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.

There is no required amount to open the account or to keep in the account. Marcus does not have monthly maintenance fees. You start earning interest on anything over $1 in the high yield savings account.

Marcus offers very competitive interest rates on their savings account and CD accounts. The interest rates are competitive with other online-only accounts. They are much higher than your typical bank rates.

Many different term lengths of CDs are available. Marcus offers nine different CD term lengths from six months to six years. The longer the term, the higher interest rate you earn. All the CD interest rates are very competitive with other online-only banks.

The personal loans offered through Marcus do not have fees. The loans are a fixed-rate interest loan. You can borrow up to $40,000. These loans can be to consolidate debt or for home improvement projects. The loans range in length from 36 to 72 months.

Marcus only offers deposit accounts of CDs and a high yield savings account. Checking accounts, money market accounts, and business accounts are not offered.

Since Marcus does not offer checking accounts, you cannot transfer money between Marcus checking and savings accounts. The easiest way to deposit money into your Marcus savings account is to link to an external bank account. You can also send a wire or check. Marcus does not charge a fee to send or receive a wire transfer, but the external bank might.

Marcus does not offer an ATM or debit card for the high yield savings account. To access your money, you must transfer the money back into your external bank account. You can also request a wire transfer.

To open any CD with Marcus, $500 is required. That amount opens the CD and is the amount needed to start earning interest. The interest rates vary depending on the term length of the CD. The longer the CD term, the higher the interest rates.

Read the full Marcus by Goldman Sachs review.