Banks and credit unions offer several options for saving, including ones that give you immediate access to your funds while paying you interest. For many savers, parking money in a savings account or money market account (MMA) make the most sense. Find out more about some of the key characteristics of both accounts, and why you might choose a money market account over savings account or vice versa.

Savings Accounts vs. Money Market Accounts

Most banks—both traditional brick and mortar and online institutions—offer both savings accounts and money market accounts to their customers. At first glance, these two accounts are similar—both are deposit accounts that pay interest. They are also protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC).

Because the point of these accounts is to save rather than to use the funds for everyday banking, account holders may be limited in the number of withdrawals they can make per month under federal regulations.

Before April 24, 2020, as stipulated by the Federal Reserve's Regulation D, savings deposit account holders were restricted to six withdrawals or transfers per month. If more than six withdrawals were made, an account could be charged a penalty. This limitation has been removed, but some banks may still place limits on withdrawals.

Savings Accounts Explained

Banks offer savings accounts to their customers as a complement to their checking accounts. It is a good place for people to put their cash for a short period of time for short-term needs such as home renovations, vacations, cars, or emergencies like medical or dental bills.

Banks make building a savings account balance fairly easy. The account can be added to a debit card to make deposits as well as withdrawals, transfers through online banking, and wire payments directly into the account from other institutions. They can also be easily liquidated, providing consumers with ready access to funds.

A savings account provides a fairly low rate of interest income. According to the FDIC, the average national rate of interest for a savings account with a $2,500 balance as of May 15, 2023, was 0.40%.

Savings accounts offer lower interest rates than money market accounts and other investments because financial institutions are limited in what they can do with the funds. Banks generally lend this money to others for car loans, lines of credit, and credit cards so the banks can make money on the interest they charge.

Money Market Accounts Explained

Money market accounts, on the other hand, are not as common as traditional savings accounts. They are sometimes referred to as money market deposit accounts. They may have some features of both a checking and savings account. Account holders may be able to write checks and do debit card transactions with certain money market accounts.

Money market accounts have a savings account-like feature, where account holders collect interest on the balance they hold at the end of each month.

As of May 15, 2023, the FDIC reported the average interest rate for a money market account was 0.59% for balances that were averaged between $10,000 and $100,000 products.

Banks are able to invest the money account holders deposit into money market accounts in short-term, low-risk securities that are highly liquid. These include certificates of deposit (CDs), government bonds, or other similar investments. When these assets mature, they give money market account holders a portion of the interest they receive.

Money market accounts come with minimum balance requirements. Customers who don't meet the required balance may lose out on high interest, or find their account converted to a regular checking or savings account.

And, just like a regular savings account, money market accounts may have restrictions on the number of withdrawal and debit transactions they can make. It's possible to incur a fee if they go above six transactions in a month.

Money Market Funds

Don't confuse money market deposit accounts with money market funds. These are also called money market mutual funds. They aren't deposit accounts, but are offered by investment firms.

Investors can buy and sell shares in these funds, which invest in highly liquid assets such as cash and equivalents, and high-rated debt-based assets that mature in less than 13 months. They aren't protected by the FDIC and are different in other ways from traditional demand deposit, checking, and savings accounts.

The Bottom Line

Some people choose money market accounts over savings accounts because they offer higher interest rates. While the difference in earned interest can be small, it might be enough to offset possible liquidity constraints posed by money market accounts, if you're are unlikely to need quick access to your cash.