A smart personal finance strategy often involves earning some interest on your money without taking too much risk. These days, high-yield savings accounts are a viable option, with top rates reaching more than 4% APY: significantly exceeding the current inflation rate of 2.7%.

In addition to savings accounts, there are many other relatively safe ways to get a return on your funds, whether through other interest-earning accounts, rewards, bonuses or stable investments.

In total, we’ve rounded up seven low-risk strategies to consider in 2026 to make your money work harder for you.

Some banks offer high-interest savings accounts that earn significantly better rates than traditional accounts.

One of the best places to look for high-interest savings accounts is an online-only bank. Online banks save significant costs by not having to maintain branches and pass these savings on by rarely charging monthly fees. They also tend to offer much higher fees than traditional banks charge.

When looking for a high-yield savings account, don’t just focus on the title fee. You’ll also want to check minimum balance requirements, monthly maintenance fees, and how often the bank adjusts its rates in response to Federal Reserve moves.

The better high-yield savings accounts they currently earn an annual percentage return (APY) of up to 4.20%. That’s about seven to seven times more National average bank rate of 0.61% in January 2026.

Based on these rates, if you deposited $5,000 into an account earning the highest return and another account earning the national average, here’s roughly what you’d earn in interest after one year:

You’d earn about $180 more with the high-yield savings account.

More information: Find the right option for your needs with Bankrate’s guide to the best high-yield savings accounts.

Bank rate compound interest calculator allows you to plug in your investment amount, time frame and projected rate of return to see how much your savings can earn.

Some banks offer rewards checking accountsthat can earn you cash back on things you buy with your debit card. Those who make frequent purchases with a debit card will benefit the most from this type of checking account.

Other rewards checking accounts pay higher interest rates, although the balance earning the high rate is often limited. You may also have to jump through some hoops to earn the bonus rate.

Take a look: Bankrate’s pick for the best high-yield checking accounts.

For example, Consumers Credit Union (CCU) offers interest rates up to 5% APY on balances up to $10,000 for its Rewards Checking Account. However, to get this performance, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Subscribe to e-statements.

• Make at least 12 purchases per month with a debit or credit card.

• Get $500 or more monthly in direct deposits, mobile check deposits, or ACH credits to your account.

• Spend more than $1,000 per month on a CCU credit card.

If you choose to use a rewards checking account, make sure the requirements to earn the high interest rate are easy to meet. Otherwise, you may earn less interest than a standard savings account.

Certificates of deposit (CDs) typically offer higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts. However, there is less flexibility in withdrawing your money from a CD.

When you put funds into a CD, you agree to leave the money in the account for a certain period of time, called the term. For example, if you open a One year CDyou must leave the money in the account for a whole year. If you withdraw your deposit before the term expires, you are subject to a penalty for early withdrawal.

Starting January 2026, higher CD rates go up to 4.20% APY, depending on term length.

Compare: Get the latest deals on Bankrate’s list of the best CD rates.

One of the benefits of CDs is that you lock in the interest rate when you open the CD. Even if market rates go down, you’ll still earn the same rate. On the other hand, if rates go up, you’ll be stuck earning the lower rate until the CD matures.

once CD expiresyou can withdraw your money or roll it into a new CD. If you roll the balance into a new CD, you’ll have to wait for that CD to mature before you have another chance to make a penalty-free withdrawal.

When considering CDs, one option to explore is a CD scale. It consists of opening several CDs with different expiration dates. The advantage is that you can earn high fees and also have access to parts of your money at frequent intervals.

Bankrate’s CD Scale Calculator can help you build a CD ladder that’s right for you.

Many banks offer introductory bonuses to new customers who sign up for an account and meet certain requirements. Usually, checking account bonuses require you to set up regular direct deposits and make a minimum number of transactions each statement period.

For people with some savings set aside, bank account bonuses can be an easy way to increase your income. These bonuses usually ask new customers to deposit a minimum amount into their account and maintain it for a certain period of time. In short, you could increase your savings balance by opening a new account and funding it with savings from another bank.

