Banksparency Savings Rate Indices

Official Methodology

Last Updated: October 1, 2025

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Our Mission

The U.S. consumer savings landscape is complex and dynamic. The mission of the Banksparency Savings Rate Indices is to bring clarity, transparency, and a set of reliable benchmarks to this market. We aim to provide journalists, consumers, and financial professionals with an accurate, daily measure of the interest rates available to the American public.

Our methodology is designed to be transparent, consistent, and intellectually honest, allowing for a clear understanding of the different segments within the high-yield savings account (HYSA) market.

Summary of the Indices

Index NameRepresentsKey Differentiator
Core Savings Index™The true, passive HYSA market for the everyday saver.No account activity required; <$1,000 minimum.
Premier Savings Index™The passive HYSA market for affluent savers.No account activity required; $1,001 - $100,000 minimum.
Relationship Rate Index™The active banking market where high APYs are a reward.Requires specific account activity (e.g., direct deposits).

Detailed Index Definitions

1. Core Savings Index™

Tracks 52 accounts

Purpose: This is our headline index. It represents the average APY for the true, passive high-yield savings market that is accessible to the vast majority of American savers without requiring a change in their primary banking behavior.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • FDIC-Insured & Nationally Available: All accounts must be insured by the FDIC and be available to any U.S. resident. For this reason, credit unions with restricted membership are not included.
  • No Monthly Maintenance Fees: Accounts that charge a monthly fee that cannot be easily waived are excluded.
  • Minimum Balance Requirement: $0 to $1,000: The account must require a minimum of $1,000 or less to open and earn the advertised APY.
  • No Activity Requirements: The account's advertised APY must be attainable without requiring direct deposits, a set number of debit card transactions, or other recurring account activities.

2. Premier Savings Index™

Tracks 10 accounts

Purpose: This index tracks the average APY for the passive HYSA market catering to savers with a higher-than-average cash position.

Inclusion Criteria:

The account must meet all criteria from the Core Savings Index, with one exception:

  • Minimum Balance Requirement: $1,001 to $100,000: This range captures the "mass affluent" and "jumbo" tiers of the consumer savings market.

3. Relationship Rate Index™

Tracks 12 accounts

Purpose: This index tracks the average APY for accounts that offer high rates as a reward for a deeper, more active banking relationship. These are not passive savings vehicles but part of a cash-flow management system.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Meets the basic criteria of being FDIC-Insured and Nationally Available.
  • Requires Account Activity: The account's highest advertised APY is conditional upon the customer meeting specific activity requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, setting up qualifying direct deposits, executing a minimum number of debit card transactions, maintaining balances in linked accounts, or using a proprietary app.

Note: This index tracks the top-tier, conditional APY. We recognize these rates are often tiered and may only apply up to a specific balance.

Scope & Data Integrity

  • Data Source: All rates are sourced directly from publicly available information on the financial institutions' websites.
  • Update Frequency: All three indices are updated daily to reflect the most current market conditions.
  • Excluded Products: Our indices exclusively track liquid savings accounts. Certificates of Deposit (CDs), brokerage sweep accounts, money market funds, and accounts with minimum balance requirements over $100,000 are not included.

Attribution & Media Use

We encourage the use of our data in news articles, analysis, and research. To help your readers verify and explore the data, we request that you provide a link back to Banksparency.com as the source. Nofollow links are perfectly acceptable.

For media inquiries or specific data requests, please contact us at media@banksparency.com.