Citi Accelerate High-Yield Savings Account Review

Citi now offers high-yield savings with one of the best interest rate. But it's only available in select markets. Read this review to see if it's good for you.

Citi® Accelerate High-Yield Savings from Citi offers high interest with lower fees.

Can it stack up to the competitive rates offered by smaller (mostly online) banks?

Below, review the features, fees, and eligibility requirements.

Who Is Eligible for a Citi Accelerate Savings Account?

Citi® Accelerate High-Yield Savings account is currently available in 42 U.S. states:

• Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, select markets in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, select markets in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

Citi Accelerate is NOT available to:

• California
  
• Connecticut
  
• Illinois
  
• Maryland
  
• Nevada
  
• New Jersey
  
• New York
  
• Virginia

Current Citi High-Yield Savings APY

The current rate for the Citi® Accelerate High-Yield Savings is 4.45% APY. This is a competitive interest rate for today's low-yield environment.

In comparison, the national average rate for savings is 0.47% APY.

Here's a calculator that can help you see how much more interest you can earn with a high-yield savings account:

Keep in mind, interest rates can change quickly. When the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates, banks make less profit from loans. As a result, they offer customers lower interest rates in return for their deposits.

Compare Savings Account Promotion

High-Yield Savings Premier - 5.36% APY

• No account activity or maintenance fees
• $500 minimum opening deposit
• FDIC insured

5.36% annual percentage yield (APY) is accurate as of 1/17/2024 and subject to change at the Bank's discretion. Minimum deposit required to open an account is $500 and a minimum balance of $0.01 is required to earn the advertised APY. Member FDIC

Learn More

Member FDIC

CIT Bank Platinum Savings - 5.05% APY

• 5.05% APY with a balance of $5,000 or more
• 0.25% APY with a balance of less than $5,000
• $100 minimum opening deposit
• No monthly maintenance fee
• Member FDIC

Learn More

Member FDIC

UFB Secure Savings - Earn up to 5.25% APY

• Earn up to 5.25% APY*
• No monthly maintenance fees
• No minimum deposit required to open an account
• Access your funds 24/7 with easy-to-use digital banking tools

Learn More

Citi Accelerate Savings Relationship Tiers

You can apply to open a Citi® Accelerate Savings account regardless of your Relationship Tier status.

You won't have to bundle the savings account with their checking account if you don't want to. The tiers enables you to access more benefits and services.

Relationship Tiers range from bare-bones to several that are suitable for the ultra-rich (like their Citigold Private Client account).

Citibank Accelerate Pros and Cons

Pros:

• High APY — especially for a big national bank
  
• No minimum opening deposit
  
• Many account options
  
• Relationship Tiers can offer a lot of perks, especially if you have multiple accounts with Citi

Cons:

• Not available to all states
  
• Relationship Tiers can be confusing
  
• Fairly high minimum balance requirement to waive the fee

FAQ

Is Citibank a good high-yield savings account?
With a high 4.45% APY, the Citi Accelerate High Yield Savings is a good account. It has one of the best rates in the nation, especially for a large bank. It's also easy to waive the monthly fee with just $500 minimum balance. However, it's not available in all states.

Is Citi high-yield savings account FDIC insured?
Yes, Citi checking and savings accounts are FDIC insured up to the federal limit of $250,000 (learn more). This includes the combined deposits in your Citi checking and savings accounts.

How it Compares

Citibank isn't the only kid on the block when it comes to high-yield savings accounts. Let's review how Citi compares to some other rivals.

Bottom Line: Is Citibank Good for Savings?

Citibank offers a surprisingly competitive high-yield account for a big bank.

In fact, high net worth individuals will likely gravitate toward Citi in favor of the competitors listed above due to the additional benefits that extend far beyond basic banking.

While Citi does have minimum balance criteria to waive monthly fees, the amounts are low enough that anyone who would benefit from a high-yield account should be able to easily surpass them.

The main drawback is the complex Relationship Tiers / benefits structure. While Citi may offer a little something for everyone, it can be difficult to decide what you want with all the different options.

Note: This content is not provided by Citi. Any opinions expressed are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Citi.