Axos VS Community First Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
0.25%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Variety of accounts available
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Most accounts do not have monthly fees
  • Low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • Earning interest has set requirements
  • Tiered interest rates on accounts
  • Not all rate information listed
  • Interest rates may change without notice
  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Christmas savings account
  • Business accounts, including nonprofits
  • Business Premium Package
  • Cash Management options for businesses

Cons:

  • Have to open accounts at a branch
  • Interest rates not listed on website
  • Unlimited withdrawals, but only in person
  • Most accounts have high opening deposits
Axos Review

Axos Bank offers a good variety of bank accounts. They offer cash-back and interest-earning checking accounts. They offer a checking account for those over 55 and for teens. Axos offers money market and savings account, along with CDs. Their CD terms range from three to 60 months. Axos offers checking, savings, and money market accounts for businesses. They also offer lending options for personal accounts and business accounts.

The Axos Bank accounts offer competitive interest rates. The rates are slightly lower than other online accounts but still competitive. Axos Bank interest rates are much higher than typical bank rates. There is not a set account balance required to earn interest.

The Axos Bank accounts do not have monthly fees. The accounts do not have set balances that you must keep in your account to avoid fees. These accounts are free. The only accounts with a fee are the Second Chance and World checking accounts. That fee is $6.95 a month with a direct deposit for the Second Chance account. The World checking account fee is $30 if your balance falls below $150,000.

The minimum opening required amount for Axos accounts are low. Most of the Axos checking accounts require $50 to open. The World checking account requires $75,000 to open. The savings accounts require $50 to open. The High Yield savings and IRA savings accounts requires $250. The High Yield money market account and CDs both require $1,000 to open.

The Axos Rewards checking account has requirements to earn competitive interest rates. The more requirements you meet, the more interest you earn. To earn the most competitive rate, you must have a direct deposit into your account and make 15 debit card transactions each month.

Most Axos accounts have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive interest rates requires a high account balance. The highest tier requires more than $100,000 in the account. Some checking accounts will not earn interest if the balance is over $150,000.

Not all the rate information for Axos accounts is on the website. The disclosures say accounts have tiered interest rates. The Axos website does not list the rates for the different tiers. To find the specific rates for the tiers call customer service.

Interest rates for Axos accounts may change without notice. This applies to their checking, savings, and money market accounts. The rates are subject to change without giving the customer notice. The interest rates on CDs are also subject to change at the bank's discretion.

Read the full Axos review.

Community First Bank Review

Community First Bank offers a special savings account for Christmas. This account only requires $10 to open. You can set up automatic transfers for monthly, twice a month, or weekly. After October 1 of each year, you can withdraw an unlimited amount of times until the last day of December. Withdrawals are only allowed those three months. There is a withdrawal fee if not withdrawn during the designated time.

A variety of different business accounts are available. There are four different checking accounts, including one for a nonprofit. Community First Bank offers savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs. Loans, credit cards, and retirement accounts are available for business accounts.

You can sign up for the Business Premium Package. This sets you up for a checking account, savings account, and a money market account. You also sign up for two other accounts from ten other options. HSA, credit cards, loans, and cash management all qualify. With the package, you receive 100 free additional transactions from your business checking.

The cash management lets you have different levels of authority on accounts. You decide what employees can see about customer accounts. You can add more users to the accounts. The premium option pays taxes and payroll. Cash management automatically deducts customer fees or payments.

You cannot open accounts online. Some account applications are available to download and send to the local branch. To open checking, savings, money market, CDs, and business accounts you must apply in a local branch. Community First Bank only has branches in Wisconsin.

To know the interest rates on Community First Bank accounts, you must call a local branch. The interest rates are not available on the website. You could earn higher interest rates on CDs by opening certain accounts.

The Community First Bank's money market accounts offer unlimited withdrawals. The withdrawals must be made in person at a local branch. You are only allowed six withdrawals from other methods per billing cycle. Those methods include withdrawals made by ATMs, checks, check cards, and electronic transfers.

The basic accounts have low opening balances. However, to earn the competitive interest rates, there is a high opening balance. The required amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Read the full Community First Bank review.

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American Express
Savings (Rate as of 11/21/2024)
APY 4.00%
Rate 3.92%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
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EverBank
Savings (Rate as of 11/21/2024)
APY 4.75%
Rate 4.64%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC No monthly maintenance fee, $0 to open, easily grow your money
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