Interest rates have barely lifted from ground level and are already headed lower. In the U.S. short-term interest rates are at least positive. My EU and Japanese readers are not so lucky, facing negative rates.
Low interest rates are bad enough, but watching your bank balance decline is a downright nightmare for savers. If you are close to or in retirement this can cause great financial harm.
Because rates are likely to stay at these low level for the foreseeable future and there are many safe alternatives paying more, I will publish a special report each month highlighting one of these short-term, money market-like investments. Every effort will be made to address opportunities available to as many readers across the planet as possible.
Because these special reports will be in addition to regular publications you will want to subscribe using the button at the beginning of this post so you get the reports as soon as they are published. I will also discuss short-term interest investment options on The Wealthy Accountant Facebook page as well.
Today I will share over a dozen options to earn more interest on your short-term savings. I will link to posts where I discussed some of these in detail in the past and will indicate if I am an affiliate of the program. The remaining options will get a short bio. If necessary, I will publish a complete report on the investment later.
Many investments are in U.S. dollars. Some investments allow investors from outside the U.S., but require the investment be made in dollars. This adds currency risk to mix and is something you need to consider before investing.
Finally, before we begin, many short-term investments are not guaranteed. Money market accounts are almost never a guaranteed investment. However, they are considered extremely safe. As always, research the choices I list before committing funds. No one investment is right for everyone. My goal is to provide as many choices as possible so the most readers benefit.
Alternative Short-term Investment Options
First Class Demand Notes
There is a unique investment too few people consider offered by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services called first class demand notes. For qualified investors this can be a powerful financial management tool. There are no minimums and you can withdraw funds at any time.
However, you must be an accredited investor which means you need either a $1 million net worth excluding your primary residence or a $200,000 income the past two years and expect to earn over $200,000 again this year.
Pros: Easy access to funds without waiting and a relatively high interest rate, currently 3%. I could not find anything limiting the investment to Americans only and since Mercedes-Benz is a German company it is possibly available in the eurozone as well. Highly liquid.
Cons: The program might be available outside the U.S with different terms. Only qualified investors can invest and all investors are verified to assure they are qualified before the account is opened.
P2P
Many peer-to-peer options exist. Once upon a time I was a big fan of these investment options. My personal experience and several issues in the news involving some P2P companies has raised concerns.
I still mention P2P because it is a viable option for some willing to take the added risk. I have personally invested in Peer Street, Prosper and Lending Club. My Prosper and Lending Club accounts are nearly wound down to zero and I made a reasonable return. I don’t think future investors will fare as well as it appears returns have fallen sharply. My Peer Street investment is still in limbo. Fingers crossed I turn a respectable profit.
I am in the affiliate programs of some of these companies, but no longer use the links. If I missed an affiliate link to a P2P investment, please do not use the link as I can not in good conscious recommend any of these investments. I list them here as a warning only and for the most risk tolerant readers.
Pros: Very high interest rates. Many promise 10% returns and higher.
Cons: Liquidity. Once invested, getting out quickly is difficult until the loan your money is placed in makes payment or pays off the loan. There are too many P2P companies cropping up for me to vet them all. Since the P2P company profits by making loans and servicing them while you take the risk of default, my concern (and a well-founded concern at that) is the quality of underwriting.
YieldStreet
This is the riskiest investment on the list and is NOT guaranteed by any means. YieldStreet is unique enough with potential promise for certain investors I felt it needed a mention.
This is similar to P2P investments above with the exception these are very illiquid with 5-7 year minimum time horizons. But the returns are juicy in the low double digits.
YieldStreet invests in some unique projects. Commercial real estate is about the most normal thing in their portfolio. Other investments include art, lawsuits, large ships and more. You get to choose which projects your money is invested in. Serious due diligence is required before investing with YieldStreet.
Pros: Very high returns.
Cons: Extremely illiquid. Very high risk. Only for investors with a high risk tolerance.
Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund
Vanguard has always run a solid investment house. Money market accounts might be boring, but they offer liquidity and are very low risk (about as low risk as you can get without saying guaranteed). I used Discover Savings and Capital One 360 for many years before moving to Vanguard Prime MM Fund. I switched when Prime paid a higher rate.
Pros: Low risk of a money market fund with a relatively high interest rate currently. Very liquid.
Cons: The interest rate in Prime follows market rates and has been falling recently due to lower rates in the broader market. If rates continue falling other alternatives may perform better. It is a good idea to bookmark this page to reference back as interest rates change and different investments provide superior returns.
Treasury Direct
I used Treasury Direct to hold the working capital of my tax practice for many years. When Treasury securities dropped to near zero other investments were a better choice.
While Treasury Direct might not be the best option now, it is worth noting for future reference.
Treasury Direct is the portal for investing in U.S. government securities. You can buy bills, notes and bonds along with savings bonds and TIPS. Securities are held in the account.
T-bills have maturities as short as a few days up to a year. You can set your account on automatic, rolling over maturing securities until you need the funds. Cash is usually direct deposited back into your bank account. (Treasury Direct has a tool to hold funds awaiting investment in certain instances that I don’t like and therefore don’t recommend. Money awaiting investment is best in your regular bank account.)
Pros: Guaranteed by the U.S. government. Reasonably liquid. You can sell securities prior to maturity, but it is somewhat difficult to do. By laddering your short-term investments you can maintain reasonable liquidity.
