Best Savings Accounts for Kids

Find the best children's savings account for your family.

By Carly Marie January 20, 2020 Savings Accounts 101

The relationship we have with money is formed at an early age. Children as young as five have developed emotional reactions to spending money, according to a study done by the University of Michigan. Talking about money with your children and helping them form saving habits now could help them develop a healthy relationship with money.

This is where savings accounts come in. They can be a great way to share with your child some of the basics of the financial system, get them comfortable with banks as well as compound interest and help them develop healthy spending and saving habits. It’s also a good tool to teach them about setting goals. Your children can start saving up money for the things they want to buy and learn early about how rewarding it is to reach those goals.

This guide to savings accounts for kids will cover:

Best Savings Accounts for Kids
Other Ways To Start Savings and Investments for Kids
Tips To Get Your Kids To Save
Choosing the Best Savings Accounts for Kids

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Best Savings Accounts for Kids

The savings accounts on this list all have low minimum deposits, zero fees, and a decent annual percentage yield. Some of them also have educational tools specifically for children. Banks with physical locations where children can go to interact with bankers and physically deposit money were given bonus points because children are more likely to have cash than money via direct deposit.

American Express® High Yield Savings

The American Express® High Yield Savings account can work well for anyone, and it’s also available to children. The account can connect up to three accounts from any bank, so family members can easily deposit cash into the child’s account.

Benefits:

High APY (Annual Percentage Yield)
No fees
Easy online access
Wide network of ATMs
Ability to connect accounts

Drawbacks: No physical branches

Fees: None

Minimum Deposit: $1 to open

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 0.40%

See More: American Express® High Yield Savings Account Review

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PNC S is for Savings

The PNC S is for Savings account is specifically for children and offered through PNC bank. Its most unique feature is an online interactive experience for children featuring Sesame Street characters. The account also allows children to set savings goals.

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Benefits:

Educational resources
Wide availability of physical locations and ATMs
No fees for users under 18

Drawbacks:

Low APY
Minimum deposit required

Fees: Zero fees for children under the age of 18

Minimum Deposit: $25 to open

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: $300 for account holders age 18 and up

APY: 0.01%

Learn: PNC Bank Review: Is It the Right Bank for You?

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Bank of America Minor Savings Account

The Bank of America Minor Savings Account is easy to manage if the parent is already a customer, plus Bank of America has a high number of brick-and-mortar locations available nationwide.

Benefits:

No minimum balances or fees
Slightly higher APY than PNC

Drawbacks:

No online educational tools to help your child learn about finances
Minimum deposit required

Fees: No fees

Minimum Deposit: $25 to open

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 0.03%

Check Out: Bank of America Review: Is It the Right Bank for You?

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BECU Early Savers Account

The BECU Early Savers Account offers children an especially high APY on the first $500. This account is a great way for kids to see the power of compound interest right away.

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Benefits:

No fees
High APY
No minimum deposit

Drawbacks:

Physical branches limited to Washington state
Parent must have an account in order to open a minor savings account
No online application
APY drops to 0.10% on balances of $500 or more

Fees: None

Minimum Deposit: None

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 2.02% on the first $500

Read This: Best Banks of 2020

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Spectrum Credit Union MySavings

The Spectrum Credit Union MySavings account is another great way to get young people excited about earning interest. Spectrum’s bank account has a really high interest rate on balances up to $1,000. The account is available to children up to the age of 21, which gives your kid an extra few years before they have to think about opening a different kind of account.

Benefits:

No fees or minimums
High APY up to a certain balance amount
Online accounts for customers who don’t live near a physical location

Drawbacks: Physical locations limited to California, Texas, Virginia, Utah, Louisiana and Mississippi

Fees: None

Minimum Deposit: None

Minimum Balance: None

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Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 7.00%on balances up to $1,000

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Capital One Kids Savings

A simple, no-fees account, Capital One Kids Savings offers an APY that applies to all balances. It connects to parents’ accounts and offers a certain amount of easy parental control and oversight.

