I don't fully practice what I preach, but putting money into "savings" isn't how you get rich; it's how the banks get rich.
The checking account should have a few grand in it; enough to cover the monthly credit card bill, which you're purchasing everything on to get the 2% cash back, plus a grand or so extra as an emergency/buffer.
4% interest on $5k is $200 a year, or about 50 cents a day. Not life altering.
Invest the rest in index funds which over time will outperform any savings account, except...
Here's the order of operations;
0. Establish an emergency fund to your satisfaction
1. Contribute to your 401k (traditional or Roth - see "Why #4" below) up to any company match
2. Pay off any debts with interest rates ~5% or more above the current 10-year Treasury note yield.
3. Max Health Savings Account (HSA) if eligible.
4. Max Traditional IRA or Roth (or backdoor Roth) based on income level
5. Max 401k (if
- 401k fees are lower than available in an IRA, or
- you need the 401k deduction to be eligible for (and desire) a tIRA deduction, or
- you earn too much for an IRA deduction and prefer traditional to Roth, then
swap #4 and #5)
6. Fund a mega backdoor Roth if applicable.
7. Pay off any debts with interest rates ~3% or more above the current 10-year Treasury note yield.
8. Invest in a taxable account and/or fund a 529 with any extra.
Here's the thread on this. There's really not much point in listening to other "experts" talk on this subject because they are either giving a long-winded way to say the same thing, or they're wrong.
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/in...53/#msg1333153