California First National Bank VS Northeast Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 1.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Reimbursement of ATM fees
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Interest rates are not tiered
  • Free first order of checks with checking

Cons:

  • Not a wide variety of accounts
  • High opening required amounts
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Not all CDs offer competitive rates
  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Low required amounts to open accounts
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • Pearl MMA earns a good rate

Cons:

  • Low interest rates on accounts
  • Some accounts have tiered interest rates
  • Accounts opened in branches
  • Monthly fees for most accounts
California First National Bank Review

You can withdraw money from any ATMs with the specific “Plus” logo. If you withdraw money from another ATM, you are reimbursed for the fees charged. CalFirst will reimburse up to $6.00 each statement cycle in ATM fees.

Most CalFirst accounts offer competitive interest rates. The interest rates are not tiered, so you earn the highest rates offered on any balance in the account. Interest is paid monthly on the actual daily balance.

The interest rates for CalFirst accounts are not tiered. Any amount you have in their accounts earns the competitive interest rates. You do not have to have a certain amount in the account to earn the most competitive rates.

The first order of checks is free when you open an interest checking account. You get an ATM card when you open an interest checking account. Free online bill pay comes with each CalFirst checking account opened.

CalFirst does not have a wide variety of accounts. No business accounts are available, only personal deposit accounts. One money market account and savings account are available. There is an interest checking and one regular checking account. CalFirst only offers five different CD terms.

CalFirst accounts have high opening amounts. The money market account and CDs require $5,000 to open. The interest checking account requires $2,500 to open. The savings account and regular checking account both require $1,000 to open.

The accounts at CalFirst all have a monthly fee. The fees range from $10 to $20 a month, depending on the account you open. Waive the fee by keeping a set amount in CalFirst accounts. You can also have a combined balance between a variety of CalFirst accounts.

Not all the CD terms offer competitive rates. The most competitive rates are the three-month, six-month, and the one-year terms. The two-year and three-year terms have interest rates much lower than the other terms. Regular CDs require $5,000 to open. The IRA CDs require $2,000 to open. The only fees are if you withdraw the money before the maturity date.

Read the full California First National Bank review.

Northeast Bank Review

The required amounts to open Northeast Bank accounts are low. The savings account requires $100. The holiday club requires $2, and all CDs only require $500 to open. One checking account requires $25 to open. The other three checking accounts require $100 to open.

Northeast Bank offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. They offer a savings account for youth, regular savings, and a holiday savings account. Two money market accounts are offered. There are four checking accounts, including one for those 50 or older. There are a variety of CD terms, ranging from six-months to five-years.

Along with personal deposit accounts, Northeast Bank offers business accounts. Those include savings, checking, and money market accounts. They offer lines of credit, business, and equipment loans. Cash management options are available. Each account comes with online bill pay and banking, and merchant card processing.

The Pearl money market account is available to open to those who live by a branch location. This money market account earns more competitive interest rates than the other accounts. This account is only for new customers to Northeast Bank. Any amount over $0.01 earns the competitive rates. The minimum opening amount is $5,000. The account fee amount or required balance is not listed on the website.

The interest rates for most Northeast Bank accounts are low. They are not competitive with other online accounts. Northeast Bank checking accounts earn interest. Some accounts have tiered interest rates.

To earn the highest interest on some Northeast Bank accounts requires a large sum. The regular money market account requires $100,000 to earn the most competitive rate. The business MMA requires $75,000. The Northeast Express Gold personal checking account requires $50,000. Any balance earns some interest, just not the most competitive rate. The most competitive rate offered is not competitive with other online accounts.

The accounts listed on the Northeast Bank website are only able to open in a branch location. No online accounts are offered directly through the Northeast Bank website. Online accounts are offered through ableBanking, their online division.

Most accounts offered through Northeast Bank have a monthly fee. The fees range from $1 to $7 a month, depending on the account. To waive the monthly fee requires a set balance be in the account. That amount varies from $100 to $10,000.

Read the full Northeast Bank review.

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