Savings Account

Savings accounts are accounts maintained by retail financial institutions that pay interest but can not be used directly as money ( for example, by writing a cheque). These accounts let customers set aside a portion of their liquid assets while earning a monetary return. Savings accounts are offered by commercial banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, building societies and mutual savings banks. Some savings accounts require funds to be kept on deposit for a minimum length of time, but most permit unlimited access to funds. In the US, Regulation D, limits the withdrawals, payments, and transfers that a savings account may perform. Banks comply with these regulations differently; some will immediately prevent the transfer from happening, while others will allow the transfer to occur but will notify the account holder upon violation of the regulation. True savings accounts do not offer cheque-writing privileges, although many institutions will call their higher-interest demand accounts or money market accounts "savings accounts."
All savings accounts offer itemized lists of all financial transactions, traditionally through a passbook, but also through a bank statement.