5Star Bank VS TotalDirectBank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Variety of personal accounts offered
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Reimbursement for ATM fees
  • Savings account offers good rates

Cons:

  • Money market account has tiered rates
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Daily debit card limits
  • Cannot open accounts completely online
  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Application completely online
  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Interest rates are not tiered

Cons:

  • High opening required amounts
  • Limited accounts available
  • Not available in all 50 states
  • Application response not immediate
5Star Bank Review

5Star Bank offers a variety of accounts. They offer personal deposit and business accounts. These include:

  • 5Star checking account
  • E-Checking account
  • Basic savings account
  • Money market account
  • CD terms from six-months to five-years
  • IRA CDs from 18-months to five-years
  • Lending options
  • Credit cards
  • Business checking and money market accounts
  • Business CDs from six-months to five-years
  • Business lending and credit options

5Star Bank has low amounts required to open their accounts. The E-Checking requires $50. The 5Star checking and the basic savings account require $100 to open. Both the money market account and the different CD terms require $1,000 to open.

The 5Star checking account refunds up to five ATM transactions fees per month. You must keep at least $1,000 in the checking account to have ATM transactions refunded. The E-Checking account does not offer ATM reimbursement.

The basic 5Star savings account offers competitive rates. The rates are higher than typical brick-and-mortar rates. This account only requires $100 to open and keep in the account to waive the monthly fee. Any amount in the account earns the competitive rate. These rates are not tiered.

To earn the most competitive rates for the money market account requires an account balance over $1 million. Any balance over $1,000 does earn interest but a lower rate. The rates gradually increase the more money you have in the account.

Most 5Star Bank accounts have monthly maintenance fees. The savings account fee is $2. The money market fee is $5, and the checking account fee is $7. Waive each of these fees by keeping a set amount in the accounts. Those balances range from $100 to $1,000, depending on the account.

5Star has daily limits for your debit card. The limit for point of sale purchases is $1,000 per day. The daily limit for ATM withdrawals is $300.

Accounts through 5Star Bank are not available to open entirely online. To open the accounts, you need to visit a branch location. You may be able to open the accounts through the mail. Contact customer service for more information.

Read the full 5Star Bank review.

TotalDirectBank Review

The interest rates for TotalDirectBank accounts offer competitive interest rates. The interest rates are much higher than typical brick-and-mortar bank rates. Their interest rates are competitive with other online accounts.

The application for TotalDirectBank accounts is entirely online. To open a money market or CD account with TotalDirectBank, visit their website. There are no branch locations. You cannot mail in your application.

There are no monthly fees for the TotalDirectBank money market account. You do not have to keep a set balance in the account to avoid a monthly fee. The money market account is free. The CD has a fee if you withdraw money before the CD matures.

Interest rates for TotalDirectBank are not tiered. Account balances over the opening required amount earn the most competitive interest rates.

Opening an account with TotalDirectBank requires a significant amount. The money market account requires $5,000 to open. The CD requires $25,000 to open. You must keep at least these amounts in the account to earn interest.

TotalDirectBank only offers a money market account and CDs. The CD terms range from 3-60 months. There are six terms available. Those include 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 60-month CD terms.

The TotalDirectBank accounts are not available in all 50 states. If you live in California, Florida, or Puerto Rico, you cannot apply for an account. You could be eligible if you live in other states across the United States.

Opening a money market account or CD with TotalDirectBank is entirely online. When you apply for an account, you receive an approval within two business days. You then must fund your account within 30 days. If you fail to fund it by then, the account could close.

Read the full TotalDirectBank review.

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