My income is irregular: how do I save at a bank?

If your income is irregular, as with freelance work, the first question is the shape of your deposits: one sum at once, or small amounts at irregular intervals? Certificates and time deposits take one sum locked for a term, and a certificate is usually sold as a minimum and its multiples, so each instalment would become a separate product that must reach its own minimum and has its own maturity date. A savings account accepts deposits and withdrawals at any time, so it absorbs irregular amounts and leaves you able to withdraw in a month with no income. Its return and how it is computed differ from account to account: there is a balance basis (daily or lowest monthly balance), a minimum balance that earns a return, and fixed fees that weigh more on small balances. If you already have a sum saved up, that is what could go into a term product if you choose to lock it; the decision is yours. Check the account's key-facts statement for the balance basis, the minimum and the fees, and ask the bank whether it offers a regular savings plan and on what terms.