California First National Bank VS Rising 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: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
5.00%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Savings account has a low opening minimum
  • No monthly fees on saving account
  • Rising CDs offer interest rate increases

Cons:

  • Limited accounts offered
  • Some CDs have high opening amounts
  • Interest rates not fixed for savings
  • Limited ways to contact customer service
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.

Rising Bank Review

The interest rates for Rising Bank accounts are competitive. The rates are competitive with other online accounts. They are much higher than typical bank rates. The rates are not tiered. Any amount above the required opening amount earns competitive interest rates.

The Rising Bank high yield savings account and the regular CDs have low opening amounts. The regular CDs are available in one, two, and three-year CDs. These CDs and the savings account each only requires $1,000 to open.

There are no monthly fees on the high yield savings account. This account is free. To earn interest, you must keep $1,000 in the account. The CDs only have a fee if you withdraw money before the CD reaches maturity.

Rising Bank offers two Rising CDs. These come in 18-month and 36-month terms. Each of these CDs requires $25,000 to open. During the CD term if interest rates increase you can increase the rate on your CD. The 18-month CD allows for one rate increase; the 36-month allows two rate increases. When you increase the rate of the CD, you can also deposit more money into the CD.

Rising Bank has limited types of accounts available. They offer a high yield savings account and CDs. The CD terms range from one year to three-year terms. There are not a wide variety of term lengths available through Rising Bank. They offer regular CDs, one jumbo CD, and two Rising CDs. Rising Bank does not offer a money market account or checking accounts. No business accounts are currently available.

The Rising CDs and the jumbo CD have high opening amounts. The Rising CD terms each require $25,000 to open. The jumbo CD has one term length, and it requires $100,000 to open the account. You must keep these amounts in the CDs to earn interest.

The interest rates for the Rising Bank high yield savings account are not fixed. Rising Bank may change the rate you earn on your account at any time. The bank does not have to notify you if the rates change. Interest credits to your account every month for the savings account and every three months for CDs. If you close your accounts before interest credits, you will not receive the earned interest.

Rising Bank offers limited ways to contact customer service. Reach a representative through phone, mail, or email. They are open Monday through Friday. The Rising Bank website says their customer service representatives offer personalized help. The ways to contact someone are limited though.

Read the full Rising Bank review.

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