American Eagle Bank VS PenFed Credit Union

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon

Pros:

  • CD bonus of higher interest rates
  • Senior citizen checking accounts
  • Kids Klub savings account
  • Government or nonprofit checking account

Cons:

  • Debit cards might not work in all states
  • High opening amount for CDs
  • Business checking has credit/debit limit
  • Products not available to everyone
  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon

Pros:

  • CDs have competitive interest rates
  • Low opening required amount
  • CDs offered to save for education
  • Low monthly fee for checking account

Cons:

  • High opening balances for CDs
  • Low-interest rates
  • Best rates require large balances
  • Do not offer a variety of accounts
American Eagle Bank Review

American Eagle CDs can earn higher interest rates if you earn the relationship bonus. To receive this bonus, you must have $5,000 in a qualifying checking, savings, or money market account. With this bonus, you earn around 0.15% more interest on the money in your CD.

American Eagle offers a Golden Eagle checking account for senior citizens. To qualify for the senior account, you must be over 55 years of age. This account offers unlimited check writing, no monthly fees, and a higher interest rate than their other checking accounts.

The Eagle Saver Kids Klub only requires $1 to open. Kids must be under 17 and have a parent or guardian co-signer. For every deposit made, kids earn ‘Wooden Nickels.’ Kids use those nickels to get prizes.

The American Eagle Platinum NOW checking account is for government and nonprofits. It only requires $100 to open. There is no monthly fee with at least $500 in the account. This account offers unlimited check writing, an ATM or debit card with no fees, and earns interest.

In the name of security, the American Eagle debit card may not work in all areas. Those areas include New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, or Canada. If you travel to these areas, you must call the bank in advance to make sure your debit card will work.

CDs require $1,000 to open and earn interest. The CD terms vary in length from six to sixty months. Special add-on CDs let you make unlimited deposits of at least $1 or more.

The business checking account limits transactions each month. You must not exceed 500 debit and credit transactions per month. There is a fee if you do.

Not all American Eagle accounts are available to everyone. You cannot apply online for an account. You must call a local branch to get information and apply for an account. Some products are only available to current customers and those living in certain areas.

Read the full American Eagle Bank review.

PenFed Credit Union Review

PenFed CDs have competitive interest rates. The rates on CDs are competitive with online-only accounts. The longer you can invest the money in the CD the higher the interest rates you will earn. CD terms range from six months to seven years.

All accounts, other than CDs, have a low opening balance of only $25. The more you invest in the money market account, the higher interest rates you will earn. However, you are only required to have $25 to open an account with PenFed.

PenFed offers CDs designed to save specifically for education costs. These CDs only require $500 to open instead of $1,000. The education CDs range in term from one year to seven years. The interest rates earned on these CDs are competitive with other CD accounts.

Only the checking account has a monthly maintenance fee. The fee is low and is easy to waive. The fee is waived by having a daily balance of $500 in the account. Having a direct deposit into the account of more than $500 each month will also waive the fee. The savings account and money market accounts do not have a monthly fee.

To open a CD, PenFed requires $1,000. The CD terms vary in length from six months to seven years. The longer you can invest your money in a PenFed CD the higher interest you will earn over the CD term. The interest rates on these CDs are competitive with other online-only CDs.

The interest rates for PenFed savings, checking, and money market accounts are not competitive. The rates are low. Those interest rates are competitive to your typical bank rates. Online only accounts offer much higher interest rates for these accounts.

To earn the highest interest on the PenFed checking account, a daily balance of $20,000 to $50,000 is required. If you do not have at least $20,000, you will earn much lower interest rates. Any amount earns interest. To get the highest rates, your daily balance must meet the requirements.

PenFed only offers one checking account, savings account, and money market account. This does not allow you to find the account that best fits your needs.

Read the full PenFed Credit Union review.

Sponsored Offers
From Our Partners

Advertiser Disclosure
Sponsored Offers
American Express
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 3.80%
Rate 3.73%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.
Next >
Openbank
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.75%
Rate 4.65%
Min to Open $500
Min to Earn APY $500
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.
Next >
Capital One
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 3.80%
Rate 3.80%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.

Promoted offer: It only takes about 5 minutes to open a fee-free account.
Next >
EverBank
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.40%
Rate 4.30%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.

Promoted offer: No monthly maintenance fee, $0 to open, easily grow your money
Next >
Western Alliance Bank
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.46%
Rate 4.46%
Min to Open $500
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.
Next >
Barclays
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.35%
Rate 4.35%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.

Promoted offer: $200 Bonus w/ Tiered Savings Account and Qualifying Activities
Next >
CIT Bank
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.35%
Rate 4.35%
Min to Open $100
Min to Earn APY $5,000
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.

Promoted offer: CIT Bank, a division of First Citizens, 125+ years of experience.
Next >
BMO Alto
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.30%
Rate 4.21%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.
Next >
Sallie Mae
MMA (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.10%
Rate 4.02%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook Yes
Member FDIC.
Next >
Synchrony Bank
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.10%
Rate 4.10%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.
Next >
Poppy Bank
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.75%
Rate 4.64%
Min to Open $1,000
Min to Earn APY $1,000
Monthly Fee $5.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.
Next >
Betterment
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.75%
Rate 4.75%
Min to Open $10
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
FDIC insured at program banks†.

Promoted offer: var. APY a/o 11/8/24. New customers only. Betterment LLC, not a bank
Next >
Sallie Mae
Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024)
APY 4.10%
Rate 4.02%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC.
Next >