Featured Partner · Bundle dealSeeking Alpha Premium and Alpha Picks: $629 instead of $798Premium: research tools and screeners. Alpha Picks: two stock picks a month. Get $169 Off Premium: research tools and screeners. Alpha Picks: two stock picks a month. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This page is not financial advice. A bank deposit and an investment are different products, and the protection section below is the part to read first.
- Partner platforms come first, then general options. The list is not a ranking. Monefit and Go & Grow are in the partner group, and they are higher risk.
- Read the protection column before the rate. A deposit guarantee, an investor compensation scheme and no scheme at all are three different backstops.
- General options come after the partners. A money market fund or ETF, a short-dated government bond ETF, and a fixed-term bank deposit are not tied to one firm.
- Monefit SmartSaver and Go & Grow are not deposits. No EU deposit guarantee covers them, and the advertised return is not a promise.
The list starts with partner platforms we have used and checked: Lightyear Savings, Trading 212 cash interest, Interactive Brokers cash interest and Mintos Smart Cash, then Monefit SmartSaver and Go & Grow. Monefit and Go & Grow are marked higher risk, because no deposit guarantee covers them. After the partners come general options that are not tied to one firm: a money market fund or ETF, a short-dated government bond ETF, and a fixed-term bank deposit. That order is a grouping, not a ranking.
If you want a protected easy-access rate, start with our euro savings account comparison. If the cash is an emergency reserve, the emergency fund guide puts access and a deposit guarantee ahead of yield.
ProtectionDeposit guarantee, investor compensation, or no protection
Three phrases get mixed together in app screenshots. They are not the same backstop.
- EU rules set the harmonised level at €100,000 per person, per bank
- Does not cover funds, ETFs, shares, or consumer-lending balances
- Other deposits you hold at the same bank can count towards the same cap
- A national scheme may repay a limited amount of missing instruments or cash
- Does not pay you because a fund, bond or share fell in price
- The cap depends on the country and the firm, and it is often far below the deposit cap
- No deposit guarantee and no investor compensation on the product
- A higher advertised return is the payment for that missing backstop
- Monefit SmartSaver and Go & Grow sit in this group
The European Commission states the €100,000 cap for a failed member bank. Cash a broker holds at a partner bank can share that cap with your other deposits there. A fund is not a deposit, even when an app calls it savings or interest.
At a glanceHow the alternatives compare
Partner platforms we have used and checked come first. General options follow, under "Other options". Use the protection column to see the safety difference. This is not a ranking.
Rates come from the site fact store. Lightyear 2.46% APY is the EU Savings page figure from 6 November 2026. Trading 212 2.30% is the UK Ltd account rate checked in the app on 8 October 2026. Interactive Brokers 2.07% is the rounded euro rate above €10,000, checked on 7 November 2026. Mintos, Monefit and Go & Grow use the figures checked on their public pages in early November 2026. A variable rate can change before this table does. Capital is at risk on every row except a deposit that is actually inside a guarantee scheme.
LightyearLightyear Savings
Lightyear's EU page presents Savings as an easy-access product that invests in money market funds. Our Lightyear review still calls the same feature Vaults. Lightyear says the euro money is held in funds managed by BlackRock, and names the BlackRock ICS Euro Liquidity Fund (Premier), shown on its page at risk level 1 out of 7. In Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia, Lightyear says the euro product uses J.P. Morgan Asset Management instead, in the JPMorgan EUR Liquidity LVNAV Fund.
The rate stored for this site is 2.46% APY, from Lightyear's EU Savings page on 6 November 2026, shown after fees. The one-day yield changes with the central bank rate, so use the figure in the app on the day. Lightyear says there is no minimum or maximum, yield is earned daily, and it is paid on the first business day of the month and reinvested. Capital is at risk. EU investor protection covers assets up to €20,000 through the Estonian Investor Protection Sectoral Fund. That is not a deposit guarantee, and it does not refund a fall in the fund. Lightyear Europe AS provides the investment service in the EU.
Capital at risk. Provider of investment services is Lightyear Europe AS. Savings, also called Vaults on this site, invests in money market funds, and the value can go up or down. Terms apply. Seek guidance if needed. The stored euro rate is 2.46% (APY), variable, and checked on 6 November 2026.
