield accounts with brick-and-mortar locations.

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Comparison Analysis

Comparing Newtek Bank vs. Sallie Mae Bank

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Executive Summary

Newtek Bank offers a Personal High Yield Savings account with a competitive APY of 4.35%, making it the clear winner compared to Sallie Mae Bank's High-Yield Savings Account, which has an APY of 3.90%. Newtek Bank's account stands out for its simplicity, requiring no direct deposit and having no maintenance fees or balance caps. Both accounts are online-only and require minimal deposits, but Newtek Bank provides higher returns on savings, especially beneficial for larger deposits.

The analysis is based on current Banksparency database records

* This content is provided for informational purposes only; always verify details with the provider.

Why Newtek Bank?

  • Higher potential APY (4.20% vs 3.90%) on all balances
  • Higher rated iOS app (4.5 vs 1.5)

Why Sallie Mae Bank?

No distinct advantages found vs Newtek Bank.

— Key Feature Differences —

Better Returns at $10,000
Newtek Bank

Newtek Bank's Personal High Yield Savings earns more on smaller deposits (approx. $420 vs $390/yr).

Better Returns at $25,000
Newtek Bank

Newtek Bank's Personal High Yield Savings pulls ahead with larger amounts (approx. $1050 vs $975/yr).

Best for Simplicity
Newtek Bank

Newtek Bank's Personal High Yield Savings offers 4.20% APY with no bundling, direct deposit requirement or caps.

Shared Benefits

Both offer monthly maintenance-free account options Available Nationwide Available to New & Existing Customers
The Bottom Line on APY (Interest Only)

Over a 1-year period, Newtek Bank's Personal High Yield Savings pays $30 more interest on a $10,000 balance than Sallie Mae Bank's High-Yield Savings Account.

*This calculation assumes current rates remain consistent for 1 year and does not include temporary bonuses.

Sallie Mae BankNewtek Bank
Verify At
Newtek Bank

Non-sponsored link to official site

Verify At
Sallie Mae Bank

Non-sponsored link to official site

Top Market Contenders

Newtek Bank vs. Sallie Mae Bank Savings Calculator

Calculations based on current APY for Personal High Yield Savings and High-Yield Savings Account
$
$

You earn $30 more with Newtek Bank than Sallie Mae Bank on a $10,000 initial deposit for 1 year*.

*This calculation assumes that APYs remain unchanged for 1 year, and takes into account known promo rate periods, but does not factor in bonuses. You can see how often these banks have changed their rates in the Compare Savings Rates Over Time section below.

Newtek Bank

Personal High Yield Savings

4.20% APY

Savings Breakdown

  • Interest Earned
    +$420.00(4.0%)
  • Total Contributions
    $0
  • Initial Deposit
    $10,000

Projected Balance

$10,420.00

Effective APY
4.20%

Sallie Mae Bank

High-Yield Savings Account

3.90% APY

Savings Breakdown

  • Interest Earned
    +$390.00(3.8%)
  • Total Contributions
    $0
  • Initial Deposit
    $10,000

Projected Balance

$10,390.00

Effective APY
3.90%

The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.

Still banking with Chase, Bank of America, or Wells Fargo?

On a $10,000 balance, you're missing out on at least $389 per year in interest.

Both Newtek Bank and Sallie Mae Bank dramatically outperform the typical 0.01% APY at traditional big banks.

Big banks currently pay 0.01% APY on savings vs 3.90%+ here
FeatureNewtek BankSallie Mae Bank
APY
4.20%
Verified: 2/6/2026
↘︎ 0.15%90d Change
3.90%
Verified: 2/6/2026
Stable (90d)
Product NamePersonal High Yield SavingsHigh-Yield Savings Account
Minimum Deposit$0.01$0
Min. Balance for APY$0.01$0
Monthly Fee$0$0
Compound FrequencyDailyDaily
Branch AccessNoneNone
Account Type
Online Only
Online Only
Physical BranchesNoneN/A
Direct Deposit Req.NoneNone
Checking BundleNoNo
Mobile Apps
iOS4.5
Android4.0
iOS1.5
Android1.6
FDIC Insured
Zelle® Support
Not Supported
Not Supported
BBB RatingA+A+
Next Steps
Visit Site

