Mathematically speaking, what's the optimal amount to keep in an account that earns a high rate below below a certain sum and a very low one above it? [more inside]
posted by electric_counterpoint on May 26, 2009 - 6 answers

I have saved up about $25,000 for school, which starts in September. I have it in a WaMu online savings account which had very high interest, but now the interest rates have plummeted so that I am barely making anything anymore. It went from getting $50 a month on $10,000 to making $17 this month on 25k. :( Where should I put my money where it will be safe, easily accessible in a fairly short term, and yet with as high of an interest return as possible. I also need to be able to continue to input money into the account every month when I get my paycheck. PS: I am planning to take loans if they are interest free and hold off paying them until I can't defer any longer. But when I quit my job, I will need to start withdrawing money for daily living expenses.
posted by brenton on Mar 13, 2009 - 21 answers

In order to earn 4.5% APY in my checking account, I need to make 12 debit card purchases/month. What is the cheapest, most automatic, least time consuming way to do this? [more inside]
posted by charlesroper on Oct 8, 2008 - 25 answers

Please help me understand APY vs. interest rate on 6 month CDs so that I can stop being paranoid about getting ripped off. [more inside]
posted by spicynuts on Dec 19, 2006 - 18 answers