Citizens Bank VS Home Savings 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: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates for CDs
  • Personal deposit accounts offered
  • Can open CDs online
  • Online mortgage options

Cons:

  • High opening required amounts
  • Monthly maintenance fees are high
  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • MMA has tiered interest rates
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.

Home Savings Bank Review

Home Savings Bank CDs offer competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online accounts. Their rates are much higher than typical brick and mortar bank rates. The rates are competitive whether you open the account in the branch or online.

Personal deposit accounts are available through Home Savings Bank. These accounts include a checking account, money market account, CDs, and IRAs. Not all accounts can be opened online. Only the CDs and IRAs have the option to open online.

Home Savings Bank offers CDs that are entirely online. These accounts are available for anyone across the United States to open. You must be at least 18 years old. You must be a resident of the United States or a resident alien. You must have an address in the U.S., a social security number, and a driver license or other ID.

Home Savings Bank offers online mortgage options. You apply for your loan online. A loan officer will contact you by phone, email, or online chat to answer your questions. Because the mortgage is online, the rates and fees are typically lower than other banks.

Each of the accounts with Home Savings Bank has a high required opening amount. The CDs, money market account, checking account, and IRA accounts all require $5,000 to open. The opening required amount is the same whether opening in the branch or online.

The monthly maintenance fees for Home Savings Bank accounts are high. The fee for the money market account and checking account is $35 a month. Waive this fee by keeping a set balance in the account. The checking account requires $5,000 in a combination of Home Savings Bank accounts to waive the fee. The money market account must have $2,500 in the account to waive the fee.

Not all Home Savings Bank accounts have the option of opening online. Only the Home Savings Bank CDs and IRAs have the online option. To open the checking or money market account visit the branch location. There is one branch location in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The interest rates for the Home Savings Bank MMA are not competitive. These rates are also tiered. To earn the best rate requires an account balance over $200,000. Even the highest rate is not competitive with other online money market accounts. Only the CDs with Home Savings Bank earn competitive interest rates.

Read the full Home Savings Bank review.

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