My bank has automatically boosted my savings by $4,000 in 3 years

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• Ally doesn't offer the highest APY on its savings account, but it's good enough for my goals.
• Ally's CDs reward me for renewing by giving me an extra bit of interest.
• Ally automatically moves "safe-to-save" money into savings — I've saved over $4,000 this way.

Toss a rock in any direction, and you'll find banks advertising high-yield savings accounts with interest rates between 4.5% and 5.0%, even after the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates. And while I have been tempted to park my money in one of these too-good-to-be true-rates savings accounts, I've decided to stay put with my Ally high-yield savings account .

I know there are higher APYs for high-yield savings accounts, but I am not switching banks. That's because I use Ally's CDs and love its savings features. I find Ally's interest rates to be competitive enough to meet my short-term savings goals.

Here's why I'm sticking with Ally for the time being.

Ally's certificates of deposits are flexible and easy to use

A few years ago , I opened several CDs with Ally and have been renewing my CDs since. Ally sends me a notification about 20 days before any of my CDs mature. I can decide whether I want to renew, invest in a different CD, or take out the money. Once the CD matures, it automatically renews. However, there's a 10-day grace period if I want to make any changes.

I typically renew my CD, and even though I have the option to add funds throughout the term, I've decided to keep it in the same CDs, ranging from six months to a year. If there's a CD with a promotional rate, I might switch one of the CDs for that one instead.

If you decide to renew your CD, Ally will give you an additional 0.05% of the current interest rate. While it doesn't seem like a lot, it can help you earn a bit more on your CD — especially if you keep the money parked in your account. That way, you can tap into the power of compound interest and grow your funds even more in the same amount of time.

Ally has savings features that boost my financial goals

Ally also has easy-to-use savings features, such as creating up to 30 buckets for different goals. I have different savings buckets for pets, vacations, family, emergencies, and a new car.

I also have access to features like recurring transfers, surprise savings, and roundups. I do monthly recurring transfers for a few of my savings goals. I also have surprise savings set up, and usually, a few times a month, I get a notification to expect a surprise savings.

Ally looks at my past spending and saving habits and will move "safe-to-save" money. That way, I only save what I can afford. Since I opened my main savings account three years ago, I've stashed away nearly $4,000 in surprise savings from one account.

Ally's combination of savings features, range of CD terms and rates, and ease of use meet my short-term needs for squirreling away cash.

While I might earn more in a HYSA savings account with another bank, when it comes to an online-only bank, I'm looking for a range of tools and features that will boost my money goals.