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Sallie Mae Money Market Account Review: High Interest Rates, No Monthly Fees

Review Updated
Steven Porrello
Nathan Alderman
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. APY = Annual Percentage Yield.

A Sallie Mae Money Market account is the perfect combination of high APY and easy access to your money. These accounts are perfectly suited for those who want to earn more interest than your run-of-the-mill savings account but don't want to lock money in a certificate of deposit. Below we'll take a closer look at Sallie Mae Money Market accounts and see if it's the best place to park your savings.

Ratings Methodology
Rates as of Apr 17, 2025

Sallie Mae Money Market

Member FDIC.
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Monthly Fee
$0
Min. Balance
$0
APY
4.00%
Min. To Earn APY
$0
  • Competitive APY
  • No minimum balance
  • Check-writing capabilities
  • FDIC insured
  • No debit card

Sallie Mae Bank's money market account can grow your money at a competitive rate with no minimum deposits or fees. You can access savings through checks and electronically deposit funds into your account.

Compare savings rates

Make sure you're getting the best account for you by comparing savings rates and promotions. Here are some of our favorite high-yield savings accounts to consider.

Account APY Promotion Next Steps
up to 3.80%²
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. You can earn the maximum APY by having Direct Deposit (no minimum amount required) or by making $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits every 30 days. See SoFi Checking and Savings rate sheet at: https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
Min. to earn: $0
New customers can earn up to a $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposits!¹
4.10% APY for balances of $5,000 or more
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. 4.10% APY for balances of $5,000 or more; otherwise, 0.25% APY
Min. to earn: $100 to open account, $5,000+ for max APY
Earn a bonus of at least $225 after a one-time deposit of $25,000+. Circle with letter I in it. Transfer a one-time deposit of $25,000-$49,999.99 for a bonus of $225. Transfer a one-time deposit of $50,000+ for a bonus of $300. Account must be opened with code PS2025 while this promotion lasts, and funded within 30 days. Bonus will be fulfilled within 60 days from the funding date. There is no period of time where the customer will be required to maintain the funds. Account must be open when bonus is credited. One bonus per account and primary customer. Bonus will be credited into the Platinum Savings Account that fulfills the funding requirement. Funding can be deposited all at once or incrementally.
3.70%
Rate info Circle with letter I in it. 3.70% annual percentage yield as of April 17, 2025. Terms apply.
Min. to earn: $0
N/A
Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings

On American Express's Secure Website.

Disclaimers



SoFi disclosure:

¹ New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/26. See full bonus and annual percentage yield (APY) terms at sofi.com/banking#1.

² SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi Plus members are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.

³ We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Checking & Savings Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.

⁴ SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations.

Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms. See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks.

We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.

Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.

Overdraft Coverage is limited to $50 on debit card purchases only and is an account benefit available to customers with direct deposits of $1,000 or more during the current 30-day Evaluation Period as determined by SoFi Bank, N.A. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the“30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Members with a prior history of non-repayment of negative balances are ineligible for Overdraft Coverage.

Full Sallie Mae Money Market account review

Money market accounts offer great interest rates, check-writing abilities, and low or no fees. With that in mind, here are some of the top strengths and weaknesses of the Sallie Mae Money Market account.

Top perks

High APY: The 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on the Sallie Mae Money Market account is competitively high.

No account minimums, no fees: Unlike some money market accounts, you don't need a minimum initial deposit, nor pay monthly maintenance fees. That makes it ideal for those who don't have enormous savings.

Flexible access to money: Like other money market accounts, you can access funds by writing checks.

Free checks: Your first book of checks is free and will come to you after you open your account. After that, you'll pay $5 per book (plus $10 if you want expedited delivery).

FDIC insurance: Your account balance is FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor.

Electronic deposit capability: You can electronically deposit checks into your account. Sallie Mae Bank will let you electronically deposit five times for a total of $5,000 per week and 10 deposits at a maximum of $20,000 per month.

What could be improved

No debit ATM cards: Unlike some money market accounts, Sallie Mae's version doesn't come with a debit or ATM card. Only checks.

Limited in-person banking support. If you like to do your banking in person, Sallie Mae may not be the best choice for you. Right now, Salle Mae has a grand total of one branch in Salt Lake City and does most of its communication over the phone or online.

No cash deposits. Sallie Mae doesn't accept cash, only electronic transfers or check deposits.

How to access your money

As a mostly online bank, Sallie Mae doesn't have as many withdrawal or deposit choices as other brick-and-mortar financial institutions. Even so, it offers numerous ways to deposit and withdraw funds.

Deposit options

Your deposits will be limited to the following:

  • Mobile check deposit
  • Electronic transfer
  • Mail a check
  • Wire transfers

As stated above, Sallie Mae doesn't accept cash deposits. If you want to deposit cash, you'll have to deposit it into an external bank account, then transfer it into your money market account later.

Withdrawal options

Like other money market accounts, Sallie Mae's version gives you flexible options to withdraw, such as the following:

  • Checks
  • Electronic transfer
  • Wire transfer ($20 fee applied)
  • Telephone transfers

Sallie Mae Money Market account is right for you if:

The Sallie Mae Money Market account is perfect for those who want a competitively high APY with some access to your savings. It's also ideal if you prefer electronic withdrawals and deposits and don't care to access savings with a debit card or at an ATM. The fact that you don't pay monthly maintenance fees (or need to maintain a balance) also makes this account perfect for savers who don't have a large balance but want to earn the most interest possible.

Keep reading about Sallie Mae

Our money market account methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we evaluate money market accounts based on four main criteria: annual percentage yield (APY), brand and reputation, fees and minimum balance requirements, and perks.

Our scores are weighted as:

  • APY: 40%
  • Brand and Reputation: 20%
  • Fees and Minimums: 10%
  • Perks: 30%

Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates bank accounts.

FAQs

  • Yes, the interest rate for the Sallie Mae Money Market account is very competitive. Keep in mind rates can fluctuate depending on economic factors and market conditions. Check Sallie Mae's product page for current details.

  • Yes, the Sallie Mae Money Market account is FDIC insured. Each depositor is insured for up to $250,000.