For people 55 and over with $100,000 or more set aside as “safe” money
Banks can earn 3.90% just parking money at the Federal Reserve. The average savings account pays you 0.37%.
Your safe money can’t drop in a bad market. That part is real. What it can do is shrink, slowly, in what it buys. Here is exactly how, in plain numbers, every one sourced.
Dear careful saver,
You did the sensible thing. You kept part of your money out of the stock market, in the bank, a CD or a money market, so a bad year could never touch it.
And no bad year has. The balance hasn’t dropped. But look at what is happening around it.
On September 16 the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate to 3.75%–4.00%. It also raised the rate banks earn on money they leave on deposit at the Fed, to 3.90%.4 The national average savings account pays you 0.37%.1
What $200,000 earns in a year at 3.90%, the rate banks earn at the Fed.4
What $200,000 earns in a year in a savings account paying the national average.1
Simple arithmetic at published rates. Your bank’s rate may be higher or lower. Individuals can’t earn the Fed rate directly. Taxes on interest not included.
What ten years of “safe” looks like
Prices rose 3.4% over the last twelve months.2 Say $200,000 sits at the average savings rate, and prices keep rising at that pace.
Ten years from now, your statement says $207,524. It buys what about $148,500 buys today.7
Buying power gone in ten years, on $200,000 at 0.37% while prices rise 3.4% a year. Not one statement shows a loss.7
Illustration, not a forecast. Inflation changes every year and nobody knows next year’s number. Tax on the interest would make the gap wider.
You won’t see it on a statement. You’ll see it at the grocery store. Your bank has no reason to call and point it out.
CDs: better on paper, still behind
The national average 12-month CD pays 1.73%. The average 5-year CD pays 1.38%, less than the one-year.1 Both are under the 3.4% that prices rose. And taking the money out early costs you a penalty.
There are options most banks never mention
Keeping this money out of the stock market is a good instinct. The question is whether where it sits is the best place for that, or just the place it landed.
There are options most people are never shown. None is right for everyone. Which ones fit depends on your age, your amount, and when you’ll need the money.
That is what the 15-minute call is for. No statements needed. If what you have is already working, we’ll tell you.
Who this is for, and who it isn’t
A good fit if you…
- Are 55 or older, retired or getting close.
- Have $100,000 or more in savings, CDs, money markets, or retirement accounts you want kept safe.
- Have a CD renewing in the next year, or aren’t sure what yours earns.
Probably not for you if…
- Your safe money is under $100,000. Keep it liquid.
- It’s your emergency fund, or you’ll need it in the next year.
- You want stock-market growth, or you like to trade.
Common questions
Why not just keep it in the bank?
You can, and sometimes that is the right answer. The point is to know what it is earning, what it is losing to prices, and what else exists, so you decide on purpose instead of by default.
What if my bank pays more than the average?
Not every bank pays the average. Some online banks pay around 3.1% to 3.55% on savings today, and the top of the market is near 4.25%.3 If yours is one of them, you may already be close to keeping up. The questions below ask what yours pays, so your number uses your rate, not the average.
What does it cost to take money out of a CD early?
You pay a penalty out of your interest. At several large banks it is 60 to 90 days of interest on a one-year CD. One charges 270 days of interest on CDs of 12 to 47 months, and 540 days on 5-year CDs.5
What happens when my CD renews?
A CD that renews automatically rolls into a new term unless you act. For CDs longer than a year, federal rules let the bank tell you the new rate has “not yet been determined.”6 That is how money ends up locked in again at a rate nobody chose.
Why won’t you list the options here?
Because the right answer depends on your age, your amount, your income and when you’ll need the money. A web page can’t weigh that responsibly. Fifteen minutes with your own numbers can.
What happens on the 15-minute call?
It’s a phone call, and Kyle calls you. He asks where your safe money sits and what it earns, shows you what your number means, and tells you whether anything is worth looking at. No statements needed. If what you have is already working, he’ll tell you.
Is this a sales call?