Trading 212Trading 212 cash interest
Trading 212 lets Invest clients opt in to interest on uninvested cash. The firm says interest is calculated and paid daily. The rate on our Trading 212 UK Ltd account was 2.30% on euros, checked in the app on 8 October 2026. Rates vary by entity, so the number in your own app is the one that applies to you. Our Trading 212 review covers the platform, and the safety guide goes through the companies.
Which company holds the account decides the scheme. Trading 212's help centre says Trading 212 UK Ltd is authorised by the FCA, Trading 212 Markets Ltd by CySEC, and Trading 212 EU GmbH by BaFin. On the EU GmbH funds page, checked on 9 November 2026, Trading 212 says EdW, the German investor protection scheme, protects 90% of eligible funds up to €20,000 per person if the firm fails to safeguard the money. The same page says uninvested cash at a German partner bank is also covered by a deposit guarantee up to the standard cap per person per partner bank, and that the cap includes other money you hold at that bank. UK and Cyprus accounts are not in that German scheme.
The interest switch changes the holding. If you enable interest, Trading 212 will hold your cash in qualifying money market funds and banks. Otherwise, your cash will be held only in banks. Interest applies on cash in an investment account. The part in a qualifying money market fund is an investment. It does not receive bank-deposit protection, and a fall in that fund is not what a deposit scheme pays. New Trading 212 EU GmbH clients who join from 3 to 30 November 2026 can be offered a promotional rate, the ECB deposit facility rate plus 1.70 percentage points, shown on this site as 4.20%, on uninvested euros up to €100,000 for four months. That promo is variable, it moves with the ECB rate, and it is not the standard rate in the table. Terms apply.
When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Sponsored link. 0,15% FX fee applies when converting funds. Other fees may apply. If you enable interest, Trading 212 will hold your cash in qualifying money market funds and banks. Otherwise, your cash will be held only in banks. Interest applies on cash in an investment account. Terms apply.
Interactive BrokersInteractive Brokers cash interest
Interactive Brokers pays interest on uninvested cash in the brokerage account, not as a separate savings account. On the Ireland pricing page, euro cash up to €10,000 earns 0%. Above that, the page prints 2.067%, the benchmark minus 0.5%. This site publishes that tier as 2.07%, checked on 7 November 2026. Because the first slice earns nothing, the rate on the whole balance is blended. Clients with account value below the equivalent of USD 100,000 receive a lower rate. Interest is calculated on each currency separately.
That interest is not a deposit guarantee. Client asset protection for EU accounts is covered in our Interactive Brokers safety guide and the Interactive Brokers review.
When investing, your capital is at risk. This is a sponsored link. Interactive Brokers provides execution and clearing services. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any product, or to use cash interest as a substitute for a deposit. This is not investment advice.
MintosMintos Smart Cash
Mintos describes Smart Cash as a low-volatility, highly liquid money market fund managed by BlackRock, holding short-term fixed income, money market instruments and bank deposits of high credit quality. Mintos advertises up to 2.5%. Treat that as a fund yield, not as bank interest. Mintos says you can withdraw on the same day, with no fee and no penalty. Mintos is a member of Latvia's investor compensation scheme under Directive 97/9/EC. The firm says the scheme pays if Mintos fails to return financial instruments or cash, limited to outstanding liabilities up to €20,000, and that it does not compensate losses from changes in price or liquidity. A deposit guarantee does not sit on the fund. Mintos's welcome bonus, up to €350, does not count Smart Cash. Our Mintos ETF review and Mintos stocks review cover the firm, not this fund.
When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Smart Cash is a fund. Latvia's investor compensation scheme does not cover a fall in price or a loss of liquidity. This is a sponsored link.
Higher riskMonefit and Go & Grow
Both show up in savings searches because the app shows a balance and a percentage. Go & Grow's own page says its roots were in peer-to-peer lending and that the product today is a consumer loan receivables service. Monefit says you fund consumer loans from Creditstar Group companies. Neither is a savings account.