Non-sponsored link to official site

Visit Site

Non-sponsored link to official site

📈 Compare Savings Rates Over Time

Historical Performance

Last 12 Months Analysis
MetricNewtek BankSallie Mae Bank
Personal High Yield SavingsHigh-Yield Savings Account
Current APY
4.20%3.90%
Trend
Stable Stable
Velocity (bps/mo)
-0.8-0.0
Days Since Change
0365
12-Month High
4.55%3.90%
12-Month Low
4.20%3.90%
Adjustments / Mo
0.250.00
Volatility Score
0.0100.000
How to read these metrics(Click to expand)

Trends & Velocity

  • Trend: The general direction of the rate over the analyzed period. Useful for spotting if a bank is currently aggressive or pulling back.
  • Velocity (bps/mo): Speed of change. A high positive number means they raise rates quickly. 10 bps = 0.10%.
  • Adjustments/Mo: "Twitchiness." High frequency means the rate changes constantly; low frequency means it's stable.

Risk & Range

  • High/Low: The absolute ceiling and floor of the rate during the 365-day window.
  • Volatility Score: Lower is better for predictability. It indicates how wildly the rate swings relative to its average.
  • Days Since Change: If this number is high (e.g., >90), the rate is very sticky. If low, it changed recently.

More Comparisons

Compare Newtek Bank's APY of 4.20% with other banks
Bank PairCompetitor APYMin Deposit
Newtek Bank vs Affirm3.20%$0
Newtek Bank vs Ally Bank3.30%$0
Newtek Bank vs American Express3.30%$0
Newtek Bank vs Axos Bank4.21%$0
Newtek Bank vs Bank of America0.01%$100
Newtek Bank vs Barclays4.00%$0
Newtek Bank vs Bask Bank0.25%$0
Newtek Bank vs Betterment3.25%$10
Newtek Bank vs BMO Alto3.25%$0
Newtek Bank vs Bread Savings4.00%$100
Newtek Bank vs BrioDirect3.75%$5,000
Newtek Bank vs Capital One3.30%$0
Newtek Bank vs Carver Bank4.00%$5,000
Newtek Bank vs Charles Schwab Bank0.15%$0
Newtek Bank vs Chase Bank0.01%$0
Newtek Bank vs Chime3.00%$0
Newtek Bank vs CIT Bank3.75%$100
Newtek Bank vs Citibank3.20%$0
Newtek Bank vs Citizens Access™3.15%$0.01
Newtek Bank vs Climate First Bank4.21%$50
Newtek Bank vs Colorado Federal Savings Bank4.05%$50,000
Newtek Bank vs Discover Bank3.30%$0
Newtek Bank vs E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley3.35%$0
Newtek Bank vs Elevault3.82%$0
Newtek Bank vs EverBank3.90%$0
Newtek Bank vs Fitness Bank4.50%$100
Newtek Bank vs FNBO Direct3.00%$1
Newtek Bank vs Forbright Bank3.85%$0
Newtek Bank vs FVCbank4.00%$500
Newtek Bank vs GO2bank4.50%$0
Newtek Bank vs Ivy Bank4.00%$2,500
Newtek Bank vs Jenius Bank4.05%$0
Newtek Bank vs LendingClub4.00%$0
Newtek Bank vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs3.65%$0
Newtek Bank vs MutualOne Bank4.07%$20,000
Newtek Bank vs My Banking Direct4.02%$500
Newtek Bank vs Neighbors Bank4.20%$0
Newtek Bank vs Openbank4.09%$500
Newtek Bank vs Peak Bank4.02%$100
Newtek Bank vs Pibank4.60%$0
Newtek Bank vs PNC3.30%$0
Newtek Bank vs Popular Direct3.90%$100
Newtek Bank vs Presidential Bank3.75%$5,000
Newtek Bank vs Quontic Bank3.50%$100
Newtek Bank vs Salem Five Direct3.61%$10
Newtek Bank vs Santander Bank0.01%$25
Newtek Bank vs SoFi Bank4.00%$0
Newtek Bank vs Synchrony Bank3.50%$0
Newtek Bank vs TD Bank2.36%$0
Newtek Bank vs TIMBR4.15%$1,000
Newtek Bank vs UFB Direct3.46%$5000
Newtek Bank vs Upgrade3.05%$0
Newtek Bank vs Valley Direct4.00%$1,000
Newtek Bank vs Varo Bank5.00%$0
Newtek Bank vs Vio Bank4.02%$100
Newtek Bank vs Wealthfront3.95%$0
Newtek Bank vs Wells Fargo0.05%$25
Newtek Bank vs Zynlo Bank3.85%$10
Compare Sallie Mae Bank's APY of 3.90% with other banks