I'm a former banker and I consider 3 things to choose the best high-yield savings accounts for my money

• Some banks charge a monthly fee if you don't maintain a minimum balance, but most high-yield savings accounts have no recurring fees or minimums.
• Leading high-yield savings accounts pay around 15 times the national average savings account interest rate.
• However, you probably don't want to choose a high-yield savings account based only on interest rate. It's best to choose a bank that's easy to work with and makes it easy to manage and access your money.
• See Business Insider's picks for the best high-yield savings accounts »

As you might expect of someone who writes about money all day (and who was a bank manager in a previous career), I'm pretty big on saving and staying financially prepared for the future.

I use high-yield savings accounts for my emergency fund, property taxes, and insurance on my home, and an extra cash cushion for peace of mind. Thanks to my savings, I can handle just about any financial need for my family of five without taking on debt or selling investments.

I'm also pretty picky about where I keep my money. I loathe bank fees and won't settle for merely average interest rates. Here's a look at the criteria I consider and how I chose my high-yield savings accounts I use today.

Priority 1: Fees

You should never have to pay to keep your money in a bank. Banks make money by lending out deposits, so they generally take deposits for free. But many savings accounts come with a monthly fee unless you meet minimum balance requirements. I don't want to have to worry about paying $10, $15, or more because I needed some of my own money.

The best high-yield savings accounts have no recurring fees and no minimum balance requirements. A couple of banks go so far as to not charge any fees at all for their high-yield savings accounts.

Before signing up for any high-yield savings account, take a look at the terms and conditions. If you see fees for activities you expect to do regularly, it's probably not the right account for your needs.

Priority 2: Interest rates

Banks make money through interest on loans. When you use your credit card or take out a mortgage loan from the bank, the money has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is the cash deposits they hold from checking and savings accounts.

Because banks need deposits to make loans and earn money, they pay interest to account holders. Some of the biggest traditional banks pay just 0.01% interest. And at 0.09%, the average savings account interest rate in the US isn't great.

High-yield savings accounts pay a lot more. That's why they are called high-yield, after all. My high-yield savings accounts pay 1.6% to 1.9% as of this writing. The best one pays 190 times what you would get with the worst savings accounts.

Priority 3: Convenience

We live in an amazing time for convenience. Depending on where you live, you can order just about anything and have it delivered within two days, if not two hours. If we won't settle for three-day shipping, we shouldn't settle for anything but easy and quick access to our money.

I want a high-yield savings account that gives me the ability to send and receive funds from linked accounts quickly and with no fees. I want an app and website where I can log in to view and manage my money. I want my account to work with tools like Mint, YNAB, and Personal Capital. And, like Veruca Salt in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," I want it now.

I use 4 high-yield savings accounts today

• Ally Bank: Ally Bank's Online Savings Account features a competitive interest rate with no fees for regular account use. It belongs to the Zelle network of banks supporting near-instant transfers. It is online-only.

• Capital One: 360 Performance Savings from Capital One pays a competitive interest rate with no minimum balance or monthly fees. It has branches in some cities, but I have never been to one of them. It's easy to use online.

• Simple: Simple is known for low fees, which includes the Protected Goals Account. Protected Goals link to a regular Simple Savings account. This account features a competitive interest rate on balances up to $9,999.99 and an even higher one for balances of $10,000 and above. While the name says "protected," you can withdraw your balance at any time.

• SoFi: SoFi Money is a checking account and high-yield savings account in one. There are no account fees and the current interest rate is competitive.

Of course, there are some other great banks and accounts out there. Most people would also do fine with just one or two accounts. I'm a money nerd, so I tinker with my money more than most.

Instead of picking a bank based on the number of locations near my house, I picked my accounts with a primary focus on the dollars and cents. If the account is free to use and offers a good interest rate for my deposit, I'm a happy camper.

Eric Rosenberg is a former bank manager and corporate finance and accounting professional who left his day job in 2016 to take his online personal finance side hustle full time.

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