Monefit SmartSaver
Monefit says SmartSaver is an investment platform, not a savings account or a bank product, and that there is no government guarantee. The Main Account shows an expected 7.50% APY. Vaults, which lock money for 12 to 24 months, show an expected 9.42% to 10.52%. Monefit says the figures are expected, not a promise, and that actual returns depend on borrower performance. Withdrawals of up to €1,000 a month usually arrive within minutes, and larger amounts are usually processed within 10 business days. The same page says withdrawals are conditional and not guaranteed. There is no EU deposit guarantee and no investor compensation scheme on the balance. Fees, the Creditstar concentration and the exit rules are in our Monefit SmartSaver review.
Expected return, not guaranteed. Capital at risk. Not a bank deposit. No EU deposit guarantee and no investor compensation scheme. The Main Account figure is 7.50% expected. Vaults show 9.42% to 10.52% expected. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. Sponsored link.
Go & Grow
Go & Grow, formerly Bondora Go & Grow, says your money is allocated across fractions of consumer loans issued by Bondora AS. The page shows a target of up to 6% p.a.. It also says diversification and recovery processes cannot guarantee your capital. Go&Grow OÜ says it is not a credit provider. The service is not a bank deposit and not a regulated investment service. You can request a withdrawal at any time. Go & Grow says that in extraordinary cases it may pay in parts until the request is complete, and that there is a €1 fee per withdrawal. The longer account of liquidity and who owns the loan claims is in our Go & Grow review.
Capital at risk. The up to 6% p.a. figure is a target, not guaranteed, and it is not bank interest. Not covered by a deposit guarantee. Not a regulated investment service. Partial payouts are possible. Sponsored link.
Other optionsGeneral options, not tied to one partner
These three are the products people use when they do not want a single firm's cash account. We are not quoting a live fund yield. Those yields change daily, and they are not in our fact store.
Money market fund or ETF
A money market fund holds short-term, high-quality debt and passes through a yield after fees. A UCITS money market ETF is the do-it-yourself version of Lightyear Savings and Mintos Smart Cash. Our ETF investing guide and ETF broker comparison cover how to buy one and what dealing and currency costs look like. The price is managed to stay close to what you paid. That is not a promise: the value can fall, and redemptions can be delayed. There is no deposit guarantee. Investor compensation, where the broker offers it, pays if the firm cannot return the units, not if the fund loses value.
Short-dated government bond ETF
A short-dated euro government bond ETF holds government bonds with little time left to maturity. You can sell it on the exchange, and the price usually moves less than a long-dated bond fund. It still moves: when yields rise, the price can fall. You pay the fund charge, a spread, and any currency conversion on the wrong share class. There is no deposit guarantee. It can suit money you can leave for several months. It does not suit an emergency fund. Check the maturity range, the currency and the fee in the fund documents on the day.
Fixed-term bank deposit
A fixed-term deposit is still a bank deposit. You agree a rate for a set number of months. If that bank is in an EU deposit guarantee scheme, the balance is covered up to the €100,000 cap, per person and per bank. Leaving early often costs the interest, and some banks do not allow it, so it suits a known date rather than an emergency fund or cash you might invest next month. Term rates differ by bank, country and term, so this page does not quote one. For easy-access protected rates we track, use the euro savings comparison.
DecisionHow to choose where the cash sits
Match the cash to the job. Money you might need within days belongs in a deposit-guaranteed easy-access account. Cash already inside a broker, waiting to be invested, is the ordinary use of Lightyear Savings, Trading 212 interest, Interactive Brokers cash interest, Mintos Smart Cash or a money market ETF, once you accept the holding and check the app rate. A known future date can sit in a fixed-term deposit, so the guarantee stays. Money you can afford to lose is the only honest funding for Monefit or Go & Grow, and it should be a capped slice beside the protected reserve.
Frequently asked questions
Under EU rules, a deposit guarantee scheme repays deposits up to €100,000 if a member bank fails. The European Commission describes that cap as the harmonised level of protection. It is per person and per bank, and money you hold at the same bank through other routes can count towards the same cap. It does not cover a fall in a fund, a bond ETF, a share, or a consumer loan. The Commission page is Deposit guarantee schemes.
No. It is a fund that holds short-term, high-quality debt. The value can fall, and there is no deposit guarantee. Investor compensation, where a broker offers it, pays only if the firm cannot return the units, not if the fund itself loses value.
