Are you picturing a supermarket filled with nothing but cold, hard cash?

That would be pretty much the best thing ever, but sadly, that's not what a money market is.

Money markets are just a type of savings account—but they earn you more money than a "regular" or "statement" savings account. If you don't have a ton of cash, they might not be right for you—they usually require you to always keep a certain amount of money in them—but if you do have a decent savings, they might be a good choice.

Here's the deal: money markets don't have fixed interest rates. Translation: the bank adjusts your interest rate based on how much money you have in the account—and how well the money markets are doing. Is the economy doing well? Great, you're probably going to earn more in interest. Did you get a huge cash gift from your Aunt Elma for your birthday? That might help you get an even higher interest rate for your savings.

Money market accounts can be more flexible than CDs and other investments because you can always take your money out. Plus, the money in your account is guaranteed by the federal government (unless you have more than $100,000 in there, in which case, head on over to our investment section). Some money market accounts have additional perks, too, like letting you write checks on the amount you have in your account.