Brian McKay
Brian McKay
Co-Founder & Lead Data Architect- Automated Online Rate Data Aggregation
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Average High-Yield Checking Rate Rises to 2.070% While Rewards Checking Rate Falls to 2.083%
High-yield checking rates rose 0.020 percentage points to 2.070% between November 4 and November 10, while rewards checking rates fell 0.007 percentage points to 2.083% and business checking rates fell 0.009 percentage points to 0.395%. Free and credit union checking rates held steady.
Average high-yield checking rates rose 0.020 percentage points to 2.070% between November 4 and November 10, from 2.050%. Average rewards checking rates fell 0.007 percentage points to 2.083%, and business checking rates fell 0.009 percentage points to 0.395%. Free checking rates held steady at 0.725%, and credit union checking rates held steady at 0.252%.
Key takeaways
- High-yield checking rates rose 0.020 percentage points to 2.070%, from 2.050% on November 4, on 608 institutions and 1,094 rates.
- Rewards checking rates fell 0.007 percentage points to 2.083%, from 2.090%, on 304 institutions and 442 rates; business checking rates fell 0.009 percentage points to 0.395%, from 0.404%.
- Free checking rates held steady at 0.725% and credit union checking rates at 0.252%.
- A $5,000 balance earns about $104.15 a year at the 2.083% rewards checking average and about $36.25 at the 0.725% free checking average.
High-yield checking rates rose 0.020 percentage points to 2.070%
Checking rates by account category, national average APY since April 13
Average APYs from MonitorBankRates.com's nightly collection, the same series this report's figures come from, updated daily.
High-yield checking rates averaged 1.695% on October 14, 2.081% on October 22, 2.056% on October 29, 2.050% on November 4 and 2.070% on November 10, on 608 institutions and 1,094 rates. Rewards checking rates averaged 1.697%, 2.059%, 2.014%, 2.090% and 2.083% on the same dates, on 304 institutions and 442 rates. Accounts in both categories often carry activity requirements such as a minimum number of debit transactions or a direct deposit.
Business checking rates fell 0.009 percentage points while free and credit union checking rates held steady
Business checking rates averaged 0.385% on October 22, 0.404% on both October 29 and November 4, and 0.395% on November 10, on 485 institutions and 1,127 rates. Free checking rates averaged 0.760% on October 22, 0.722% on October 29 and 0.725% on both November 4 and November 10, on 1,864 institutions and 4,123 rates. Credit union checking rates averaged 0.235% on October 22, 0.253% on October 29, 0.251% on November 4 and 0.252% on November 10, on 293 institutions and 395 rates.
Change since November 4, by checking category (percentage points)
This report's averages, November 4 to November 10. Green bars rose; red bars fell.
Checking APYs by account category, November 4 and November 10
| Account Category | November 4 APY | November 10 APY | Change Since November 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rewards Checking ▼Debit-use & direct-deposit accounts | 2.090% | 2.083% | ▼ -0.007 |
| High-Yield Checking ▲Rate-focused accounts, often with activity requirements | 2.050% | 2.070% | ▲ +0.020 |
| Free Checking Broad no-fee market | 0.725% | 0.725% | ■ 0.000 |
| Business Checking ▼Business & commercial accounts | 0.404% | 0.395% | ▼ -0.009 |
| Credit Union Checking ▲Share draft accounts | 0.251% | 0.252% | ▲ +0.001 |
| Compare live offers: what a checking account is · high-yield checking accounts · compare checking rates | |||
| All APYs are national averages of what real licensed institutions are actually offering to depositors, not promotional teaser rates or rate aggregator estimates. This comparison runs November 4 to November 10, 2026. Category averages reflect products matching MonitorBankRates.com's checking classification. Source: MonitorBankRates.com. | |||
Checking averages compared with October 14
High-yield checking rates averaged 1.695% on October 14 and 2.070% on November 10, a difference of 0.375 percentage points. Rewards checking rates went from 1.697% to 2.083%, a difference of 0.386 percentage points. The Federal Open Market Committee's latest decision, on October 28, was to leave its target range at 3.75% to 4.00%. Checking rates are variable, and each bank decides whether and when to change them.
Interest on a $5,000 checking balance at the November 10 averages
On a $5,000 balance, the 2.083% rewards checking average pays about $104.15 a year, the 2.070% high-yield checking average about $103.50, and the 0.725% free checking average about $36.25. Business checking at 0.395% pays about $19.75 and credit union checking at 0.252% about $12.60. Rewards and high-yield accounts usually come with requirements, such as a set number of debit card purchases or a monthly direct deposit, and monthly fees on a checking account can exceed the interest earned on a small balance. The savings goal calculator works out the monthly deposit needed to reach a target, and the budget calculator sets monthly income against expenses; both start from today's average rates, computed daily from more than 8,000 banks and credit unions, and state figures can be loaded. California checking rates lists offers in that state, and category history is on our checking rate trends page.
Checking averages on November 10
Rewards checking rates average 2.083%, high-yield checking 2.070%, and free checking 0.725%. The rate an individual account pays depends on the institution and on meeting any activity requirements.
Data Coverage & Methodology
All APYs in this report are calculated from rates collected directly from institution websites by MonitorBankRates.com's proprietary systems, tracking what real licensed institutions are actually offering to depositors, not promotional teaser rates or rate aggregator estimates.
As of November 10, 2026, the latest collection ran November 9, 2026. Category counts overlap because an institution can offer accounts in more than one category.
This report is for general information and is not financial advice. The APY any account holder receives depends on the institution, balance, and account requirements; confirm current offers with institutions before making decisions.
