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Both brokerage accounts and cash management accounts (CMAs) are offered by brokerage firms and both have the potential to earn returns on your money. However, these accounts serve different purposes and work in different ways: Brokerage accounts are for investing in the market, while CMAs focus on managing cash with easy access and the ability to earn interest on your balance.

Here’s a closer look at brokerage accounts vs. cash management accounts to help you decide if you need one or the other, or both.

What Is a Cash Management Account?

A cash management account (CMA) is a type of cash account offered by brokerage firms that offers some of the same features as checking accounts and savings accounts. CMAs allow you to deposit money and earn interest. Most provide access to your money via debit cards, in addition to checks.

What Is a Brokerage Account?

A brokerage account allows customers to deposit money which can then be used to buy and sell investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other securities.

There are three main types of brokerage firms.

•   A full-service brokerage firm usually provides a range of financial services including financial advice and automated investing.

•   A discount brokerage offers lower fees in exchange for fewer financial planning services.

•   Online brokerages allow you to trade via the internet and often charge the lowest fees.

Similarities Between a Cash Management Account and Brokerage Account

Although brokerage and CMA accounts work in different ways, there are some similarities.

Both Offered by Brokerages

Both types of accounts are offered by brokerage firms. When you open a brokerage account and link it to a CMA at the same firm, it can provide a convenient way to transfer assets from one account to another when you buy and sell securities.

The Potential to Earn Returns

When considering a brokerage account vs. a cash management, remember that they both offer customers the potential to earn money on investments or deposits, respectively.

In a brokerage account, you have the potential to earn returns from your investments, although you also face the risk of loss that comes with investing in stocks, bonds, and other securities.

A cash management account is generally a safer place to keep your money and you’ll earn interest on your deposits. But those rates are generally lower than the gains you might see from other investments.

Brokerage Account vs Cash Management: What Are the Differences?

Cash management accounts and brokerage accounts work in different ways. CMAs mirror traditional savings and checking accounts and brokerage accounts are strictly for investments. Here are the details:

Earnings Come From Different Places

In a brokerage account, potential earnings come from the gains you might see when investing in stocks, bonds, and other investments. Investing in securities also comes with the risk of losses.

Earnings in cash management accounts come from the interest rate paid on your balance. Usually, these rates are similar to the rates paid in traditional savings accounts.

CMAs also act like checking accounts because you can use checks or a debit card for purchases. But traditional checking accounts don’t usually pay interest, or if they do the rate is often lower than a CMA.

Earnings on Brokerage Accounts Are Potentially Higher Over Time

Over the long term, investing has historically provided higher returns than savings accounts. With those potential earnings comes market risk, meaning you may experience losses too, especially in the short-term.

To manage a brokerage account or work with a broker, you need to take into account your tolerance for market risk and what combination of stocks and bonds is right for your financial goals.

Insurance Is Provided by Different Sources

When you open a new bank account, up to $250,000 of your cash deposits are typically covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the unlikely event of bank failure. The $250,000 limit is per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.

Most brokerage accounts, however, are insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) in the event of theft, fraud, or if the brokerage fails. The SIPC offers up to $500,000 of coverage total, per person, if such a loss were to occur. The SIPC does not cover investment losses.

Cash management accounts have so-called sweep accounts, which are insured by the FDIC. Here’s how it works: CMAs sweep funds into a variety of FDIC-insured banks. If you make a $200,000 deposit, for example, your money may be split into four $50,000 deposits in four different bank accounts. (The CMA provider manages this process — you only see your total CMA balance.)

Before your money is moved into the different accounts, your deposit is protected by SIPC insurance if the brokerage is an SIPC member.

What Money in These Accounts Can Be Used for

Because CMA accounts typically offer checks and/or debit cards, you can use that money for purchases or bill paying or ATM withdrawals.

Money kept in a brokerage account is strictly used for trading securities. But by linking a CMA to your brokerage account, you can easily transfer cash from one to the other, for investing purposes.

The Takeaway

When considering a brokerage account vs. cash management, it helps to know what makes these accounts different, and how they can work together. While a brokerage account is for trading securities, and comes with the risks associated with investing in securities, a cash management account (CMA) is similar to a traditional checking or savings account. There’s almost no risk of losing money, and your deposits can earn interest. Because both are offered at brokerage firms, you can have both, and use your cash management account as a place to keep funds you don’t wish to invest.

Or, as an alternative to a cash management account, you might consider keeping your extra cash in a high-yield savings account. This is a type of federally insured savings product offered by banks and credit unions that typically earns a much higher rate than a regular savings account.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.

FAQ

Are brokerage accounts and cash management accounts the same?

No. Brokerage accounts are used to buy and sell securities. Cash management accounts act more like traditional bank savings and checking accounts, but are provided by brokerage and other non-bank financial institutions. Sometimes the accounts may be linked. However, the accounts earn money from different sources.

Can you keep cash in a brokerage account?

Yes, you can deposit and keep cash in a brokerage account. However, money in a brokerage account is strictly for investing in stocks, bonds, funds and other securities. If you’re just looking to store cash and earn interest, you’re likely better off with a cash management account, money market account, or high-yield savings account.

Do cash management accounts and brokerage accounts work together?

Generally, yes. If you have a cash management account (CMA) and a brokerage account at the same brokerage firm and the accounts are linked, you can use your CMA to move cash into your brokerage account in order to execute trades. You can also transfer the money from sales of securities into your CMA for safekeeping. The combination gives you the ability to purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other securities, but also offers the flexibility, liquidity, and interest earnings of traditional bank accounts.

Photo credit: iStock/Aja Koska

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SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit activity can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Eligible Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Eligible Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below).

Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not designate payments as direct deposit. To ensure you're earning 3.80% APY, we encourage you to check your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives. If your APY is not showing as 3.80%, contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. As long as SoFi Bank can validate those details, you will start earning 3.80% APY from the date you contact SoFi for the rest of the current 30-day Evaluation Period. You will also be eligible for 3.80% APY on future Eligible Direct Deposits, as long as SoFi Bank can validate them.

Deposits that are not from an employer, payroll, or benefits provider or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Eligible Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to Direct Deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 3.80% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Eligible Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving an Eligible Direct Deposit or receipt of $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 3.80% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Eligible Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Eligible Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Eligible Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Eligible Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until SoFi Bank recognizes Eligible Direct Deposit activity or receives $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Eligible Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit.

Separately, SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days can also earn 3.80% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. For additional details, see the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.

Members without either Eligible Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, or who do not enroll in SoFi Plus by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days, will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
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