When does a 0.05 percent of a rate matter when it comes to competing savings account rates of return? When the national interest rate is held so low, anything close to 1 percent is considered a good thing. FNBO Direct is currently in this category offering a savings account rate of 0.85 percent for savers.

FNBO Direct stands for First National Bank of Omaha Direct, which is actually a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. This holding company, which acts as the umbrella corporation over FNBO Direct and other institutions, has been operating as a banking company for over 150 years. Today, the combined operations service over 6.6 million customers nationally, according to FNBO Direct. The Bank operates and functions in all the major personal banking areas including savings, 529 plans, certificates of deposit, credit card management, and checking. Because the FNBO Direct platform is predominantly online, all of these services are able to offer interest rates higher than brick-and-mortar banks as well.

All savings accounts with FNBO Direct are federal depositor insurance protected under the FDIC program, so there's no worries about funds being lost working with an Internet-based bank entity. One of the advantages of working with FNBO is the fact that the bank doesn't have a minimum balance deposit. This makes it possible for small depositors to get started and enjoy the same rate of return as big savings players who can immediately plunk down $100,000 or two. It's this kind of open-arm approach to welcoming savers that makes FNBO Direct successful with consumers of all kinds.