AloStar VS CIBC Bank USA

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates
  • Low required amounts to open CDs
  • Accounts are entirely online
  • Shorter terms offer competitive rates

Cons:

  • Limited personal accounts offered
  • Customer service not available 24/7
  • No checks or debit cards offered
  • Must link to an external bank account
  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
0.15%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Variety of accounts offered
  • High interest rate for CIBC Agility
  • Low required opening amounts
  • Interest Rate Bonus on accounts

Cons:

  • Only one checking account earns interest
  • Account interest rates not listed
  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Accounts have monthly fees
AloStar Review

AloStar CDs offer competitive interest rates. The interest rates are competitive with other online CDs. The rates are much higher than typical brick and mortar bank rates.

The CDs at AloStar have low required opening amounts. Each of the CDs require $1,000 to open. To earn the competitive interest rates, you must keep $1,000 in the account. There is not a fee if your balance falls below $1,000, but you will not earn interest on the balance.

CDs with AloStar are entirely online. You apply for the CDs online. Once you open an account, everything for the account is online. There are no branch locations. You can reach customer service by phone or email.

Usually with CDs, the longer the term the higher the interest rate. But, with AloStar some shorter terms offer more competitive rates. The 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month CD terms offer the most competitive rates.

There are limited accounts offered through AloStar. The only accounts offered are CDs. AloStar does not offer checking, savings, or money market accounts. The CD terms offered range from three-month to five-year terms.

AloStar customer service is not always available. You can contact customer service through email. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. On Saturday their hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The AloStar CD accounts do not offer debit cards or checks. The only way to access your money is through electronic transfers. You can transfer money during the grace period or after the CD reaches maturity.

To fund your AloStar CDs you must link the accounts to an external bank account. Once the accounts are linked you can make electronic transfers between the accounts. To avoid a fee, make withdrawals or deposits during the grace period or after the CD reaches maturity.

Read the full AloStar review.

CIBC Bank USA Review

CIBC offers a variety of accounts. These accounts include:

  • iCan checking
  • myChoice checking
  • myChoice Prestige checking
  • CIBC savings
  • Agility savings
  • CIBC money market
  • CD terms
  • Agility CDs 9, 12, 18, and 24-month terms
  • Personal lending and retirement options
  • Commercial and small business accounts and lending options

The CIBC Agility savings account offers competitive interest rates. This savings account requires $1,000 to open and does not have a monthly fee. The CIBC Agility savings account is an online-only account. The interest rates are competitive with other online-only savings accounts. They are much higher than typical brick-and-mortar banks.

CIBC accounts have low opening required amounts. The MMA and personal savings account require $50 to open the account. You must open these accounts at a branch location. The online savings account requires $1,000 to open. Regular CDs require $1,000 to open.

The myChoice checking account offers an interest rate bonus. This allows you to earn higher interest rates on your checking account balance. To earn the higher rates, you must meet a set amount. The amounts can come from a total of qualifying CIBC accounts. Those include myChoice checking account, money market and savings accounts. CDs and principal balances on personal loans count toward the balance total also. The more money you have in the accounts, the higher the bonus rate you receive.

Only one CIBC checking account earns interest. The CIBC myChoice Checking account is the interest-earning account. You must open this account at a branch location. If you have less than $5,000 in the account, there is a monthly fee.

Interest rates for CIBC accounts are not listed online. Only one CIBC savings account lists the interest rate for the account. The CIBC Agility offers competitive interest rates. The other CIBC accounts do not list the interest rates earned for their accounts. To open those accounts, you must visit a branch location.

Not all CIBC accounts can be opened online. To open a checking or savings account, or CDs, you must visit a branch location. CIBC has 46 branch locations in 19 states. The only accounts you can open online are the CIBC Agility savings account and Agility CDs. Those terms include 9, 12, 18, and 24-month terms

Most CIBC accounts have a monthly fee. To waive the fee, you must keep a set amount in the account. To avoid the checking account fees, you must have over $1,000 in the iCan account and $5,000 in the myChoice account. The savings account requires $250 to waive the fee, and the MMA requires $2,500.

Read the full CIBC Bank USA review.

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