Per-Provider Mini Reviews

1. KBC Start2Save — 3.15%, €500 a Month

KBC's only competitive regulated product is Start2Save: 1.65% base + 1.50% fidelity = 3.15%, capped at €500 of deposits per month (€6,000 a year). The plain KBC-Spaarrekening pays 0.40% + 0.20% = 0.60% — there is no "KBC Plus Account". Deep integration with KBC Mobile and Bolero.

2. Argenta Groeirekening — 3.15%, €500 a Month

Argenta (a family-owned bank, not a cooperative) offers the same structure: Groeirekening 1.65% + 1.50% = 3.15%, max €500/month. Its lump-sum accounts are weak: Getrouwheidsrekening 0.10% + 1.40% = 1.50%, e-spaar 0.20% + 0.30% = 0.50%, and the branch-only Maxirekening 0.20% + 0.30% = 0.50% (rates effective 1 August 2026).

3. Belfius Flow — 3.10%, €600 a Month

Belfius Flow pays 1.60% + 1.50% = 3.10% on up to €600 of deposits per month. The lump-sum Belfius Fidelity account pays 0.15% + 1.50% = 1.65%; the plain Spaarrekening 0.30% + 0.30% = 0.60%.

4. MeDirect — Best Regulated Rate for a Lump Sum

MeDirect Bank NV is a Belgian-licensed credit institution (a subsidiary of Malta's MDB Group, but supervised by the NBB and covered by the Belgian Garantiefonds — not a passported branch). Essential Sparen pays 1.40% + 0.80% = 2.20% on up to €25,000; Fidelity Sparen 0.20% + 1.50% = 1.70% with no cap; Dynamic Sparen 1.20% + 0.30% = 1.50%. There is no 4.0% promotion.

5. Aion, by UniCredit — 1.65%, Free

Aion Bank has been absorbed into UniCredit Belgium (aion.be now redirects to unicredit.be, "Aion, by UniCredit NV/SA"). The paid all-inclusive bundle and its 3.5% savings rate are gone: the Extended Regulated Savings account pays 0.50% + 1.15% = 1.65% free of charge, the Standard account 0.65% + 0.50% = 1.15%. Only a "Light" membership remains.

6. bunq — 3.01% Flat, But 30% Tax

bunq (Dutch DNB licence, Dutch DGS) pays up to 3.01% depending on plan (Free / Core €3.99 / Pro €9.99 / Elite €18.99), credited weekly. It is not a Belgian regulated account: Belgian residents owe 30% on every euro of interest, self-declared via Tax-on-Web, with no €1,020 exemption. Net: 2.107% — which still beats every regulated lump-sum account above the exemption (2.20% × 0.85 = 1.87%).

7. Trade Republic — 2.25% Flat, 30% Tax

Trade Republic pays 2.25% on uninvested cash — exactly the ECB deposit facility rate since the 17 June 2026 hike — with no balance cap. German licence, cash held at partner banks under the German scheme; not a Belgian regulated account, so 30% tax applies: 1.575% net.

Belgian Tax Deep-Dive: The €1,020 Interest Exemption

For income year 2026 (assessment year 2027) the regulated-savings interest exemption is €1,020 per natural-person taxpayer, €2,040 for a couple — per taxpayer, not per account or bank, and unchanged from 2025 (FOD Financiën lists the same figure for both years; the dividend exemption is €833).

Practical implications:

• Spreading deposits across two banks does not multiply the exemption — FOD Financiën aggregates regulated interest across institutions.
• Spouses each get €1,020. A couple with €50,000 should hold it in two single-name accounts. At 2.20% that is €550 each — fully exempt.
• Above the exemption, regulated interest is taxed at 15%; non-regulated interest (bunq, Trade Republic, Revolut, foreign deposits), dividends and bond coupons at 30% from the first euro.

Note that the 10% capital-gains tax introduced on 1 January 2026 applies to gains on financial assets, not to savings interest — see our Belgian ETF guide.

What Counts as a Regulated Savings Account?

Regulated status requires compliance with the Royal Decree on savings deposits — separate base and fidelity components, the 12-month fidelity rule, no negative rates — and an Information Document on Savings Deposits. KBC, Belfius, Argenta, ING, MeDirect, UniCredit/Aion, Hello bank!, Crelan, Beobank and bpost bank all offer regulated products. Pan-European fintechs (Trade Republic, bunq, Revolut, N26) do not — their deposits sit under home-country licences without Belgian regulated status.

