Citizens Bank VS Quorum Federal Credit Union

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: 4.0 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:

  • No required amount to open account
  • Most accounts do not have fees
  • MMA and CDs offer competitive rates
  • ATM fee reimbursement

Cons:

  • Must become a member to open accounts
  • Most accounts do not have competitive rates
  • Tiered interest rates on accounts
  • No business accounts available
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.

Quorum Federal Credit Union Review

Quorum does not have a set amount required to open their HighQ savings account. The basic savings account only requires $5 to open, which Quorum will pay for you. The checking accounts offered through Quorum do not have a set amount required to open.

Most Quorum accounts do not have monthly fees. If the accounts do have a fee, that fee is easy to waive. Electronic statements waive the fee for the basic savings account. Waive the checking account fees by having a set amount in direct deposits or a set account balance. You must also sign up for electronic statements.

The HighQ savings account and some CDs offer the most competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online-only accounts. There is no required amount to open the HighQ account and no monthly fees. This account can be opened online. The CDs require $1,000 to open.

The QChoice checking account offers ATM reimbursement. There are a variety of ATMs that are free of charge to Quorum customers. However, if you use an ATM that charges a fee, Quorum will reimburse that fee up to $15 per month. The fee reimbursement will deposit automatically into your account on the second business day of the following month.

To open an account with Quorum, you must become a member of the credit union. To open an account online, you must be over 18. If you are under 18, you must mail in the application. To establish your membership, you must open a basic savings account. The required amount is $5, but Quorum will fund that amount.

Most Quorum accounts do not offer competitive interest rates. Most account rates are competitive with typical brick and mortar bank rates. The HighQ savings account offers the most competitive rate. That account offers interest that is competitive with other online accounts.

Most Quorum account interest rates are tiered. The checking account requires a $20,000 balance to earn the most competitive rate. The money management account requires $250,000 to receive the best rate.

The only accounts offered through Quorum are personal deposit accounts. No specific business accounts are available. Those personal deposit accounts include checking and savings accounts, and CDs. The CDs range from three-months to five-year terms.

Read the full Quorum Federal Credit Union review.

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Savings (Rate as of 11/21/2024)
APY 4.00%
Rate 3.92%
Min to Open $0
Min to Earn APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Min to Avoid Fee $0
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
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