I have a question about online savings accounts. I see that most of you have ING accounts. I have an account at Emigrant (emergency fund) and a tiny one at HSBC (savings earmarked for specific things). Both of these pay higher interest than ING. Is there a reason you prefer ING?

I signed up for ING when they offered the $25 bonus - and I've been very pleased with their customer service. I find it very difficult nowadays to find a bank with good customer service, so switching to make a few cents more in interest doesn't make sense to me.

If I were opening a new account, I'd consider other banks.

I believe that Emigrant is offering 4.5%, HSBC is offering 4.8%, and ING is offering 4%. For me this means:

If I maintain an average balance of $1000:

ING pays me $40 over the course of a year
Emigrant will pay me $45 over the course of a year
HSBC will pay me $48 over the course of a year.

I'd rather stay with the great service I have for $8 per year. Just my personal opinion.