Overview
- Verivox’s September 1, 2026 analysis of more than 800 banks found average Festgeld rates of about 2.43% for one year, 2.53% for two years and 2.94% for ten years, all above the ECB’s 2.25% deposit rate.
- Money- and capital-market rates have climbed sharply since March, with the 12-month Euribor and ten-year Bund yields rising and analysts saying the Iran war and higher energy prices accelerated those moves.
- Banks are using fixed-term customer deposits as a cheaper, predictable source of funding for loans, and competition from fintechs and neobanks has produced time-limited promo rates that outpace averages.
- Several promotional offers now top 3%—examples include Scalable’s new Festgeld packages, Revolut’s capped short-term Tagesgeld deal and Chase’s limited high-rate offer—though many come with caps, short durations or conditions.
- Most existing day-to-day savers see far lower returns (average Tagesgeld for existing customers ~1.39%, Sparkassen ~0.42%) and August inflation of 2.9% means typical nominal gains often do not translate into positive real, after-tax returns; savers should check deposit insurance limits and offer terms before moving money.