BBVA Compass VS Goldwater 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
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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: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low required amount to earn interest
  • Business accounts offered
  • Personal and business loan options
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts

Cons:

  • CDs have high opening deposits
  • Cannot open account entirely online
  • High opening deposits on accounts
  • Accounts have tiered interest rates
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.

Goldwater Bank Review

Goldwater Bank has high amounts to open their accounts. Once you open an account, the amount required to keep in the account to earn interest is low. Goldwater Bank only requires $0.01 to be in the account to earn interest.

Business accounts are available through Goldwater Bank. There is a checking account for small and large businesses. There is a money market and savings account. CDs are available. Goldwater Bank offers cash management services for business accounts. This offers online banking, remote deposit, and card services. Business credit cards are available.

Goldwater Bank not only offers personal deposit accounts but lending options. They offer loans for building, remodeling, or home loans. Personal loans for vacations, cars, boats, or college tuition are available. They offer loans for business needs as well.

The interest rates for Goldwater Bank accounts are competitive. Their rates are much higher than the rates offered at brick and mortar banks. To earn the most competitive rates does require a large account balance. However, the lower balance rates are still much higher than other bank rates. They are competitive with online accounts. The business accounts also earn competitive interest rates.

The different CD accounts all require a high opening balance of $5,000. The CD terms range from 90-day terms to a 5-year term. The only fees associated with CDs is from withdrawing the money before the CD meets the maturity date.

Goldwater Bank accounts cannot be entirely opened online. To open a checking, savings, money market account, or a Visa check card you can fill out an application online. Then you must go to a branch location to finish the application and sign paperwork. Only CDs are available for out of state customers. Not all account information is on the website. A customer service representative can answer your questions.

The different accounts have high required amounts to open the accounts. The checking account requires $500 to open. Money market and saving accounts require $1,000 to $25,000 to open the accounts. Once the account is open, you are only required to keep $0.01 in the accounts to earn interest.

Interest rates for Goldwater Bank accounts are tiered. To earn the most competitive interest rates requires large balances in the accounts. The money market account requires $100,000 to earn the most competitive rates. The checking account requires $5,000.

Read the full Goldwater Bank review.

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