BBVA Compass VS Fidelity Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 1.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Low required opening deposit amounts
  • Small business and commercial accounts
  • Easy Checking to start or rebuild finances
  • Simple Cash Back program

Cons:

  • Only four transactions allowed per cycle
  • High overdraft fees
  • Low-interest rates
  • Only four different CD options
  • Financial Rates: 1.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Wide variety of accounts available
  • Low opening amounts for most accounts
  • Waived ATM fees for some accounts
  • HSA earns good rates

Cons:

  • Tiered interest rates on account
  • Cannot open accounts online
  • MMAs have high opening amounts
  • Accounts interest rates are low
BBVA Compass Review

BBVA Compass has low opening balances for their accounts. The minimum opening deposit for all checking and saving accounts is $25. The opening required amount for CDs is $500.

Small business and commercial business accounts are available from BBVA Compass. Checking accounts, savings accounts, loans, and credit cards are available. Commercial business opportunities also include ways to increase your working capital.

If you do not qualify for a checking account, BBVA Compass offers the Easy Checking account. This account helps you rebuild your finances. If the account is active with a positive balance after 12 months, you can upgrade to a different checking account. The fee for this account is $13.95 a month. The opening amount required is $25. This account offers a debit card and unlimited check writing. Online or mobile banking and text alerts are available. You have the option to enroll in the Simple Cash Back program.

Simple Cash Back is a program that allows you to earn cash-back rewards. This program is available if you have a debit or credit card with BBVA Compass. Your purchase history determines what offers you receive. You can select the offers that you want. The money is then deposited into your account.

Federal regulations allow for six transactions from a savings account each billing cycle. BBVA Compass savings accounts only allow four. Each extra transaction has a $3 fee.

Most banks have a fee if you spend more than you have in your account. BBVA Compass fees are higher than other banks. For every transaction over $1.01 of insufficient funds, the fee is $38. You can link your checking account to a BBVA Compass savings or money market account. This could help cover the insufficient amount. However, the fee to transfer money from a savings or money market into your checking for insufficient funds is $12 a day.

Only a few of BBVA Compass accounts have good interest rates. The money market account earns a competitive rate, but the rates are promotional. They may change. The other accounts have lower interest rates. The rates are higher than typical banks but lower than online-only bank accounts.

Only four of BBVA Compass CD accounts are available online. The terms are 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, and 36 months. The 12 months CD offers a good interest rate, but it is only a promotional rate. It may change. The other three CD terms are much lower than the 12-month term.

Read the full BBVA Compass review.

Fidelity Bank Review

Fidelity Bank offers a good selection of personal accounts. Those include:

  • Free checking
  • Relationship checking
  • Legacy checking
  • Statement savings
  • Looney Tunes Children's savings
  • High Interest savings
  • Health Savings Account
  • Personal money market account
  • Superior money market
  • CDs from 12 to 60-months

The opening required amounts for Fidelity Bank accounts are low. The checking accounts and children's savings account require $25 to open. The statement savings account requires $100 to open. The CD terms require $500 to open.

ATM transactions made at Fidelity Bank ATMs are free of fees. Transactions made at other ATMs may have a fee. The Relationship and Legacy checking accounts waive the fees of foreign ATM transactions. You must meet the requirements to open these accounts.

The Health Savings Account offers good rates. It offers the highest interest rate out of the Fidelity Bank savings accounts. To earn the highest interest rate for the HSA, you must have $15,000 in the account.

The Superior MMA has tiered interest rates. To earn the highest rate, you must have at least $250,000 in the account. Balances below that amount earn interest, just not the highest rate. Even the highest interest rate is not competitive with other online accounts.

To open an account with Fidelity Bank, you must visit a branch location. They do not offer online account applications. They have branch locations in Kansas.

The money market accounts have high opening required amounts. The Personal MMA requires $2,500 to open. The High Interest savings account also requires $2,500 to open. The Superior MMA requires $10,000 to open.

The interest rates for Fidelity Bank accounts are low. They are not competitive with other online-only accounts. Some accounts offer rates slightly higher than typical banks. Most account rates are competitive with typical bank rates.

Read the full Fidelity Bank review.

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