No. The estimate is free and the 15-minute call is free. You are never required to buy anything.
Who will I talk to? What kind of options?
Options discussed may include insurance products such as fixed or fixed indexed annuities. Your specialist is a licensed insurance professional. The specialist is independent, not an employee of this website.
See what your safe money may be losing
Six quick questions. Round numbers only, no account details. Your estimate shows on screen.
How old are you?
What matters most to you about this money?
Roughly how much do you keep in “safe” money?
Savings, CDs, money markets, or retirement money you’ve decided not to risk.
Where does most of it sit today?
What rate is your bank paying you right now?
Check your statement or banking app if it’s handy. A best guess is fine.
When would you want to decide what to do with it?
If a CD is renewing, use that date.
Would you be open to a quick, no-pressure call with a specialist?
You’ll see your estimate either way.
Where should we send your estimate?
It’s ready now. We’ll also show it on the next screen.
Preview note: consent wording reused from the existing YRSO pages. Pending compliance review.
Sources and notes
- FDIC, National Rates and Rate Caps, national deposit rates as of September 21, 2026: savings 0.37%, money market 0.63%, 12-month CD 1.73%, 60-month CD 1.38%. These are averages across all insured institutions; your bank’s rate may differ. fdic.gov/national-rates-and-rate-caps
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), all items, 12 months ending August 2026: +3.4%, not seasonally adjusted (released September 11, 2026), bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm. $200,000 × 3.4% = $6,800. Past inflation does not predict future inflation.
- Published savings rates checked October 8, 2026: large online banks’ high-yield savings accounts 3.10% to 3.55% APY (bank rate pages; Bankrate; CNBC Select); highest widely listed savings rates about 4.20% to 4.27% (Bankrate, CNBC Select, October 8, 2026). Savings rates are variable and can change at any time. Some top rates are short-term promotions.
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, FOMC statement, September 16, 2026: target range for the federal funds rate raised to 3-3/4 to 4 percent, federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20260916a.htm; Implementation Note, September 16, 2026: interest rate paid on reserve balances raised to 3.90 percent, effective September 17, 2026, federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20260916a1.htm (both reviewed October 8, 2026). This rate is paid to banks on balances held at the Federal Reserve; it is not available to individuals. $200,000 × 3.90% = $7,800; $200,000 × 0.37% = $740.
- CD early-withdrawal penalties from the banks’ own disclosures, checked October 8, 2026: Ally, 60 days’ interest on 3–24 month terms (ally.com/bank/high-yield-cd/); Synchrony, 90 days’ simple interest on terms of 12 months or less (synchrony.com/banking/products/cd); American Express, 270 days’ interest on 12–47 month terms and 540 days’ interest on 60 months or more (americanexpress.com/en-us/banking/online-savings/cd/). Penalties are taken from interest first and can reach principal if interest earned does not cover them. Terms vary by bank and change over time.
- Regulation DD (Truth in Savings), 12 CFR 1030.5(b), ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-X/part-1030/section-1030.5 (reviewed October 8, 2026): for automatically renewing time accounts longer than one year, if the new rate is unknown when notice is given, the institution “shall state that those rates have not yet been determined” and give a date and phone number to learn them. Notice must be sent at least 30 calendar days before maturity, or at least 20 days before the end of a grace period of at least five days.
- Illustration, not a forecast: $200,000 × 1.003710 = $207,524 (FDIC national average savings rate, note 1, held for 10 years). Divided by 1.03410 (prices rising 3.4% a year, note 2, held for 10 years) = about $148,547 in today’s dollars, about $51,450 less than $200,000. Rates and inflation will not stay fixed; taxes on interest are not included.
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- Nothing is required. If they’re handy: your latest bank, CD or money market statements. A rough idea is fine too.
- Any CD renewal dates you know of.
- Your spouse or partner, if they share decisions about this money.
- Your questions. Write them down so none get missed.
This is not a high-pressure sales call. Kyle will look at where your safe money sits and what it’s doing. If what you have is already working, he’ll tell you.
See you .
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