The best savings rate on the comparison table is not the rate you earn. It’s the rate before the IRS and your state take their cut, and those cuts differ by account. Run the after-tax numbers and the winner changes for a lot of readers, especially anyone in a state with an income tax. The fight over a few basis points also turns out to be smaller than it looks. The real decision is somewhere else.
The rate in the ad is a pre-tax number
Interest from a savings account or CD is taxable income, and the IRS requires you to report it whether or not you receive a 1099. Most states tax it too. Treasury bills are different.
