Business savings
The cash your business isn't spending should still be earning.
Once your business holds a buffer it won't touch for a while, leaving it idle in checking is a quiet cost. A business savings or money-market account puts that cash to work without locking it up — but the accounts differ on the things that decide what you actually keep: the yield you qualify for, the minimums, the withdrawal limits, and the fees. Here's how to read one honestly.
Anchor on the average, then judge the account
Deposit rates move with what the market expects the Fed to do, so start from the national average and read any specific business account against it. The best accounts usually clear these averages — but the rate is only half the decision; the minimum to earn it and the fees are the other half.
National average deposit rates shown as of June 15, 2026, source FDIC National Rates and Rate Caps. These are national averages, not offers. Individual bank rates change constantly, are set by the bank, and are almost always higher or lower than the average — always confirm the current rate and terms with the provider before you decide. These are personal-deposit national averages published by the FDIC; business account rates are set by each bank and vary, but the shape is the same — cash sitting in a checking account earns almost nothing, and a savings or money-market account is where a buffer belongs.
Four things to look at — in this order
A business savings account is simple, but the fine print decides what it's worth. Run every account through these before a headline rate talks you into anything.
The yield — and the minimum to actually earn it
The headline rate on a business savings or money-market account often applies only above a balance tier, or only on part of your balance. Read what you have to keep to earn the top rate, and whether the rate steps down below it. A slightly lower rate you actually qualify for beats a higher one you never reach.
Transaction and withdrawal limits
Savings and money-market accounts are built for parking cash, not moving it. Many cap the number of certain withdrawals or transfers per statement cycle and charge per item beyond it. If you'll sweep money back to checking often, that cap is a real cost — match the account to how you'll actually use it.
Fees and the balance that waives them
Monthly maintenance fees are common, then waived above a minimum balance. Weigh the fee against the interest: on a modest buffer, a monthly fee can erase most of what the account pays. Know the number that turns the fee off, and be honest about whether you'll stay above it every cycle.
How it connects to your operating account
The value of business savings is partly plumbing: how fast a transfer to checking clears, whether the bank can sweep excess balances automatically, and whether it all lives in one login with your operating account. Cash you can't reach quickly isn't a buffer — it's a delay.
The protection question
What happens above $250,000
Business deposits at an FDIC-insured bank are covered up to $250,000, with your business as the depositor — the same limit as a personal account. If your operating and reserve balances routinely run above that, coverage becomes a treasury decision, not a rate decision: spread balances across more than one insured bank, or use a reciprocal-deposit or sweep program that spreads them for you across a network of insured banks. The insurance always comes from the bank through the FDIC — never from ClearValue Banking, which is not a bank and holds no deposits.
The tradeoff, up front
A savings or money-market account pays you more than checking in exchange for a little friction — minimums to hit, withdrawal caps, a transfer step before you can spend. That's a fair trade for money you won't touch this week, and a bad one for money you will. Keep enough in checking to run the business without stress; move the genuine buffer where it earns. When balances outgrow one bank's coverage limit, that's the signal it's time to think in treasury terms.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between a business savings account and a business money-market account?
Both are places to park business cash you don't need for day-to-day spending, and both are deposit accounts at a bank. A business savings account is the simpler of the two; a money-market account often pays a little more and may come with limited check-writing or a debit card, usually in exchange for a higher minimum balance. As of June 15, 2026, the FDIC national average was 0.38% APY on savings and 0.61% APY on money market — but the gap between specific accounts matters more than the label. Compare the actual yield, the minimum to earn it, and the fees, not the name on the account.
Are business savings deposits FDIC-insured, and what about balances over $250,000?
At an FDIC-insured bank, business deposits are covered up to $250,000 — per depositor, per insured bank, with your business as the depositor. The insurance comes from the bank through the FDIC, not from ClearValue Banking. If your operating balances routinely run above $250,000, that's a treasury question: the usual answers are spreading balances across more than one insured bank, or using a reciprocal-deposit or sweep program that does it for you. Confirm a bank's status on FDIC BankFind before you move money.
How much of my business cash should sit in savings versus checking?
Checking is for money that moves — payroll, vendors, taxes. Savings is for the buffer you won't touch for a while. There's no universal ratio; keep enough in checking to run operations comfortably without tripping fees or bouncing payments, and let the rest earn in savings or a money-market account. The tradeoff is the ordinary one — liquidity versus yield — and it shifts as your cash flow does.
Does ClearValue Banking open business savings accounts?
No. We're an independent education and comparison publisher, not a bank. We don't open accounts, hold funds, or give personalized financial advice. We explain how business savings and money-market accounts work and what to weigh; the account itself is opened with and held by a bank, which is the FDIC-insured institution.