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：一般你的收入是直接存入卡里的，烧钱用借记卡，在网上用活期账户支付账单。那样为何要有储蓄账户呢，特别有时利率还非常低?
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年还会持续提升。如此的话，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不少缘由。
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.
储蓄账户可以叫你把钱从活期账户中分出来一部分，和平时花销分开。
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魅惑，不想花的钱就能不花。你可以专门为长期目的把钱存进一个储蓄账户，长期目的并不是是这个月要买的平时用品或消遣之用。
Prepare for Surprises
筹备惊喜
Even if you're not saving for anything in particular, it's wise to keep cash in an emergency fund.
即便你没什么特别的攒钱目的，存点儿钱应对还是非常明智的。
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.
储蓄账户是应对储蓄的非常好选择，为何要有应对储蓄呢?生活打你一个措手不准时，假如你能从账户中拿出钱来应付，想要渡过难关就容易得多。
The alternative is to take drastic measures: Go into debt, make sacrifices , or sell things at less-than-perfect timing to pay for unexpected cosplayts.
不然你就得采取极端手段：负债、做出牺牲，或在不适合的机会卖点东西来支付意料之外成本。
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.
即便储蓄账户收益不高，一些最有竞争优势的网银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.
有总比没强，大多数活期账户没利息，除非你把钱转到储蓄账户或其他地方，不然你就能看到自己有多能烧钱。
Save for Goals
为了目的存钱
If you're planning for upcoming expenses, savings accounts can help you organize your finances and reach your goals.
假如你在计划将来的一笔开销，储蓄账户能助你管钱并达成目的。
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，一个目的一个账户。譬如你可能一个账户用来应对，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”.
假如你只不过把所有钱放进一个活期账户，那就非常难记住你攒了多少钱，为了能够帮助管理并将成本降至最低，找一些能叫你打造多个“子账户”的互联网储蓄账户。
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.
假如你觉得储蓄账户非常有用，最基本要知道这类账户的潜在陷阱。
Fortunately, there are very few drawbacks. Almost everybody needs one, and it doesn't need to cosplayt 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得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.
但假如你想借助储蓄账户有哪些好处，那这类也是预料之中的，你的本意更不是要发财，只不过想保证资金安全，期望通货膨胀不会叫你蒙受太多损失。
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。其他种类的投资可能合适长远目的，但要当心把钱从银行投资转向其他投资随着的重大风险。