For example, you might see a bonus that offers $300 if you deposit $10,000 and keep that balance in the account for at least three months. Earning such a bonus would be equivalent to earning a 3% APY on a savings account for a year, assuming the APY didn’t fluctuate and you didn’t add or withdraw money from the account.

Even bigger bonuses of $400 and $500 are available at some banks, although higher minimum deposits are usually required to earn them.

Be sure to read all the fine print. Some banks will charge a fee if you don’t meet certain requirements or try to close the account too quickly after opening it. Some banks may even make you lose the reward if you close the account soon after getting the bonus.

Money market accounts they offer a combination of features found in savings and checking accounts. They pay interest, sometimes at higher rates than high-yield savings accounts, while they typically offer check-writing privileges and debit cards you can use to make withdrawals, with some restrictions.

Currently, top money market account rates are as high as 4.10% APY, while the national average it is only 0.43%. Like high-yield savings accounts, the best rates are often found at online banks.

Explore your options with: Bankrate’s Guide to the Best Money Market Accounts

The downside to money market accounts is that they may have higher fees and minimum balance requirements than savings accounts. There’s also no guarantee that your bank’s money market account will pay a better rate than your savings account.

Unlike banks, credit cooperatives are non-profit financial institutions owned by the people who hold accounts there. This means that credit unions work for the benefit of account holders rather than shareholders.

In some cases, this can translate into lower fees, better account benefits and higher interest rates. If you have a credit union near you, check the rates it offersas you might be able to get a good deal.

If you don’t live near a credit union and tend not to do any of your banking in person, consider a credit union that allows you to do all your banking online.

While some credit unions are relatively easy for anyone to join, others are only open to people who live in a certain region or work in a certain industry.

If you don’t mind a little risk or restriction on your withdrawals, you can put your own money in bonds rather than a traditional savings account.

Buying a bond is like making a loan to the company or government that issues it. When the bond matures, you get back the principal plus the interest you earn. You can buy savings or US Treasury bonds, or bonds issued by large companies.

Each has different interest rates and repayment terms, with riskier bonds tending to offer higher rates. Typically, yields are higher on bonds with longer maturities and corporate bonds that have a higher risk of default.

One thing to keep in mind with bonds is that they can go down in value if market rates rise. The the price of a bond moves inversely to its interest rate. As a result, if you just sell your bond to someone else before it expires, you may have to sell it for less than you paid. Still, bonds are much less risky than stocks, making them a great way to increase the return on your savings while taking on a little more risk.

Series I savings bondsor I bonds, are government bonds designed to protect your investment from inflation. The compound rate for the I bonds issued from November 2024 to April 2025 is 3.11%, which includes a fixed rate of 1.20% plus an inflation-adjusted rate of 1.90%.

Each of these options has the potential to increase the amount of interest your savings earn. But which interest-generating option is right for you depends on your needs, risk tolerance, and the effort you’re willing to put in. Ask yourself these questions:

Will I need quick access to money? If you are working create an emergency fundyour best bet is often to stick with a high-yield savings account where you can withdraw money at any time without penalty.

Rather, if you’re saving for a planned home purchase in a few years, a CD that pays a competitive yield may be a good investment. Another option for cash that is not needed in the short term could be higher-yielding bonds, which are probably worth holding until after maturity.

How much debt do I have? If you already have an adequate emergency fund, take note focusing on paying off any high interest debt before allocating additional funds to other investments.

Can I make the required commitment? Sometimes it takes a little effort and attention to detail. For example, bank bonuses can be very lucrativebut they often require you to take several steps to get the bonus.

It is often possible to earn interest in a low-risk way through vehicles such as high-yield savings accounts, money market accounts, CDs, bonds and bank bonuses. With current rates hovering between 3% and 4% on many of these options, well above the current rate of inflation, 2026 is an excellent time to make sure your cash is working for you as hard as possible.