A checking account is the workhorse of your finances: You typically receive your earnings by direct deposit, spend money with a debit card, and pay bills online from your checking account. So why have a savings account, especially when interest rates are low?

　　活期账户是你的经济支柱：通常你的收入是直接存入卡里的，花钱用借记卡，在网上用活期账户支付账单。那么为什么要有储蓄账户呢，尤其有时利率还很低?

　　Savings accounts may not pay much, but rates have ticked up, and they may continue to rise in 2019. If that happens, your savings account will get more attractive, unless inflation moves along at a similar pace.

　　储蓄账户可能利息不高，但利率会上调，可能2019年还会持续提高。这样的话，你的储蓄账户就更有吸引力了，除非通货膨胀跟利率上调的速度差不多。

　　Still, there are plenty of reasons to keep cash in a savings account.

　　但把钱存入账户还有很多原因。

　　Keep it Separate

　　把钱分开放

　　A savings account allows you to get money out of your checking account and keep it separate from your everyday spending money.

　　储蓄账户可以让你把钱从活期账户中分出来一部分，和日常花销分开。

　　That alone can eliminate temptation and keep you from spending money that you'd prefer not to spend. By moving money to a savings account, you earmark it for longer-term goals—not this month's groceries or entertainment expenses.

　　仅仅这一点就能抗拒诱惑，不想花的钱就可以不花。你可以专门为长期目标把钱存进一个储蓄账户，长期目标并非是这个月要买的日常用品或消遣之用。

　　Prepare for Surprises

　　准备惊喜

　　Even if you're not saving for anything in particular, it's wise to keep cash in an emergency fund.

　　即使你没什么特别的攒钱目标，存点儿钱应急还是很明智的。

　　A savings account is an excellent place for emergency savings. Why have emergency savings? When life catches you by surprise, it's easier to land on your feet if you can pay for expenses out of your savings.

　　储蓄账户是应急储蓄的极好选择，为什么要有应急储蓄呢?生活打你一个措手不及时，如果你能从账户中拿出钱来应对，想要渡过难关就容易得多。

　　The alternative is to take drastic measures: Go into debt, make sacrifices (like putting your health or safety at risk), or sell things at less-than-perfect timing to pay for unexpected costs.

　　否则你就得采取极端措施：负债、做出牺牲(比如牺牲健康或安全)，或在不合适的时机卖点东西来支付意外费用。