Best savings accounts for growing your money

With a little research, you can find the best savings account to make your money grow as safely and quickly as possible. What are the characteristics of the best savings accounts on the market today?

Competitive interest rates. The best savings accounts usually pay a slightly higher interest rate than checking accounts, while keeping your money liquid. Your savings account pays a rate of return on all the money in your account, which means you get paid for just letting your money sit there. If you're not planning on using or investing the money, it's better to keep it in these savings accounts than stashing it under your mattress.

Safety. One of the safest things you can do with your money is to put it into a savings account. The best savings accounts are FDIC insured up to $250,000. And you can't say that about your mattress.

Extra features. The best savings accounts are the ones that make your life as easy as possible. Good interest rates aren't the only hallmark of the best savings accounts--you want to make sure to consider other options, such as: Does your bank offer CDs, if you plan to transfer some of your savings to CDs? If it's an online bank, do they have physical locations you can go to if you need to, say, print a check? How long do you have to wait for bank-to-bank transfers?