During an optimization, if a higher interest rate is available to you, funds will flow from your lower-yielding savings account to your central checking account and then from checking to your highest-yielding savings account.
All funds transfers occur via ACH, and typically take 1–3 days, and so a two-step optimization could take up to a week end-to-end. At all times, your funds remain in your own bank accounts.
While there may be some reduction in the interest that you earn for the day that funds sit in your checking account, we calculate that for most Max members, the impact over the course of a year is typically just a few basis points. As a result, the impact -- while non-zero -- is negligible, and is typically more than made up for by the greater interest that you will earn by optimizing.
What if I need to access funds during an optimization?
Depending on when your optimization was initiated and the banks involved, Max may be able to help you cancel your transfers. If you need to access funds during an optimization, please contact our support team at urgent@maxmyinterest.com.
Planning for an upcoming withdrawal?
If you need to schedule a withdrawal and you have an upcoming optimization, you can adjust your optimization schedule directly from your Dashboard. Click the "Next Optimization" button at the top of your Dashboard, then click "Edit Schedule" to pause or change the optimization date.

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