Not automatically. Cash a broker places at a bank can fall inside a deposit guarantee, often shared with your other deposits at that bank. Cash in a money market fund does not. Lightyear Savings is a fund. Trading 212 may hold interest-bearing cash in qualifying money market funds and banks. Interactive Brokers pays interest on uninvested cash. Read the holding before you treat the balance as a deposit.
Investor compensation is a backstop for a failed investment firm that cannot return the instruments or cash it owes you. It is not insurance against a bad price. The cap depends on the country and the firm. Lightyear says the Estonian Investor Protection Sectoral Fund covers assets up to €20,000. Mintos says Latvia's scheme covers outstanding liabilities up to €20,000 and does not pay for a change in price or liquidity.
No. Mintos describes it as a BlackRock money market fund, with same-day withdrawals and no fee or penalty on its product page. Latvia's investor compensation scheme can apply if Mintos cannot return the assets, up to €20,000. It does not cover a fall in the fund, and there is no deposit guarantee.
No. Monefit says SmartSaver is an investment platform, not a savings account or a bank product, that there is no government guarantee, and that the expected return is not guaranteed. Go & Grow says it is a consumer loan receivables service, not a bank deposit and not a regulated investment service, and that its safeguards do not guarantee your capital. Both are higher risk than a deposit. Partial or total loss is possible.
It can hold money you will not need this week, and the price usually moves less than a long-dated bond fund. The price can still fall when yields rise. There is no deposit guarantee.
When you know the date you will need the money, and you want that balance inside a deposit guarantee. You give up access for a rate that is fixed for the term. Leaving early can cost you the interest. Money you might need for an emergency belongs in an easy-access protected account, which we compare on the euro savings page.
Deposit guarantee: The €100,000 figure is the harmonised level described by the European Commission for EU deposit guarantee schemes. It applies to deposits at a member bank, per person and per bank. It does not cover the investment products on this page.
Lightyear: Capital at risk. Provider of the investment services is Lightyear Europe AS for the EU. Terms apply: lightyear.com/terms. Seek qualified advice if necessary. This is not investment advice. Savings, also described as Vaults in our review, invests in money market funds whose value can go up or down. The stored euro yield is 2.46% APY, net of fees, variable, and taken from the EU Savings page on 6 November 2026.
Trading 212: When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Sponsored link. 0,15% FX fee applies when converting funds. Other fees may apply. If you enable interest, Trading 212 will hold your cash in qualifying money market funds and banks. Otherwise, your cash will be held only in banks. Interest applies on cash in an investment account. Terms apply. The 2.30% figure is the UK Ltd account rate checked in the app on 8 October 2026. The promotional 4.20% figure applies only on the EU GmbH terms checked for the fact store.
Interactive Brokers: When investing, your capital is at risk. This page contains sponsored links to Interactive Brokers. EU Investing Hub may receive compensation if you follow these links, at no extra cost to you. The commercial relationship does not affect our editorial position or the verified facts in this content. This information is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice. Interactive Brokers provides execution and clearing services to its customers. Interactive Brokers makes no representation and assumes no liability to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this Influencer communication. None of the information contained herein constitutes a recommendation, offer, promotion, or solicitation of an offer by Interactive Brokers to buy, sell or hold any security, financial product or instrument or to engage in any specific investment strategy. Investing involves risks. Investors should obtain their own independent financial advice and understand the risks associated with investment products and services before making investment decisions. Risk disclosure statements can be found on the Interactive Brokers website. The euro cash rate was checked against the Ireland pricing page on 7 November 2026.
Mintos: When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Smart Cash is a money market fund. Latvia's investor compensation scheme does not cover losses from changes in the price or liquidity of investments. The welcome bonus does not apply to Smart Cash.
Monefit: Expected return, not guaranteed. Capital at risk. Not a bank deposit, and no EU deposit guarantee or investor compensation scheme applies. The Main Account is 7.50% expected. Vaults show 9.42% to 10.52% expected. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. Sponsored link.
Go & Grow: Capital at risk. Returns are not guaranteed and are not bank interest. Not covered by a deposit guarantee. Go & Grow says the service is not a regulated investment service. The target is up to 6% p.a..
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