California First National Bank VS Sun Canyon 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
No Rate Information
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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: 1.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Higher rates than typical banks
  • Good variety of accounts online
  • Free ATM transactions
  • Digital Wallet

Cons:

  • Monthly fees for most accounts
  • High opening required amounts
  • Must wait for accounts to activate
  • Tiered interest rates on 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.

Sun Canyon Bank Review

The interest rates for Sun Canyon are higher than typical bank rates, but lower than online accounts. The accounts do have tiered interest rates. But even the lowest tier rates are higher than typical bank rates.

Sun Canyon Bank offers online accounts. Those accounts include:

  • Checking account
  • Savings account
  • Money market account
  • Standard CDs in 6, 12, and 24-month terms

Sun Canyon allows for eight ATM transactions each month, or up to $25 per billing cycle, free of fees. The other banking institution may charge a fee. Sun Canyon will not charge a fee for those first ATM transactions.

Through the mobile app, you can make purchases and payments with Sun Canyon Digital Wallet. You load your debit card into the mobile app. You can then make purchases. Sun Canyon also supports Apple, Google, and Samsung Pay.

Most Sun Canyon accounts have fees. The money market fee is $10. To avoid fees, you must keep at least $2,500 in the account. The savings account has a fee of $5 per month. To avoid this fee, you must have a balance of at least $250. The checking account has a fee of $5 if you have less than $5,000 in your checking account. To waive the fees, you can also have set combined balances. The savings account requires $2,500 in combined accounts. The MMA requires $5,000, and the checking account requires $20,000 in combined accounts.

The opening required amounts for Sun Canyon accounts are high. The savings account requires $250 to open. The checking account requires $1,000 to open. The CDs all require $1,000 to open. The money market account requires $2,500. You must keep these amounts in the accounts to avoid the monthly fees.

Apply for an account with Sun Canyon by filling out an application online. Once your application is complete, customer service sends an email when the account activates. You can start using the account once you receive the email.

To earn the most competitive rates, you must have a high account balance. The checking account requires $50,000 for the best rates and the money market requires $100,000. The savings account requires $250,000. Balance over $250 for the savings account and over $2,500 for the MMA and checking accounts earn interest, just not the highest rate.

Read the full Sun Canyon Bank review.

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