The Best Cash Moves Right Now

Whether you are working on building up an emergency savings account or are nearing retirement and are following my advice to have two to three years of living expenses set aside in cash (in addition to emergency savings), I want you to earn the most you can on your “safe” money.

Savings Account for Emergencies

The Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account at Alliant Credit Union remains my go-to advice for building up a savings account. Once again, in 2025, Alliant and I have teamed up to offer a great incentive: make 12 monthly deposits of at least $100 into your Ultimate Savings Opportunity account, and at the end of those 12 months you will be given a $100 bonus. That’s on top of earning a solid 3.10% annual percentage yield (APY) right now.

Certificates of Deposit (CDs) for Higher Yields

CDs typically earn higher yields than what you can get with a savings account. For example, Alliant currently offers a 1-year certificate that pays 4.00% APY, and you can extend that out to 17 months.

CDs come with higher yields because you are giving your money to the bank or credit union for a set period—CDs typically have maturities of 1 year, 18 months, 2 years, or 5 years—and you agree to pay a penalty if you want the money back earlier. (Don’t worry, the penalty is typically just a few months of interest, not principal.)

A CD ladder can be a good way to lock in higher interest payments over time. For instance, you might spread your money across a 1-year and an 18-month CD. You can learn more about Alliant certificates here. Or search the web for “best CD rates.”

U.S. Treasuries for More Options

If you have an account at a discount brokerage, you can buy Treasuries through your account. As with a CD, you can create a ladder of Treasuries. For example, you could divide your “safe” money across a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and maybe a 7-year Treasury. This way you have some money maturing at different times. Depending on your needs when a Treasury matures, and what is happening with interest rates, you can decide if you want to reinvest in another Treasury (and at what length) or if you want to move the money to cash or another investment.

_{Alliant Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA.}