SmartyPig is a unique online bank (or “piggybank,” as they call themselves) designed to help users save towards a specific goals of their choosing. Because they are an online bank and do not have the overhead of a traditional institution, they are able to offer very competitive yields and no fees on their savings accounts.
While SmartyPig’s savings accounts are meant to help you save for specific goals, they do not carry with them the withdrawal limitations associated with traditional “club” savings accounts. You can withdrawal some or all of your money or move funds from one savings goal to another at any time. The only withdrawal limitation is the federally-mandated maximum of six withdrawals per account per statement cycle. This means that you can withdrawal funds from each individual goal up to six times a month.
SmartyPig deposits are held and insured through Sallie Mae Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.
Related Posts
1/30 - Smartypig Savings Account Rate Increases
9/6 - Smartypig Deposits Will Be Moving To Sallie Mae Bank
7/23/12 - Selling SmartyPig to Other Banks
6/19/12 - SmartyPig Savings Account Yield Increases to 1.00%
6/19/12 - Smartypig Rate Rises To 1.0%
5/24/12 - Used to Give Savings Bonds as Gifts? Consider SmartyPig Gift Cards
1/31/12 - Details Of Closing A SmartyPig Account
12/2/11 - SmartyPig Announces a Major Rate Cut
6/2/11 - SmartyPig Announces Major Rate Cut
6/2/11 - SmartyPig Is Cutting Its Savings Account Rate to 1.10% APY
4/18/11 - SmartyPig Savings Account: Gift for Grads & Improvements for Cashing Out Goals
2/15/11 - Another High Yield Savings Account is Sold Out - Today's Best Choices?
1/7/11 - Changing Business Model And Future Rates At SmartyPig?
1/3/11 - SmartyPig Quietly Cuts its Savings Account Rate
11/30/10 - SmartyPig Gift Card for a Holiday Gift
10/15/10 - Update on My Short List of Top Online Savings Accounts
10/1/10 - Best Place for Your Savings? Reward Checking, Savings Accounts or CDs?
9/27/10 - Is SmartyPig's Cash Boost Worthwhile?
9/25/10 - Future Interest Rates At Smartypig?
9/3/10 - SmartyPig Announces Rate Cut - Savings Account Yield Remains Competitive
9/2/10 - Smartypig Is Cutting Its Rates To 1.75% APY Effective Sept. 7, 2010
8/27/10 - Internet Savings Accounts - Is Rate Chasing Still Worthwhile?
8/10/10 - Tips and Warnings about the SmartyPig Savings Account
8/3/10 - SmartyPig Savings Account Review
8/1/10 - SmartyPig's New Alliance with BBVA Compass
6/7/10 - SmartyPig's Deposits Will Be Held by BBVA Compass
5/31/10 - SmartyPig Gift Card for a Graduation Gift
5/18/10 - Reminder for Those with SmartyPig Accounts
5/1/10 - More SmartyPig Details Released in West Bank's 1st Quarter Results
4/27/10 - Important Note about SmartyPig's Soon-to-Be Rate Tier
4/19/10 - SmartyPig Will Be Raising its Savings Account Rate But Will Cap Top Rate
3/18/10 - SmartyPig Account Opening Review
1/29/10 - SmartyPig Is Outgrowing Its Bank
1/27/10 - Problem with 1099 from SmartyPig?