Cons: Mildly illiquid in some cases. Rates tend to be fairly low except when the Fed is trying to slow the economy. Historically Treasury Direct was the best investment in town until ultra-low interest rates became the norm. You will want to review Treasury Direct for future use should the interest rate environment change.
Wealthfront
Wealthfront is one of many similar investment options for short-term money cropping up and worth considering. Their rate as I write (July 29, 2019) is 2.57% and is FDIC insured up to $1 million.
The rate is relatively high for a short-term vehicle that is guaranteed (FDIC insured). There are no minimums (okay, they require at least $1) and you can get your money out at any time. Best of all, there are no income or net worth requirements.
Pros: Liquid, low minimum, reasonable good rate. Easy to open an account.
Cons: Rate lower than Mercedes program above, but still reasonable in today’s interest rate environment. Rate likely to decline if the Fed lowers rates.
Betterment Everyday
Betterment is an investment company with some interesting new products to consider. The minimum is a mere $10 and is FDIC insured. There are two levels. The first level is a simple savings account paying 2.43% as of this writing. However, if you sign up for their wait list for their fee-free checking account your savings earns 2.69%.
Pros: Liquid, FDIC insured, excellent rate if on the Betterment Checking wait list.
Cons: Not much to dislike. The rate is likely to change over time so keep an eye on it. If another investment vehicle become superior you can easily move.
Ally
Ally is a favorite among readers of this blog. The rate is about what the Vanguard Prime MM fund pays (2.1% currently for Ally’s online savings account). Brand recognition provides comfort. Ally has more features than many other short-term investments listed here, allowing you to structure your account as it serves you best.
Pros: Liquid, recognizable brand, numerous features to manage your account.
Cons: Lower rate than other options listed in this post. Only available to U.S. legal permanent residents or citizens.
Worthy Financial
Worthy is a unique investment I fleshed out a few months back. The main selling point is the 5% interest rate paid on Worthy bonds.
Before you rush to invest, a few disclosures first. The link in the resources section after this post for Worthy and the link in my previous post on Worthy is an affiliate link. You and I both can get an extra $10 for using the link, just follow the rules.
Also, Worthy bonds are NOT FDIC insured or guaranteed and is not similar to money market accounts. They invest in business inventory. This could work well, but there is no guarantee of success. Worthy is a new company so you need to consider this before investing. Regardless, I would only put a portion of your short-term funds into Worthy due to the heightened risk.
I currently have $2,000 of my own money invested, plus all interest earned to date and all $10 affiliate payments received to date. That does not mean it is safe. I like to test things. A couple thousand is a nice way to test a product of this nature. Review the Worthy site and your temperament before investing.
Pros: It pays 5% with a $10 minimum. Liquid.
Cons: Higher risk compared to other savings vehicles on this page paying 2 1/2 to 3%.
Cit Bank
We finish with the Cit Bank Savings Builder. Cit Bank pays up to 2.3%. Notice I said “up to”. You only need $100 to open an account and there is a introductory rate, however, you need a higher balance to receive the top rate.
There are a lot of moving parts to this one. If you add $100 or more each month you get a better rate if you have a low account balance. Read the details to see if it fits your needs.
Pros: A basic savings account with reasonable interest rate.
Cons: Too many moving parts considering the rate offered as of this writing.
Final Notes
The facts and circ*mstances are sure to change over time so you must be willing to move your funds periodically to earn the best rate on your short-term money. As interest rates decline again it will be more important than ever to stay vigilant.
The list above is by no means exhaustive. I intentionally left many products I researched off the list. Some were outlandishly risky (as if YieldStreet isn’t risky enough). Some I left off to keep this post brief.
I will address some of these investments in greater detail in the future and add to the list. In time I will publish a post for each geographic region of the world (eurozone, Japan, et cetera). The goal is to offer all readers at least one option that pays well for their location.
Short-term money was never meant to yield large returns. But it should at least grow some and safely.
Be sure to share investment vehicles you like but not listed here in the comments. We all benefit when we work as a team.
Thank you.
Bonus
I no more than hit the publish button when an article from CNBC on Green Dot crossed my desk. It is important enough to add this bonus after-the-fact.
It seems Green Dot is currently offering 3% on their savings account to encourage new customers, plus 3% cash back on their debit card! That is so massive it makes this accountant’s eyes water. There are limits, of course, so be sure to do your due diligence.
More Wealth Building Resources
Credit Cardscan be a powerful money management tool when used correctly.Use this link to find a listing of the best credit card offers.You can expand your search to maximize cash and travel rewards.
Personal Capitalis an incredible tool to manage all your investments in one place. You can watch your net worth grow as you reach toward financial independence and beyond. Did I mention Personal Capital is free?
Side HustleSelling tradelines yields a high return compared to time invested, as much as $1,000 per hour. The tradeline company I use is Tradeline Supply Company. Let Darren know you are from The Wealthy Accountant. Call 888-844-8910, emailDarren@TradelineSupply.comor readmy review.
Medi-Shareis a low cost way to manage health care costs. As health insurance premiums continue to sky rocket, there is an alternative preserving the wealth of families all over America.Here is my review of Medi-Shareand additional resources to bring health care under control in your household.
QuickBooksis a daily part of life in my office. Managing a business requires accurate books without wasting time. QuickBooks is an excellent tool for managing your business, rental properties, side hustle and personal finances.
Acost segregation studycan reduce taxes $100,000 for income property owners.Here is my review of how cost segregation studies work and how to get one yourself.
Worthy Financial offers a flat 5% on their investment. You can read my review here.
