Brokerage cash sweep program interest rate (APY)
Cash Management is no longer accepting new customers at this time. If you currently use Cash Management, you can sign up to switch to the Robinhood spending account.
Robinhood doesn’t pay interest–instead, we move your uninvested cash into our network of FDIC insured program banks that hold and invest your cash. These FDIC insured program banks then pay interest on those deposits, minus any fees paid to Robinhood, which you receive as part of the brokerage cash sweep program.
You’ll earn 1.5% APY* on your uninvested brokerage cash that is swept to the banks in our program, or 4.15% for Robinhood Gold members.
For example, if you start January 1 at 2% APY with $1,000 in uninvested brokerage cash that is swept to a program bank, you could earn $20 by January of the following year. This includes compounding, assuming you don’t deposit, invest, or withdraw funds during the entire year.
Robinhood Gold is a subscription offering premium services available for a $5 monthly fee.
You’re be paid interest by the program banks monthly, and you can keep track of how much interest you’ve earned in the Investing section of Settings in the app.
The brokerage cash sweep annual percentage yield (APY) paid by program banks minus fees paid to Robinhood is 1.5% as of August 11, 2022, or 4.15% for Robinhood Gold members as of February 3, 2023. The APY your cash earns is subject to change.
In short, the Federal Reserve Bank (or “the Fed”) and market conditions are the biggest factors in APY fluctuations.
Congress assigns 3 main goals to the Fed: maximum sustainable employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. The Fed uses various tools it uses to meet these goals, but interest-rate changes often get the most attention because they directly impact on how much interest you can earn and how much it costs to borrow.
When you opt your brokerage account into the brokerage cash sweep program, your money is held at one or more of the banks in our program. These banks pay interest rates that are determined in part by the federal funds rate, which moves up and down as mandated by the Fed. When the federal funds rate fluctuates, the rate you receive through the brokerage cash sweep may also change. This also means that the rate would go up if the Federal Reserve announces an increase to the federal funds rate. We'll announce these changes so you're aware before it happens.
Keep in mind, the impact of a fed funds rate decrease isn’t all bad. When the rate goes down, mortgage rates and other loan rates often do as well.
A rate change of 1% would mean that for every $1,000 held at the program banks for a year, you’d earn a difference of $10 in annual interest.
You earn interest on your uninvested brokerage cash that’s swept to the program banks. You only start earning interest once these banks receive your cash. This is affected by the timing of trades, deposits, or withdrawals.
For example, when you purchase a stock, the cash might not be taken out of your account until two business days after the trade settles. In this case, you would continue to earn interest during those two days, even if that cash is no longer available to spend.
The reverse is true as well—if you sell a stock, you may not get the cash until two days after the trade settles. In this case, you would only start earning interest on that cash after it settles and is swept to the program banks.
Uninvested brokerage cash is any available cash that you have in your brokerage account that you have not yet invested or spent. This money is what is swept (or moved) to program banks where it starts to earn interest.
For those with a Robinhood Gold account, this doesn’t include margin.
You can find your swept cash balance under “Brokerage cash sweep program” in the Investing section of Settings in the app.
Customers that carry a margin debit balance would not earn interest through the cash sweep program because a cash balance is needed. If you have a margin balance, there is no cash balance to earn interest. Additionally, if you’ve been flagged as a pattern day trader (PDT), you can still sign up for the brokerage cash sweep program, but you won't be eligible to earn interest until your PDT flag is removed.
You can find your swept cash balance in the Cash sweep program section within Settings → Investing in the app.
No, you’ll start earning interest on your first cent. There’s also no maximum brokerage cash sweep balance that you can earn interest on, but cash deposited to these banks will only be covered by FDIC insurance up to a total maximum of $1.5 million (up to $250,000 per program bank, inclusive of deposits you may already hold at the bank in the same ownership capacity).
Interest is accrued daily based on your end of day balance at the program banks. Your balance is multiplied by the daily interest rate, which is derived from the 1.5% annual percentage yield (APY), or 4.15% APY for Robinhood Gold members.
For example, at 3% APY* and $1,000 end of day balance, the daily interest accrual can be calculated as follows:
Daily interest rate = (1 + 0.03)^(1/365) - 1 = 0.008098629%
Daily interest accrual = $1,000 *0.008098629% = $0.081
This means someone with $1,000 would earn about $0.08 in interest that day. With daily compounding, the next day's interest would be calculated on a $1,000.08 balance, and assuming no deposits, changes to the uninvested cash balance, or withdrawals, the account could end the year with $1,030 at 3% APY.
For leap years, we would use the same formula as above for daily interest but divide by 366 days instead of 365.
Calculations provided are hypothetical and not guarantees of future results. Actual results will vary. Interest rates are subject to change.
Yes, interest on your uninvested brokerage cash that is swept to the program banks will be compounded daily. Each day, you earn interest on your balance, and that earned interest itself also earns interest. Over time, your uninvested brokerage cash multiplies and grows on its own. Compound interest is a powerful tool to help build and accumulate wealth over time. Interest is paid on a monthly basis.
You’ll be paid interest once a month on the last business day of the month*, which will include interest through the end of the month. If the last day of the month falls on a non-business day, you will be prepaid interest for those days on the last business day.
For example, if the last day of the month is a Sunday, that month’s interest will be paid on the preceding Friday, along with what you would earn on Saturday and Sunday.
*In rare cases, you may be paid interest early. This can happen if you leave the program, if your cash moves to a different program bank (e.g. opting out of a bank), or if you make multiple transactions in your account in a short period of time.
No, your Robinhood Cash Card and spending account are separate from your brokerage account. Although the spending account doesn’t earn interest, our brokerage cash sweep program allows Robinhood Gold members who opt in to earn 4.15% APY on uninvested brokerage cash that is swept to the banks in our program or 1.5% APY without Gold. That means you can put your money to work, even if you’re not currently investing it. Rates are subject to change.
The brokerage cash sweep is an added feature to your Robinhood Financial, LLC brokerage account. Robinhood Gold is offered through Robinhood Financial LLC. For more information, see the Robinhood Gold User Agreement.
Interest is earned on uninvested cash swept from your brokerage account to program banks. Program banks pay interest on your swept cash, minus any fees paid to Robinhood. As of February 3, 2023, the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) that you will receive is 1.5%, or 4.15% for Gold customers. The APY might change at any time at the program banks' discretion. Additionally, any fees Robinhood receives may vary and is subject to change. Neither Robinhood Financial LLC nor any of its affiliates are banks.
With the brokerage cash sweep program, the uninvested cash in your brokerage account (cash intended for investing but that you have not yet invested or spent) is swept to program banks, where it becomes eligible for FDIC insurance up to $1.5 million or $250,000 per program bank, inclusive of any other deposits you may already hold at the bank in the same ownership capacity.
Note that until funds are swept to a program bank, they are held in your brokerage account which is protected by SIPC. Once funds are swept to a program bank, they are no longer held in your brokerage account and are not protected by SIPC. However, these funds are eligible for FDIC insurance through the Program Banks subject to FDIC insurance coverage limits. See the IND Disclosures for more information.
Member of SIPC, which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). Explanatory brochure available upon request or at www.sipc.org.
Robinhood Financial LLC (member SIPC) is a registered broker dealer. Robinhood Securities, LLC (member SIPC) is a registered broker dealer and provides brokerage clearing services. All are subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc. (Robinhood).
For more information about the terms applicable to the Robinhood Cash Card, see the Robinhood Cardholder Agreement. The Robinhood Cash Card is issued by Sutton Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard®. Neither Robinhood Money LLC nor any of its affiliates are banks.
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