Updated December 13, 2015:
Earn more from your savings accounts; deposit them in higher-interest accounts.
You can earn more from time deposits or mutual funds, but if you don’t want to use these at present because of certain reasons, you can deposit your money in savings accounts with higher interest rates.
Nevertheless, when we say high interest, it’s NOT really HIGH. It only means that the interest rates are a bit higher than the the interest rate for regular savings accounts, which is usually 0.25 %.
Here are higher-interest savings accounts offered by 2 of the top 3 banks in the Philippines:
BDO
BDO Optimum Savings Account
– monthly average daily balance is 30k
– for individuals and non-stock, non-profit entities
– you can withdraw or debit 3 times a month without charge
– available with passbook and ATM card for personal accounts
– service charge is 300 pesos if monthly average daily balance falls below 30k
– dormancy fee is 300
– Update: Interest rates are no longer published. Rates change frequently, so inquire about rates when you visit your branch.
BDO Super Savings Account
Update: This account is no longer in BDO’s list of accounts offered.
BPI and BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK
BPI Maxi-Saver Savings
BPI ATM-based Maxi-saver Savings
– monthly average daily balance is 50k
– interest rates:
50,000 to 499,999 — 0.25%
500,000 to 999,999 — 0.375%
1 million and above — 1%
– bonus annual rate of 0.5% if no withdrawal within a month
BPI Passbook-Based Maxi-Saver Savings Account
– monthly average daily balance is 75k
– interest rates:
75,000 to 499,999 — 0.25%
for other amounts, it’s the same as above ATM-based Maxi-Saver
Note: If you do not withdraw within a month, you get a bonus annual interest rate of 0.5% for the month.
Interest is credited monthly.
BPI Get Started Savings Account with Life Insurance
ATM-based:
– monthly average maintaining balance = 25,000
– annual interest rate = 0.25%
Passbook-based:
– monthly average maintaining balance = 75,000
– annual interest rate = 0.25%
Note on Life Insurance:
Insurance coverage is equivalent to 5 times your account’s Average Daily Balance,
up to 2 million or $40,000, for dollar accounts.
Average Daily Balance here means the Average Daily Balance of the past three calendar months prior to the account owner’s demise.
BPI Save-Up Automatic Savings with Free Accident and Life Insurance
– monthly average daily balance = 1,000
– monthly average daily balance to earn interest = 5,000
– free accident and life insurance from BPI-Philam Life Insurance
– amount of life insurance equals 5 times your account’s average month-to-date average daily balance up to 2 million pesos and an additional accident insurance of 5 times your account’s average daily balance up to 2 million
– interest is credited quarterly
– annual interest rate: 0.25%
BPI Save-Up Automatic Savings With Higher Interest but No Free Insurance
– no initial deposit required if you have an ATM savings account
– monthly average daily balance = 1k
– monthly average daily balance to earn interest = 3k
– automatic transfer of a certain amount of money weekly or monthly from your ATM savings account to your Save-Up account
– you can enroll in BPI Express Online banking
– interest is credited quarterly
– annual interest rates:
5,000 to 49,999 — 0.25 %
50,000 to 499,999 — 0.5 %
500,000 and above — 0.625 %
Above rates are for BPI accounts.
BPI Family accounts offer a bit higher interest rates.
TAX on Interest: 20 % Withholding tax
If you want to earn more from your savings within a 5-year period, check this:
PAG-IBIG II Savings Program.
these rates are no longer updated 🙁
Hi Dez, thanks for your reminder. I've updated the rates. Thanks again.
Hi Dez, in BDO Optimum Savings Account whats the difference between "dormancy fee 300" and "service charge 300" ? So all in all, a total of 600 will charge to the account, am i correct?
Hi Arman, Dez might not see your question for a time, so I'll respond.
Dormancy fee is charged per month starting from the 25th month there's no withdrawal or deposit transaction on your account. This dormancy fee is charged only if your account is below the required maintaining balance.
The second fee that will be charged is the below-maintaining-balance penalty, which is 300 per month for every month the account is below the required balance. It starts from the 2nd consecutive month the account has been below the required balance.
Hi po… Sa Easy saver po ba ay mag interest after 1 month pag mai na i deposit akong 2000 pesos?
Hi Luisa, sad to say, not yet. Savings accounts do not really give big interests. Your purpose will not be to earn interest, as the interests are really too little. Your purpose will just to save. And then when you have saved a lot, you can consider putting your bigger savings in time deposit.
Good am. I've money that I inherited from abroad. If am not working and this money is sort of my lifetime allowance how could I open a savings account if I can't promise a deposit monthly? It's about php5m.
About php5m inheritance:
With savings accounts, you don't have to deposit monthly. As long as you maintain the required amount (minimum maintaining balance) or higher than the required, your account is safe. Just withdraw and deposit before the 2-year period is reached to prevent dormancy. A savings account should have at least one deposit or withdrawal every 2 years to prevent dormancy.
Since you have a big amount, it's better that you put part of your money in auto-renew time deposits (6 months or one year term), part in savings accounts, and part in Pag-ibig MP2.
Are you an SSS member? You can continue paying to accumulate 120 contributions so you will qualify for pension when you turn 60.
You can also start learning about mutual funds and insurance investments while your money is in time deposits and savings accounts and/or Pag-ibig MP2. You can start small as you learn about mutual funds. BPI, BDO and other banks have mutual funds.
You can also look at the one-time payment investment products of Insular Life or Sun Life or Manulife or Philam Life.
Just comment again if you need to ask other questions
By the way, I forgot to add that you should also be a member of Pag-ibig 1 before investing in Pag-ibig MP2. This is how to register with Pag-ibig and get your Pag-ibig MID No.
Here's info on Pag-ibig MP2
maam pag nag open po ako ng dollar account,mga magkanu po kaya ang maintaining balance at initial deposit nya at pwede po bang less than 100$ or lower than 50$ ang deposit every month at at kung international po ba pwedeng magdeposit sa account ko
Hi Azaliah: Kapag BDO, ang initial deposit is US$200, and the maintaining balance is $500. Pag BPI, parehong $500 ang initial deposit at maintaining balance. Yes, puedeng $20 or $50 ang ideposit. Yes, puedeng padalhan o depositohan from abroad ang iyong account, pero dapat in US dollars ang padala.
maam paano po mag aaply ng bank account na puede pumasok sa account up to 50 million?
So for example sa Maxi Saver mag dedeposit ako ng 50,000 June 2017 which will earn .025% interest, Kelan papasok yung .025% or P1,250 interest sa account ko? 🙂
Php 1,250.00 po ba ang .025% ng P50,000.00?
diba po Php 50,000.00 x .025% = Php 12.50 lang?
Hi Kenjie: Yes, you're right, it's only 12.50. Parang wala, di ba? Ang purpose na lang kasi ng savings account is to save, para lang nakatabi yong pera habang dinadagdagan mo. At later on magamit mo kapag malaki na.
saan ko po maganda ibukas na account yung 50k any advise please!
Hi Kenjie: Kung hindi mo pa kelangan itong 50k mo for at least 6 months, puede mong i-time deposit sa BPI Savings Bank or any other savings bank. Kung meron ding rural bank na malapit sa iyo at isa siya sa top rural banks, puede mo rin i-time deposit doon. Usually bigger ang interest rates sa smaller banks.