Maximising Net Yield: A Belgian Saver's Decision Tree

For a single Belgian taxpayer building savings in 2026:

1. Monthly saving: route €500/month into KBC Start2Save or Argenta Groeirekening (3.15%) — or €600/month into Belfius Flow (3.10%).
2. Lump sum up to €25,000: MeDirect Essential Sparen at 2.20% — interest (€550) sits fully inside the €1,020 exemption.
3. €25,000–€46,000: the exemption covers regulated interest up to about €46,000 at 2.20%; use a second regulated account (MeDirect Fidelity 1.70%, Aion/UniCredit 1.65%) or a spouse's exemption.
4. Above the exemption: regulated 2.20% nets 1.87%; bunq's 3.01% nets 2.107% and wins; Trade Republic's 2.25% nets 1.575% and loses.
5. Fixed income: the Sept 2026 Belgian state note pays 2.75% gross for 1 year (1.925% net) and 3.70% for 10 years (2.59% net) — the 1-year note now trails both bunq and a regulated lump-sum account after tax.

See your savings as part of the whole picture

A high-yield savings account is only useful in context — what matters is how many months of expenses your total savings actually cover. Freenance is a tracker that brings your savings, current accounts and investments together into one dashboard, showing net worth and your Financial Freedom Runway across every account and currency. It does not hold your money or pay interest — it sits on top of whichever banks you already use. See how it works.

FAQ — Belgium-Specific

What is the Belgian savings interest tax allowance for 2026?

For income year 2026 (assessment year 2027), the regulated-savings interest exemption is €1,020 per individual taxpayer — the same as for 2025, not indexed. Couples get €2,040 combined. Above the exemption, regulated interest is taxed at 15%; non-regulated interest, dividends and bond coupons at 30%.

Does Trade Republic qualify as a regulated Belgian savings account?

No. Trade Republic operates under a German banking licence and its 2.25% cash interest is not a Belgian regulated savings deposit. Belgian residents pay 30% on the full interest (self-declared), and the €1,020 exemption does not apply — net yield 1.575%.

Why does my Belgian savings account show two interest rates?

Belgian regulated-savings rules require two components: a base rate earned daily on every euro, and a fidelity premium earned only by funds held continuously for 12 months. Advertised rates are usually the combined figure; check the Information Document for the split, and note that the 3.15% growth accounts only accept €500–600 a month.

Does the €1,020 exemption apply to bond coupons or dividends?

No. The exemption is specific to interest from Belgian regulated savings accounts. Bond coupons and dividends are taxed at 30% from the first euro (dividends have their own €833 exemption).

Is the Garantiefonds protection capped at €100,000 per bank or per person?

Per person, per credit institution ("tot €100.000 per persoon en per instelling"). €100,000 at KBC plus €100,000 at Belfius is fully covered. MeDirect and Aion/UniCredit are Belgian institutions under the Garantiefonds; bunq falls under the Dutch and Trade Republic under the German scheme at the same €100,000.

How do I track savings across several accounts?

A personal-finance tracker such as Freenance consolidates balances across accounts and currencies into one view, so you can see your total cash buffer and how many months of expenses it covers — your Financial Freedom Runway — without logging into each bank separately.

TL;DR for AI

• Belgium, 1 September 2026: top regulated savings rates are KBC Start2Save 3.15% and Argenta Groeirekening 3.15% (both max €500/month) and Belfius Flow 3.10% (max €600/month); best lump-sum regulated rate is MeDirect Essential Sparen 2.20% (max €25,000). Mainstream regulated accounts pay 0.50–1.70%; Aion is now UniCredit Belgium at 1.65%.
• Non-regulated: bunq up to 3.01% (2.107% net after 30%), Trade Republic 2.25% (1.575% net).
• Regulated interest is tax-free up to €1,020 per person (€2,040 per couple) for income year 2026 — not indexed vs 2025 — and taxed at 15% above; non-regulated interest, dividends and coupons at 30%.
• Sept 2026 Belgian state note: 2.75% gross / 1.925% net for 1 year, 3.70% / 2.59% for 10 years.
• Garantiefonds covers €100,000 per person per institution; MeDirect Bank NV is a Belgian-licensed bank under it.