Traditional vs online banks: This chart shows how $5,000 can grow over 10 years

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A few months ago, money expert Clark Howard and the entire team at Clark.com encouraged you to switch to a better bank — with higher returns, lower fees and better customer service.

If you haven’t gotten around to it yet, we’ve come up with an eye-opening chart that may give you some motivation.

Savings rates: The difference between online and traditional banks

RELATED: How I use 4 bank accounts to save more money

Here’s the bottom line: Online banks typically offer much higher interest rates on their savings accounts compared to the “big banks,” so why would you leave that money on the table?

Here’s a roundup of some of the savings rates, as of July 2018:

Traditional banks 

  • Bank of America: 0.03%
  • Chase: 0.01%
  • Wells Fargo: 0.01%
  • Citi: 0.06%

Online banks

  • Ally Bank: 1.75%
  • American Express: 1.75%
  • Discover Bank: 1.65%
  • Capital One 360: 1.60%

Let’s say you open up a savings account at one of the big banks and deposit $5,000, then fund an online savings account with $5,000 as well.

At today’s interest rates, here’s how much money you’d have after 10 years with no other contributions:

You could earn $5 or $890 on your initial $5,000 deposit. The choice is yours! Follow Team Clark’s step-by-step guide to choose and switch to a better bank for you.

RELATED: 5 online banks that offer lower fees, higher returns on savings & overall better service

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