By financen | September 30, 2011 - 2:31 pm - Posted in Personal Finance

For most people, the future is an abstract concept that lurks somewhere in the peripheral of things. Far too often, your later years aren’t adequately planned for.  It only becomes important once it’s too late. You hear it all the time, yet people still remain hesitant to start saving for their later years. Some say it’s out of a way to put off coming to terms with aging. Others say the money just isn’t there. Either way, it has to be done. There are many investment vehicles out there and high-yield savings accounts are definitely one of the safest and best long-term investment strategies one can take.

You don’t want to put any money in traditional savings accounts or CDs. The interest rates are just too low to ever make a difference. This all came about as a way to help the economy, but it seems to be having the opposite effect. The government wanted to help the country recover from the downturn and get banks lending out money again. So to do this, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates for these banks to make things easier on them. However, the bar is set so high, it’s really hard to qualify for a loan these days. Companies are having a hard time paying for the costs of running business. Businesses are keeping more of their money in cash for those just-in-case moments.

Interest rates are low for loans, yes, but they’re low for everything else to. That’s why the high-yield market has seen a lot of movement. People want to save, but it seems pointless right now with all of the traditional avenues. Finding a high-yield account is going to be largely up to you. The first thing you have to do is shop around. Not every bank is stuck at the near-zero interest rate. Many banks, usually the smaller ones, devise marketing strategies to get more people. To do this they’ll offer really great interest rates. Look around for the banks with the highest interest rates for savings accounts.

A high-yield savings account is, most often, a basis or pillar of a person’s financial portfolio. You don’t want to use it like a checking account. Instead, have a portion of your paycheck put directly into the account. Make sure that you leave it alone because you want that money to make as much interest as it can. This is a great way to prepare yourself for financial stability when you’re older.

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