Geldanlage: Tagesgeld-Hopper machen 700 Prozent mehr Rendite als treue Bankkunden

Investors have been warned against frequently trading stocks, as it can lead to losses due to high transaction fees. However, when it comes to investing in daily savings (Tagesgeld), the situation is different. FMH-Finanzberatung's Max Herbst calculated that a consistently changing investor made 700 percent more returns than a loyal bank customer over the past four years.

Traditional banks offer the lowest interest rates; after four years, a 50,000 Euro deposit would yield 50,797 Euro at a brick-and-mortar bank, and 51,567 Euro at a direct bank. Those who switched banks consistently ended up with 56,744 Euro. While the expert took into account the highest daily savings interest rates, he couldn't account for all peak rates, as most of these promotional rates last only three to six months.

To keep the effort manageable, Herbst switched banks no earlier than after the interest guarantee period ended, even if better offers appeared on the market in the meantime. He also tried to avoid offers that require a checking account to be opened simultaneously, as these often come with fees that eat into the profits. Many banks require a minimum deposit or a certain number of trades to keep a checking or investment account free of charge.

Giving up on both can be beneficial, as unused accounts with no activity may incur fees over time. The bank will also stop charging high interest rates if a customer stays inactive for a certain period, providing an opportunity to take advantage of new customer promotions from the same institution. However, many investors find the effort of constantly switching accounts daunting.

Herbst himself made 16 account switches within four years, including the video identification process, which most banks now offer, amounting to about two workdays. Despite the effort, the potential rewards are significant. Alternatives for investors seeking high yields without frequent switching exist, such as Bank of Scotland's daily savings account with a one-year interest guarantee at three percent.

While there are 20 higher-yielding offers on the market, they only guarantee interest rates for six months, with Bank of America offering four months of four percent interest. The only condition at Bank of Scotland is that the European Central Bank (ECB) deposit rate must not fall below 1.25 percent during the term of the offer, which is unlikely given the current ECB deposit rate of 2.25 percent.

Unlike fixed-term deposits, where early termination can result in no interest at all, daily savings accounts can be closed at any time, and accrued interest is paid out. If higher-yielding alternatives with longer terms appear on the market in the future, the account can be closed without penalty.