Author Topic: Chasing interest rates  (Read 1066 times)

phildonnia

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 365
Chasing interest rates
« on: June 22, 2020, 02:13:21 PM »
Just curious, how much of an interest rate difference will prompt you to open a new bank account? 

I'm considering moving from CapitalOne (currently 1.00%) to UFB (currently 1.35%), but I know how these things go: three months later the interest rate drops, and another bank comes out with a spectacular rate, subject to change at any time without notice.

Honestly, I know that the difference is nearly worthless in the grand scheme, but I just can't stand not getting the best interest. 

Laserjet3051

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 904
  • Age: 95
  • Location: Upper Peninsula (MI)
Re: Chasing interest rates
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2020, 02:23:51 PM »
How many millions of dollars are we talking about here? For a few hundred thousand, were not looking at a whole lot of difference. And who is to say this 0.35% spread would even persist for a whole year?

Duke03

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 471
Re: Chasing interest rates
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2020, 02:27:58 PM »
Your time is much better spent doing bank account churning....  Most banks with pay you between $200-$750 to open an account and fund it with 10k to 50k in new funds.  I keep 50k on hand that I move from bank to bank getting the sign up bonuses.  Last year between the wife and I we made almost $5,000.  Not a ton of money, but way more than the 50k would have made in one account earning 1.25%

ixtap

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4583
  • Age: 51
  • Location: SoCal
    • Our Sea Story
Re: Chasing interest rates
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2020, 02:28:47 PM »
Do you chase bank bonuses? If so, then I could see feeling this is a decent use of your time. However, unless you hold an awful lot in cash, this difference isn't going to amount to much, especially given that the two accounts might switch back over who has a better rate and it takes quite a bit of effort to keep up the chase.

LWYRUP

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1059
Re: Chasing interest rates
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2020, 02:29:01 PM »
When I was younger, I would move for 0.25 or something.

Now that I am older, I would not.  I have all my auto-pays set up.  My bank is a good bank.  (Ally).  Their interest rate has always been competitive, usually a hair below whomever is the leader at the time, for over a decade now.  They have never messed anything up.  On the rare time I've used customer service, they've been polite.  They let you shift between checking, saving (and linked CDs as they mature) with ease.  They sync with a lot of websites (tax preparers, mortgage loan applications, personal capital).  Their app and website are good and there's a pretty bar chart there.  It works.  It's a total waste of my time to spend hours running after bank after bank after bank when everything is currently fine right now. 

If they dropped their interest rate to close to zero like some other banks (see, e.g., leaked memo from Bank of America, "let's screw over our customers they've already set up their direct deposits and autopays so they won't move"), I'd leave in a heartbeat.

Combination time value of money and wanting to reward an institution that's treated me fairly over the long term. 

If you think that in the long run CapitalOne vs. whomever UFB is will be a wash in terms of interest rate because UFB will eventually drop their rate (pretty likely bet I am guesing), then I probably would not bother.  There are more effective ways to spend your time. 

I am always impressed by how much people here make bank account churning, but I've never done that either.  I deal with too much boring paperwork in my day job.  It's like death by a thousand papercuts.  Cobbler's children going barefoot and all that. 
« Last Edit: June 22, 2020, 02:31:41 PM by LWYRUP »

phildonnia

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 365
Re: Chasing interest rates
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2020, 02:30:41 PM »
How many millions of dollars are we talking about here? For a few hundred thousand, were not looking at a whole lot of difference. And who is to say this 0.35% spread would even persist for a whole year?

That's just it, it's not millions.  We're talking about $350 in extra interest per year, assuming the rate difference holds for a year (which it most likely won't).

Still, would you open a bank account for $100?  For $200? 

For comparison, I've set an arbitrary price on account-opening bonuses of $500, plus another $200 if direct deposit, forced spending, or minimum deposit is required.  Plus another $300 if the bank has five letters in the name and begins with a 'C'.

What's your price?

Rosy

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2745
  • Location: Florida
Re: Chasing interest rates
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2020, 03:02:35 PM »
T-Mobile checking - 3% interest up to $3K - 1% interest-anything over $3K.
I'm just hoping they will keep it up for a while longer - ten-plus bucks a month is $120 p.a.

Requires you to have a T-Mobile account and deposit $200 a month, easy and no fees for anything - no hoops to jump through.
I use it only as a savings account even though they do issue a debit card.
Online banking only.
Negative - transfers take forever to clear.

When you think about it if you have a 3% CD at $3K, which is presently extinct, you receive the same interest but have no access to your money, no debit card or bill pay.

Last time I looked NFCU still had their 3.5% CD (a long-running promo) - also $3K max, members only, one per member.

Who knows by next year it could be a negative interest like in Europe - interesting times we live in.

I agree true churning is preferable, this one was an exception. My price is generally $200-500 depending on the card/bank/requirements. Haven't done anything lately. I'm planning on using $50K from an upcoming CD for new savings deposits for three months, considerably better than any interest out there.

Jack0Life

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 597
Re: Chasing interest rates
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2020, 03:14:29 PM »
Not worth the trouble.
As others have said you're better off chasing after bank bonuses instead of interest rate.