Benefits:

APY applies to all balances
Wide network of ATMs
No fees or minimums
App connects to parents’ accounts and allows children to set up savings goals

Drawbacks:

Limited physical locations
Lower APY than some other banks on the list

Fees: None

Minimum Deposit: None

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 0.40%

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Alliant Credit Union Kids Savings

The Alliant Credit Union Kids Savings account is available for children 12 and under. It’s an easy, no-fee account with a high APY and parental control.

Benefits:

Good APY
Joint management with parents
No fees or minimums
Alliant contributes first $5

Drawbacks:

Restricted to children age 12 and under
Limited physical locations

Fees: None if you opt out of paper statements

Minimum Deposit: None

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 0.55%

More About: Alliant Credit Union Review: What You Need to Know

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Wells Fargo Way2Save

The easy, no-fees Wells Fargo Way2Save account offers a high number of branch locations and a variety of ways to deposit money. This account happens to be available to anyone of any age, but it’s especially great for children.

Benefits:

No fees for those under 18
Many physical locations

Drawbacks:

Low APY
Account incurs fees once the child turns 18
Minimum deposit required

Fees: None for children under 18

Minimum Deposit: $25 to open

Minimum Balance: None for minors

Balance To Avoid Fees: $300 for account holders age 18 and up

APY: 0.01%

See More: Wells Fargo Review: Is It the Right Bank for You?

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Ally Bank Savings Account

The savings account from the online bank Ally offers a high APY and highly regarded 24/7 customer service. It’s easy to open other kinds of accounts and services once you’ve opened a savings account.

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Benefits:

High APY
No fees or minimums

Drawbacks: No physical locations

Fees: None

Minimum Deposit: None

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 0.50%

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Live Oak High-Yield Online Savings

Live Oak High-Yield Online Savings is a great option with the highest regular APY of any bank on this list. It’s an online bank, so it’s available nationwide.

Benefits:

Highest regular APY on the list
No age limit

Drawbacks: There is only one physical branch location.

Fees: None

Minimum Deposit: None

Minimum Balance: None

Balance To Avoid Fees: None

APY: 0.60%

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Also Check Out: 7 Best Second-Chance Checking Accounts

Other Ways To Start Savings and Investments for Kids

Savings accounts are not the only options available for children. Here are some of the other ways to start savings and investments for kids:

CDs

Certificate of deposit accounts are FDIC-insured deposit accounts that typically earn higher interest rates than savings accounts. The downside of these accounts is that there is a fixed date of withdrawal, and until that date, you usually can’t access the funds without paying a penalty. GOBankingRates’ guide to the Best CD Rates and Accounts of 2020 explains the benefits and details of 2020’s best offerings.

Savings Bonds

Savings bonds are a way to earn interest by loaning money to the government. As noted in GOBankingRates’ What Is a Savings Bond and How Does It Work?, the bonds are sold at a fixed value, and the government pays you back with interest. You can ask for the money back at various times, but you get the most out of it if you wait until the bond fully matures. It’s important to note that getting the money back is not exactly an instantaneous process.

Money Market Accounts

You can get detailed information about the ins and outs of money market accounts in GOBankingRates’ What Is a Money Market Account? guide, but in a nutshell, money market accounts are another type of high-interest account. Although these accounts have certain restrictions, they often have check-writing features that some people might find useful. The downside is that money market accounts often require high minimum deposits.

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Tips To Get Your Kids To Save

Kids can be motivated to save if you show them how they can benefit from waiting for interest to build and they can see how saving money helps them make bigger purchases.

Help kids save by:

Setting up different accounts for spending and saving
Setting up savings goals — both small ones, like for a toy, and big ones – like for college
Showing them how their money grows
Teaching them about the financial system once they’re old enough to understand

Check out this infographic for some ideas on getting your kids to save:

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Choosing the Best Savings Account for Kids

Saving accounts are a great tool for introducing children to finances. With many options available, you can choose the account with the features that best suit your priorities, such as physical locations or high APY. The most important thing is to look for an account with no fees and low minimums to avoid your children getting charged for having a low balance.

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More From GOBankingRates

Fees and minimums are accurate as of Dec. 9, 2019. Additional requirements may apply. Offers, terms and rates are subject to change.

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