Charles Schwab Bank VS First 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: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Checking account for 55 and older
  • Anywhere Accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • Variety of personal products offered

Cons:

  • Accounts have fees
  • Online banking is not free
  • Accounts not offered everywhere
  • Low-interest rates
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.

First Bank Review

FirstBank offers a checking account for anyone over 55 years old. This account earns interest. There is no minimum balance to earn interest or required to keep in the account. This account does not have any fees, and direct deposit is not required.

The Anywhere Accounts are a savings and checking account. Both of these accounts do not have monthly fees. There is no minimum balance required to keep in the account. You can sign up to have money from transactions rounded up to the nearest dollar. The difference is deposited into your Anywhere eSave Savings account. Those transactions include debit transactions, bill pay, or other electronic transfers.

FirstBank offers accounts for businesses. Checking and money market accounts are available. There is a checking account offered specifically for nonprofits. There are no fees for the nonprofit checking and the basic business checking. The other accounts have a monthly fee.

Not just personal deposit accounts are available at FirstBank. Personal credit cards, home equity loans, and personal construction loans are available. Health Savings Accounts and accounts to help save for college are also offered.

Most FirstBank accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $5 to $20. The debit card has a yearly fee of $10. You are only allowed 25 deposits into the eSave Savings account per month. You are charged $0.10 for each item over 25.

Account interest rates at FirstBank are not competitive with other online banks. The interest rates are similar to your typical bank rates.

FirstBank offers products and accounts in Arizona, California, and Colorado. They have over 115 branch locations in these three states with over 200 ATMs. To open an account, you must live in one of these three states.

Online banking with FirstBank is only free if you sign up to receive electronic statements. The fee is $3 each month if you do not sign up. The money will be automatically withdrawn from your checking account on the first day of each month. If you want to receive paper statements, you must keep $10,000 in FirstBank accounts to waive the monthly fee.

Read the full First Bank review.

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