Charles Schwab Bank VS Fidelity Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
0.15%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Unlimited ATM fee rebates
  • No monthly fees
  • No amounts required in accounts
  • Offer investing products and advice

Cons:

  • Must link checking account to a brokerage
  • Low-interest rates
  • Opening savings account is not online
  • CDs have fees
  • 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
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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
Charles Schwab Bank Review

Charles Schwab refunds any ATM fees acquired worldwide. Unlike other banks, there is no limit to the number of times your ATM fee can be refunded. If you make use of ATMs, this is an ideal benefit.

There are no monthly maintenance fees for Charles Schwab savings or checking accounts. The checking account does have a fee, but the fee is waived when you open the brokerage account. The brokerage account is a requirement for a Charles Schwab savings or checking account.

Charles Schwab does not have a set amount you must keep in their savings and checking accounts. You will earn interest on whatever amount you deposit with no monthly fees.

Charles Schwab has a wide variety of products to help you invest and trade. They offer accounts for trusts, college, retirement, small businesses, and IRA accounts. Their website offers tools and advice in these different areas. This can help ensure you open the right account for you.

When you open a Charles Schwab checking account, you have to open a Schwab One brokerage account. Opening this account waives the checking account fee. There isn't a required amount to keep in either account, but you must open both accounts.

The interest on their checking account is competitive with other banks for low account amounts. The interest on their savings account is slightly higher than typical banks. The savings account rates are significantly lower than other online banks.

To open a savings account, you must download an application, fill it out, and send it back to Charles Schwab. Other banks let you open a savings account all online. You can open a checking account with Charles Schwab online, but not a savings account.

Charles Schwab CDs have a fee. They charge a set amount based on the CD opened. There is also a fee to sell based on a broker-assisted fee. The interest rates for their CDs are competitive with other banks, but there are fees.

Read the full Charles Schwab Bank 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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