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?
活期賬戶是你的經(jīng)濟支柱：通常你的收入是直接存入卡里的，花錢用借記卡，在網(wǎng)上用活期賬戶支付賬單。那么為什么要有儲蓄賬戶呢，尤其有時利率還很低？

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.?
儲蓄賬戶可能利息不高，但利率會上調(diào)，可能2019年還會持續(xù)提高。這樣的話，你的儲蓄賬戶就更有吸引力了，除非通貨膨脹跟利率上調(diào)的速度差不多。

Still, there are plenty of reasons to keep cash in a savings account.
但把錢存入賬戶還有很多原因。

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Keep it Separate
把錢分開放

A savings account allows you to get money out of your checking account and keep it separate from your everyday spending money.?
儲蓄賬戶可以讓你把錢從活期賬戶中分出來一部分，和日常花銷分開。

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.
僅僅這一點就能抗拒誘惑，不想花的錢就可以不花。你可以專門為長期目標(biāo)把錢存進(jìn)一個儲蓄賬戶，長期目標(biāo)并非是這個月要買的日常用品或消遣之用。

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Prepare for Surprises
準(zhǔn)備驚喜

Even if you're not saving for anything in particular, it's wise to keep cash in an emergency fund.?
即使你沒什么特別的攢錢目標(biāo)，存點兒錢應(yīng)急還是很明智的。

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.?
儲蓄賬戶是應(yīng)急儲蓄的極好選擇，為什么要有應(yīng)急儲蓄呢？生活打你一個措手不及時，如果你能從賬戶中拿出錢來應(yīng)對，想要渡過難關(guān)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.
否則你就得采取極端措施：負(fù)債、做出犧牲（比如犧牲健康或安全），或在不合適的時機賣點東西來支付意外費用。

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Grow Your Savings
多攢錢

Even though savings accounts don't pay much, you can earn upwards of two percent APY at some of the most competitive online banks.?
即使儲蓄賬戶收益不高，一些最有競爭力的網(wǎng)上銀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.
有總比沒有強，大部分活期賬戶沒有利息，除非你把錢轉(zhuǎn)到儲蓄賬戶或其他地方，否則你就能看到自己有多能花錢。

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Save for Goals
為了目標(biāo)存錢

If you're planning for upcoming expenses, savings accounts can help you organize your finances and reach your goals.?
如果你在計劃未來的一筆開銷，儲蓄賬戶能幫你管錢并實現(xiàn)目標(biāo)。

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.
甚至還可以有多個儲蓄賬戶，一個目標(biāo)一個賬戶。比如你可能一個賬戶用來應(yīng)急，一個賬戶用來存錢度假，還有一個賬戶存首付。

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”.
如果你只是把所有錢放進(jìn)一個活期賬戶，那就很難記住你攢了多少錢，為了有助于管理并將費用降至最低，找一些能讓你建立多個“子賬戶”的網(wǎng)絡(luò)儲蓄賬戶。

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Disadvantages of Savings Accounts
儲蓄賬戶的缺點

If you've decided that it makes sense to have a savings account, it's essential to understand potential pitfalls with these accounts.?
如果你認(rèn)為儲蓄賬戶很有用，最基本要了解這些賬戶的潛在陷阱。

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.
幸運的是缺點并不多。幾乎所有人都要有一個儲蓄賬戶，開戶并繼續(xù)使用也基本不花什么錢。

The primary drawback of having a savings account is probably the relatively low-interest rate that you earn.?
儲蓄賬戶的主要缺點可能就是獲取收益的利率相對較低。

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.
但如果你想利用儲蓄賬戶的好處，那這些也是預(yù)料之中的，你的本意也不是要發(fā)財，只是想保證資金安全，希望通貨膨脹不會讓你蒙受太多損失。

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.?
從長遠(yuǎn)來看儲蓄賬戶可能不是理想之選，CDs（一種保險）收益高，但你需要把錢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.
貨幣市場賬戶可能也有用。其他類型的投資可能適合長遠(yuǎn)目標(biāo)，但要當(dāng)心把錢從銀行投資轉(zhuǎn)向其他投資伴隨的重大風(fēng)險。

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翻譯：菲菲