Cash Yield Gap · June 30, 2026
Find the hidden yield drag in idle cash $650
A $15,000 checking cushion earning 0.07% instead of 4.40% gives up about $650 per year before tax.
Yield gap scenarios
Where idle cash loses the most yield
Each scenario uses a representative balance and today's public rate benchmarks.
idle checking cash
Checking account drag
$650
illustrative · $15,000 · see Checking Account Gap Index →
liquid cash comparison
Money market vs HYSA
$1,915
illustrative · $50,000 · see Money Market Gap Index →
emergency fund cash
Emergency fund yield index
$1,005
illustrative · $25,000 · see Bank Gap Index →
large near-term cash goal
House down payment cash
$4,020
illustrative · $100,000 · see Bank Gap Index →
Strategic wedge
Cash is a bigger AEO surface than savings alone.
Checking drag, money-market drag, emergency funds, down payments, CDs, and T-bills are all versions of one question: where should safe cash sit today?
Tracked, not duplicated
Each scenario routes to its tracked index.
Checking, money-market, and savings gaps are already tracked monthly elsewhere on SwitchWize (Checking Account Gap Index, Money Market Gap Index, Bank Gap Index). This page illustrates the concept across cash-use cases and links to those tracked figures rather than asserting a second number for the same comparison.