12/5/09 - Update on SmartyPig's High-Yield Savings Account
8/14/09 - SmartyPig Savings Account Rate Scheduled to Drop from 2.75% to 2.01%
8/14/09 - Update on SmartyPig's High Yield Savings Account
5/28/09 - High Yield Savings Account with Some Twists at SmartyPig
10/27/08 - Improvements to SmartyPig's High Yield Savings Account
I Love Smartypig
I have never had a problem with SmartyPig and have had an account there for about 3 years, I have saved and used the money to pay off 2 cars and put a down payment on a house. I have the money automatically withdrawn and forget that it's there until I need it - I like that I can't get to it immediately. It takes 1-2 days to withdraw your money but I don't consider this "Jumping through hoops" it's just the way it is (and it's not a secret). You aren't locked into anything you just can't cash out partial amounts- there is a way around, you can create a new goal and split your funds if you only want to withdraw a portion (this may be jumping through hoops but it keeps me from withdrawing on a whim). You don't have to do anything to get the promised rate (there is a limit though, the interest rate drops once you reach $50K in your account so just keep it below that and you are fine- and I felt like this was all disclosed up front, I wasn't surprised by anything) The interest rate can't be beat. I have never cashed out money into retailer gift cards but it's a unique option (and bonus money) if you were going to buy something from one of the partners anyways.
Smarty Pig for Savings
I use Smarty Pig for my family's savings goals. I like using Smarty Pig the most because I can setup automated withdrawals. I set them to cooincide with our pay periods. Also being able to set up multiple accounts/savings goals is a huge plus. I can manage funds for vacation, emergency, etc all under one umbrella account. Each withdrawal is seperate but I don't have the hassle of so much paperwork like at a brick and mortar bank when opening/closing goals. A few things that I don't like about Smarty Pig include the fact that there is no option for debit cards. This relates to the second complaint; that if an emergency did occur it's very difficult to get access to your funds. When you have automated withdrawals you can't cancel a goal when a draft is pending, which could take days.
Soccer Mom's Bank
System is strange, ACH transfers take forever, and the "culture" of the bank is clearly oriented towards a certain kind of customer. Rates are decent but equal to those offered elsewhere.
Also, you have to click on a cartoon frog to make your deposits.
Terrible Since They Moved To Sallie Mae!
I've had an account with Smarty Pig for years, and recommended it to dozens of people. I loved their old system and platform, and didn't even mind their three day transfer process. Since switching to Sallie Mae, they have messed up my account balance on more than one occasion. Their system has gotten slower, and their customer service has gotten terrible. I ultimately had to close my account as I no longer have confidence that they are managing and monitoring accounts - I had to call multiple times to confirm the amount I had saved. They wouldn't even confirm my balances before closing, and I'm no longer allowed to log in to monitor the transfer while I wait for the three days. I'm unfortunately glad to be rid of them.
Data as of Q4 2016
Learn why bank health mattersHealth Grade Components
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| FDIC Certificate # | 58177 |
| Year Established | 2005 |
| Employees | 1304 |
| Primary Regulator | FDIC |
| Profit Margin | |
|---|---|
| Return on Assets - YTD | 1.58% |
| Return on Equity - YTD | 14.01% |
| Annual Interest Income | $1.08B |
| Assets and Liabilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Assets | Q4 2016vs Q4 2015 | $18.31B$15.06B |
| Loans | Q4 2016vs Q4 2015 | $15.14B$11.63B |
| Deposits | Q4 2016vs Q4 2015 | $13.97B$12.03B |
| Equity Capital | Q4 2016vs Q4 2015 | $2.00B$1.72B |
| Loan Loss Allowance | Q4 2016vs Q4 2015 | $184.7MM$112.5MM |
| Unbacked Noncurrent Loans | Q4 2016vs Q4 2015 | $34.5MM$30.5MM |
| Real Estate Owned | Q4 2016vs Q4 2015 | $0$0 |
Always verify rates and promotions with the bank or credit union. We are not SmartyPig; we are a rate comparison website and cannot provide official rates or promotions.
* The APY shown varies based on the deposit amount. Expand the listing to see APYs for other deposit amounts.
SmartyPig Savings Account Rates
| APY | MIN | MAX | ACCOUNT NAME | VIEW DETAILS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.12%* | $50k* | $250k | SmartyPig Savings | ||
| OTHER TIERS: 0.85% → Up to $2,500 | 0.90% → $2,500 - $10k | 0.95% → $10k - $50k | |||||
SmartyPig is an Internet only bank and does not have branch locations. Its headquarters is located at 175 S West Temple - Salt Lake City, UT 84101