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.

TD Bank offers a large selection of bank accounts. They offer personal checking, savings, and money market accounts. CDs, loans, and prepaid cards are offered. TD Bank offers accounts for small and commercial businesses. Checking, savings, and money market accounts are available for businesses. Loans, CDs, and credit cards for businesses are also offered.

TD Bank offers two specific checking accounts. One is for those over 60 years old, and another account specific for students. The student checking account does not have a monthly fee. The TD 60 Plus account requires $250 be in the account to waive the $10 monthly fee. The TD 60 Plus checking earns interest.

TD Bank offers three prepaid cards for businesses. You can use the cards to pay employees their paycheck or as part of an incentive program. Load a specific amount for expenses to the card or use them as a reward or refund. TD Bank offers reloadable cards or one-time use cards. The cards are accepted anywhere Visa is accepted.

TD Bank offers a good variety of CDs. TD Bank’s No-Catch CDs allow you to make one withdrawal each CD term without penalty. Step Rate CDs increase your interest each year. The 12-month Rate Bump CD offers competitive interest rates. To qualify for that CD, you must have a qualifying checking account in good standing. The rate bump increases the amount of interest your CD earns by more than a full percent. Only $250 is required to open all TD Bank CDs.

Accounts with TD Bank are not offered everywhere. To qualify for an account, you must have an address within the footprint of TD Bank. Those areas are on the East Coast, ranging from Maine to Florida. They are also in parts of Canada.

Most all TD Bank accounts have a monthly maintenance fee. The fees range from $4 to $25 each month, depending on the account. Not all account fees are easy to waive. Having a required amount in the account is the most common way to waive the account fees. Signing up for online statements will lower the monthly fee, not waive it. Having a direct deposit into the account will not waive the monthly fees.

Interest rates for TD Bank accounts are low. They are competitive with your typical brick and mortar bank rates. The TD Bank account rates are not competitive with online-only accounts. Only a few CDs offer interest rates competitive with online-only accounts.

Not all TD Bank checking accounts earn interest. The Premier, Relationship, and the TD 60 Plus checking account are the three that earn interest. The 60 Plus checking account does not require a large balance to avoid the monthly fee. The Premier account requires $2,500, and the Relationship requires $20,000 between TD Bank accounts.

Read the full TD Bank review.