Citizens Bank VS Applied Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 1.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • No set amount to open most accounts
  • Good variety of accounts available
  • Overdraft Pass
  • Can open most accounts online

Cons:

  • Products not available everywhere
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Limited CD terms offered
  • Low interest rates for accounts
  • Financial Rates: 1.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
0.02%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Variety of different personal accounts
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Checking and saving rates are not tiered
  • Business accounts offered

Cons:

  • Accounts have low-interest rates
  • Jumbo CDs do not offer higher rates
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • High interest in MMA requires a large sum
Citizens Bank Review

Checking, savings, and money market accounts do not have required opening amounts. However, to earn the best rates, you must be a Platinum member. A Platinum member has at least $25,000 in Citizen Bank accounts. The basic checking and savings accounts do not require you to be a Platinum member.

Citizens Bank offers a variety of accounts. These accounts include:

  • Four personal checking accounts
  • Three personal money market accounts
  • Four personal savings accounts
  • CD terms of 11, 14, and 24-month CDs
  • IRA accounts
  • Personal credit cards, lending, retirement, and investment options
  • Business savings, checking, and money market accounts
  • Business CDs
  • Credit cards, lending, and investment options for businesses

Checking and money market accounts include $5 Overdraft Pass. If you overdraw your account for $5 or less, there will not be a fee. To avoid other overdraft fees, deposit money into your account as soon as possible. There is no limit to how many overdrafts qualify for the pass.

If you live where Citizens Bank account are available, you can open most personal accounts online. The application is entirely online. To open the College Saver savings account, you need to visit a branch location. Business and IRA account must also be opened in a branch.

Accounts are not available everywhere. Citizens Bank currently operates in 11 states. If you do not live in one of these states, you cannot open an account. Those states are:

  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

Citizen Bank accounts have fees. The fees range from $3.99 to $25 each month. There are ways to waive the fees. Those included making deposits and having set account balances. The balances range from $2,500 to $25,000, depending on the account. You can waive some money market and savings account fees by opening a Platinum checking account.

There are only three standard CD terms offered through Citizens Bank. They offer 11, 14, and 24-month CDs. The 14-month CD is an online-only account. Each term requires $1,000 to open. Business and IRA CDs are also available.

Most Citizens Bank accounts have low rates. The interest rates compare to typical brick-and-mortar bank rates. The CDs offer slightly higher rates if you also open a Citizens Bank checking account. Even those higher rates are not competitive with other online accounts.

Read the full Citizens Bank review.

Applied Bank Review

Applied Bank has a variety of different personal accounts. There are basic savings, checking, and money market accounts. Checking accounts for people over 50 are available. There are specific savings accounts for youth and specific goals like a vacation. CDs, loans, and credit cards are available through Applied Bank.

Most Applied Bank accounts have a low opening required amount. The savings and checking account requires $100 to open. The club savings account only requires $10 to open. The money market account requires $500 to avoid a fee and earn interest. The CDs require $1,000 to open. The checking account for those over 50 does not have required amounts.

The interest rates for Applied Bank checking and savings accounts are not tiered. The savings account only requires $100 to earn the most competitive rates. The Club Savings account only requires $10 to earn competitive rates. The checking account requires $1,000.

Applied Bank offers business accounts. They offer checking accounts, loans, and lines of credit for businesses. They also offer merchant processing options in select states. Online banking is available for business accounts.

Interest rates for Applied Bank accounts are low. The rates are similar to your typical brick and mortar bank rates. Even the CDs rates are low. The most competitive interest rates are the Club and youth saving accounts. Those rates are higher than the other savings account. They are still much lower than other online-only accounts.

Applied Bank offers jumbo CDs. These CDs require at least $95,000 to open. The interest rates for the jumbo CDs are not any higher than the regular CD interest rates. The jumbo CD terms range from six-months to five-years. Those CDs are available for businesses, nonprofits, and personal deposit accounts.

Applied Bank accounts have a monthly fee if you do not keep a minimum amount in the accounts. The amounts required to avoid the fee are low. The checking and savings accounts require $100. The money market requires $500. The monthly fee is $10 per account per month if minimum balances are not met. The only fees for CDs are for withdrawing money before the maturity date.

The highest interest rates for the Applied Bank money market account requires a large sum. To earn the most competitive rate requires $25,000 in the account. Amounts over $500 earn interest, just a much lower rate. Any amount over $25,000 earns the highest rate.

Read the full Applied Bank review.

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