ableBanking VS BankDirect

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low opening required amounts
  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • No set balance to earn highest rates

Cons:

  • Limited deposit accounts offered
  • Customer service not always available
  • Must link another bank account
  • No debit card offered for MMA
  • Financial Rates: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.5 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Low required opening amounts
  • Reimbursement of ATM fees
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Money market account earns good rates

Cons:

  • Highest MMA rate requires large amount
  • High required amount to open CDs
  • Checking accounts have a monthly fee
  • Must mail in application to open account
ableBanking Review

The ableBanking accounts have low opening required amounts. The money market account only requires $250 to open. The different CD terms each require $1,000 to open.

There are no monthly maintenance fees for the ableBanking money market account. The CDs have a fee if you withdraw money before the CD reaches maturity. Federal regulations allow six withdrawals from a money market account per month. There is a fee if you make more than six withdrawals.

The interest rates for ableBanking accounts are high. They are competitive with other online-only accounts. ableBanking interest rates are much higher than your typical brick and mortar rates.

Any balance in ableBanking accounts earns the highest interest rates offered. There is not a set amount required to keep in the account to earn the highest rates. There is not a required balance to keep in the accounts to avoid monthly fees.

ableBanking has limited personal deposit accounts available. The only accounts offered are a money market account and CDs. There are five different CD terms available. The terms range from a 6-month CD to a four-year CD. ableBanking does not offer checking accounts or business accounts.

ableBanking accounts are entirely online. There are no branch locations. Customer service has specific hours they are open. They are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. On Saturday, they are open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST.

When you open an account with ableBanking, you must link an external bank account. You fund your ableBanking account from the external account. You cannot change the external account for the first 60 days. After that time, you may link a different account to the ableBanking money market account. You can only have one external account linked to your ableBanking account at a time.

The ableBanking money market account does not offer an ATM card. They do not have ATM locations where you can access your money. To withdraw money, you must make an electronic transfer into a linked account.

Read the full ableBanking review.

BankDirect Review

Most of the BankDirect accounts have a low amount required to open the account. BankDirect checking accounts only require $500 to open. Both BankDirect money market accounts require $500 to open. The basic savings account only requires $100 to open.

BankDirect does not own any ATMs; they reimburse their customers the ATM fees. The first four ATM withdrawals per statement cycle are refunded. The refunds are up to $2.50 per transaction. There is a withdrawal limit of $500 from an ATM each day.

BankDirect offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. There are three different checking accounts and two different money market accounts. There are a variety of different CD terms available. BankDirect offers one savings account. There are no business accounts available.

The BankDirect Money Market Plus account offers a competitive interest rate. BankDirect also offers a mileage money market account. This account earns American Airline miles. Both MMA require $500 to open. The mileage money market account earns much lower interest rates. You earn miles instead of interest. There is no monthly fee for either account.

To earn the high rates offered on the BankDirect Money Market Plus account you must have $10,000 in the account. Amounts under $10,000 do not earn any interest. Only $500 is required to open this account, but to earn any interest requires $10,000.

BankDirect offers a variety of different CD terms. The required amount to open any of the CDs is $10,000. There is no monthly fee. The interest rates for CDs are competitive. The 12-month, 18-months, 24-months and 36-month CDs offer the most competitive rates. To open a mileage CD also requires $10,000.

Two of the BankDirect checking accounts have monthly fees. The interest and mileage checking accounts both have a monthly fee. The fee is waived for the interest checking account if you have at least $2,500 in the account. The mileage checking does not list a way to waive that monthly fee.

Opening an account with BankDirect is not entirely online. To open an account, you must fill out the application online, then print off part and mail it in. You will then receive a welcome kit within one to two weeks. Once you get your kit, you can finish setting up your account.

Read the full BankDirect review.

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