A checking account is the workhorse of your finances: You typically receive your earnings by direct deposit, spend money with a debit card, and pay bills online from your checking account. So why have a savings account, especially when interest rates are low?
活期账户是你的经济支柱：通常你的收入是直接存入卡里的，花钱用借记卡，在网上用活期账户支付账单。那么为什么要有储蓄账户呢，尤其有时利率还很低？

Savings accounts may not pay much, but rates have ticked up, and they may continue to rise in 2019. If that happens, your savings account will get more attractive, unless inflation moves along at a similar pace. 
储蓄账户可能利息不高，但利率会上调，可能2019年还会持续提高。这样的话，你的储蓄账户就更有吸引力了，除非通货膨胀跟利率上调的速度差不多。

Still, there are plenty of reasons to keep cash in a savings account.
但把钱存入账户还有很多原因。

 

Keep it Separate
把钱分开放

A savings account allows you to get money out of your checking account and keep it separate from your everyday spending money. 
储蓄账户可以让你把钱从活期账户中分出来一部分，和日常花销分开。

That alone can eliminate temptation and keep you from spending money that you'd prefer not to spend. By moving money to a savings account, you earmark it for longer-term goals—not this month's groceries or entertainment expenses.
仅仅这一点就能抗拒诱惑，不想花的钱就可以不花。你可以专门为长期目标把钱存进一个储蓄账户，长期目标并非是这个月要买的日常用品或消遣之用。

 

Prepare for Surprises
准备惊喜

Even if you're not saving for anything in particular, it's wise to keep cash in an emergency fund. 
即使你没什么特别的攒钱目标，存点儿钱应急还是很明智的。

A savings account is an excellent place for emergency savings. Why have emergency savings? When life catches you by surprise, it's easier to land on your feet if you can pay for expenses out of your savings. 
储蓄账户是应急储蓄的极好选择，为什么要有应急储蓄呢？生活打你一个措手不及时，如果你能从账户中拿出钱来应对，想要渡过难关就容易得多。

The alternative is to take drastic measures: Go into debt, make sacrifices (like putting your health or safety at risk), or sell things at less-than-perfect timing to pay for unexpected costs.
否则你就得采取极端措施：负债、做出牺牲（比如牺牲健康或安全），或在不合适的时机卖点东西来支付意外费用。

 

Grow Your Savings
多攒钱

Even though savings accounts don't pay much, you can earn upwards of two percent APY at some of the most competitive online banks. 
即使储蓄账户收益不高，一些最有竞争力的网上银行存款年利率也能高于2%。

That's better than nothing. Most checking accounts don't pay interest, so you're almost sure to see your purchasing power erode unless you shift your cash to a savings account or another vehicle.
有总比没有强，大部分活期账户没有利息，除非你把钱转到储蓄账户或其他地方，否则你就能看到自己有多能花钱。

 

Save for Goals
为了目标存钱

If you're planning for upcoming expenses, savings accounts can help you organize your finances and reach your goals. 
如果你在计划未来的一笔开销，储蓄账户能帮你管钱并实现目标。

It may even make sense to have multiple savings accounts—one for each goal. For example, you might have one account for emergency savings, another account for a vacation fund, and a third account for building up a down payment.
甚至还可以有多个储蓄账户，一个目标一个账户。比如你可能一个账户用来应急，一个账户用来存钱度假，还有一个账户存首付。

If you just keep all of your money in a checking account, it's hard to remember what you've saved. To help you organize and minimize fees, look for online savings accounts that let you set up multiple “subaccounts”.
如果你只是把所有钱放进一个活期账户，那就很难记住你攒了多少钱，为了有助于管理并将费用降至最低，找一些能让你建立多个“子账户”的网络储蓄账户。

 

Disadvantages of Savings Accounts
储蓄账户的缺点

If you've decided that it makes sense to have a savings account, it's essential to understand potential pitfalls with these accounts. 
如果你认为储蓄账户很有用，最基本要了解这些账户的潜在陷阱。

Fortunately, there are very few drawbacks. Almost everybody needs one, and it doesn't need to cost anything to open and maintain a savings account.
幸运的是缺点并不多。几乎所有人都要有一个储蓄账户，开户并继续使用也基本不花什么钱。

The primary drawback of having a savings account is probably the relatively low-interest rate that you earn. 
储蓄账户的主要缺点可能就是获取收益的利率相对较低。

But that's to be expected if you take advantage of the benefits of a savings account. The idea isn't to get rich—it's to keep money safe and hopefully avoid losing too much to inflation.
但如果你想利用储蓄账户的好处，那这些也是预料之中的，你的本意也不是要发财，只是想保证资金安全，希望通货膨胀不会让你蒙受太多损失。

For longer-term goals, a savings account might not be the ideal option. CDs pay more, but you need to lock up your money to earn the highest rates. 
从长远来看储蓄账户可能不是理想之选，CDs（一种保险）收益高，但你需要把钱看好以期待最高收益。

Money market accounts may also make sense. For goals that are farther out, other types of investments may be appropriate—but beware of the significant risks that come with moving your money from bank investments to other strategies.
货币市场账户可能也有用。其他类型的投资可能适合长远目标，但要当心把钱从银行投资转向其他投资伴随的重大风险。

 

翻译：菲菲