Citizens Bank VS Northeast 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
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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: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low required amounts to open accounts
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • Pearl MMA earns a good rate

Cons:

  • Low interest rates on accounts
  • Some accounts have tiered interest rates
  • Accounts opened in branches
  • Monthly fees for most accounts
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.

Northeast Bank Review

The required amounts to open Northeast Bank accounts are low. The savings account requires $100. The holiday club requires $2, and all CDs only require $500 to open. One checking account requires $25 to open. The other three checking accounts require $100 to open.

Northeast Bank offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. They offer a savings account for youth, regular savings, and a holiday savings account. Two money market accounts are offered. There are four checking accounts, including one for those 50 or older. There are a variety of CD terms, ranging from six-months to five-years.

Along with personal deposit accounts, Northeast Bank offers business accounts. Those include savings, checking, and money market accounts. They offer lines of credit, business, and equipment loans. Cash management options are available. Each account comes with online bill pay and banking, and merchant card processing.

The Pearl money market account is available to open to those who live by a branch location. This money market account earns more competitive interest rates than the other accounts. This account is only for new customers to Northeast Bank. Any amount over $0.01 earns the competitive rates. The minimum opening amount is $5,000. The account fee amount or required balance is not listed on the website.

The interest rates for most Northeast Bank accounts are low. They are not competitive with other online accounts. Northeast Bank checking accounts earn interest. Some accounts have tiered interest rates.

To earn the highest interest on some Northeast Bank accounts requires a large sum. The regular money market account requires $100,000 to earn the most competitive rate. The business MMA requires $75,000. The Northeast Express Gold personal checking account requires $50,000. Any balance earns some interest, just not the most competitive rate. The most competitive rate offered is not competitive with other online accounts.

The accounts listed on the Northeast Bank website are only able to open in a branch location. No online accounts are offered directly through the Northeast Bank website. Online accounts are offered through ableBanking, their online division.

Most accounts offered through Northeast Bank have a monthly fee. The fees range from $1 to $7 a month, depending on the account. To waive the monthly fee requires a set balance be in the account. That amount varies from $100 to $10,000.

Read the full Northeast Bank review.

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