With the recession over and CD rates at record lows, this seems like the right time to divert more savings into a 401(k) plan.

If you haven’t been laid off by now, you probably won’t be. So you can risk tying-up more money in long-term savings.

And you’ll probably save more on your taxes than you can earn from the record low returns on CDs or money market accounts.

Putting even a little more into your 401(k) plan can also make a big difference in your net worth.

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Less than two weeks ago we scoured the country to find the top-paying savings accounts.

But three of the five rates have already been cut, including the top two.

That sent us back to work and we’re pleased to report that we’ve found four new deals that are actually better than the ones they replace.

It’s possible to earn 1.75% APY or 1.70% APY with hefty minimum balances, or 1.55% with no minimum balance.

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It’s come to this.

U.S. savings bonds — yeah, savings bonds — have become a better investment than most CDs.

Series I Bonds are paying 3.36%, which is more than you can earn with the best, nationally available 6-month, 12-month, 24-month and even 36-month certificates of deposit.

Although the interest rate resets every six months to reflect the current rate of inflation, it’s hard to imagine the Consumer Price Index will decline anytime soon.

And while you can keep savings bonds for a long time, you don’t have to.

They can be cashed out after just 12 months by paying a modest penalty and you’ll still out-earn the lousy CDs banks are offering right now.

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The best 36-month CD rates plunged back below 3% last month — and stayed there.

We don’t expect another rebound like the one that followed a similar drop in August.

You probably won’t be able to earn 3% on even the top-paying 3-year certificates of deposit again until the Federal Reserve stops driving interest rates to record lows.

Hudson City Savings Bank is back on top of our rankings.

Only this time it’s paying 2.80% APY instead of the 2.90% it paid in November or the 3.00% offered last September.

The bank still requires a $5,000 minimum deposit unless you live in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, the bank’s local service area. In that case your minimum is $500.

The other best deals on nationally available 36-month CDs are:

2.75% APY with a $1,000 minimum deposit from Alliance Bank, which has 23 branches in central New York.

2.75% APY with a $5,000 minimum deposit from Bank United, headquartered in Miami Lakes, Fla., with more than 75 branch locations in 13 counties.

2.70% APY with a $1,000 minimum deposit from Atlantic Coast Bank, which has 11 branches in Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida.

Compare those deals to the best CD rates from scores of other banks in our extensive database.

The Florida Consumer Protection and Homeowner Credit Rehabilitation Act.

Sounds like a good thing, right?

But it’s the misleading title of a 53-page bill the Florida Bankers Association has drafted.

The new state law would make it faster and cheaper for lenders to repossess homes by giving them the right to foreclose without having to go to court and obtain the permission of a judge.

Calling this “consumer protection” is a positively Orwellian attempt to manipulate public policy through propaganda and misinformation.

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Is this the wave of the future?

The new Electric Orange checking account from ING Direct doesn’t come with checks.

It’s the closest thing to a truly paperless checking account we’ve ever seen.

You get a debit card, online bill payment, person2person transfers and “electronic checks” that allow ING to send paper checks on your behalf if you just have to have one.

The one thing you’ll never get is a checkbook.

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Ben Bernanke has unveiled his plan for unwinding the Federal Reserve’s economy-boosting policy that’s driven interest rates to record lows.

When the Fed Chairman might set that plan into motion remains a mystery.

Economists who thought June might be a good guess are now saying November or even next year since he seems determined to hold interest rates ridiculously low for as long as it possible can.

The plan also has a surprising twist that makes us worried about how quickly the horrible rates on CDs, savings and money market accounts will improve after the Fed finally decides to act.

We can only hope that savers wont’ be the last to benefit from Bernanke’s plan to return the economy to a more normal, market-driven state of affairs.

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Most of the top CD rates are unchanged this week, with the exception of 12-month CDs, which dropped to 1.90% APY from 2.00% APY.

Here’s a rundown of the best, nationally available certificates of deposit based on our current rankings.

3-month CDs: 1.25% APY from Fortune Bank with a $1,000 minimum deposit.

6-month CDs: 1.60% APY from Country Bank with a $500 minimum deposit.

12-month: 1.90% APY from Franklin Synergy Bank and Doral Bank Direct, with each requiring a $1,000 minimum deposit; Palladian Bank, with a $10,000 minimum deposit.

24-month CDs: 2.30% APY from Atlantic Coast Bank with a $1,000 minimum deposit, or Hudson City Bank with a $5,000 minimum deposit. (If you live in New Jersey, New York or Connecticut, your minimum is $500.)

36-month CDs: 2.80% APY from Hudson City Bank with a $5,000 minimum deposit. Locals pay $500.

Click here to see how much you can earn with these rates using our certificate of deposit calculator.

With interest rates this low, you need to make the most of every opportunity to boost the return on your savings.

That means taking advantage of your bank’s “relationship” rates.

In most instances, that’s where checking account customers are offered higher interest rates on savings accounts or certificates of deposits.

Here are some examples of the kind of deals you can find at Fifth Third and other banks.

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