AloStar VS Wings Financial

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
No Rate Information
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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: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Variety of accounts offered
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Only one account has a monthly fee

Cons:

  • Must join credit union to open accounts
  • Accounts have tiered interest rates
  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • High yield checking has requirements
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.

Wings Financial Review

Wings Financial accounts offer competitive interest rates. The checking account rates are competitive with online account rates. The savings and money market account offer rates that are lower than online accounts. These account interest rates are higher than typical bank rates.

A good variety of accounts are available through Wings Financial. They offer checking, savings, and money market account. Specific holiday savings accounts are available. They offer CDS, personal loans, and credit cards. Personal investment and insurance opportunities are available. Some business accounts are also offered.

Accounts with Wings Financial have low opening required amounts. The checking accounts require either $1 or $5 to open. The savings accounts do not have a required amount or require $5 to open. Each CD term requires $500 to open. The money market account does require $5,000 to open.

Only the World Class Money Market account has a monthly fee. That fee is $10 per month. To waive that fee each month you must keep an account balance of $5,000. No other Wings Financial accounts have a monthly fee.

Before you can open accounts with Wings Financial, you must first join the credit union. To be eligible to join requires living or working in Minnesota or Wisconsin county, or Seattle-Tacoma, Washington. Family members of Wings Financial members are eligible. Aviation workers are eligible. You can join Wings Financial Foundation to become eligible to join the credit union.

Some Wings Financial accounts have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive interest rate in the money market account requires a balance of $25,000. The investment MMA requires a balance of $100,000 to earn the best rate. The savings account requires $50,000 to earn the best rate. Wings Financial CDs requires $90,000 to earn the best rate.

Not all Wings Financial accounts can be opened online. Their special CDs require visiting a branch location to open. The high yield checking account requires a branch location to open.

You must meet requirements to earn the competitive rates of the high yield checking account. That includes making 15 debit card transactions over $5 and have a direct deposit over $300 each month. You must also sign up to receive e-Documents. If you meet these requirements, you earn the competitive interest rate. The competitive interest rate applies to account balances under $25,000.

Read the full Wings Financial review.

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