Note 01

Rate language translator

A Money Market 4.9% headline is only the beginning. The important words are usually small: “up to,” “eligible,” “current,” “variable,” “tier,” and “new deposits.” Each word changes how a reader should understand the number.

“Up to” means the headline may describe the best tier, not every account. “Current” means the number is true at a moment in time, not promised forever. “Variable” means the rate can move. “Eligible balance” means some money may earn one rate while the rest earns another.

The safest reading habit is simple: treat the big number as a label, then read the conditions as the real product description.