Citizens Bank VS Radius 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: 1.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • High interest rates on accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • Most accounts do not have fees
  • Low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Limited CD term lengths opened online
  • Only one savings account offered
  • Highest interest rate 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.

Radius Bank Review

The Radius Hybrid checking account offers competitive interest rates. You earn the competitive interest rate on any balance over $2,500. The savings account offers competitive interest rates as well. You earn higher interest rates on balances over $25,000. The interest rate under $25,000 is still competitive, just a slightly lower rate.

Radius Bank offers a variety of business accounts. Four different checking accounts are available. The accounts vary in benefits. This allows you to find the best fit for your business. A money market account and CDs are available for businesses also.

Most Radius accounts do not have monthly fees. The only account that has a monthly fee is the Essential checking account. That fee is $9 a month. After you make the opening required deposit, there is no required amount to keep in Radius Bank accounts.

The Radius savings account and two checking accounts only require $100 to open. The basic checking account only requires $10 to open. There are three CDs you can open online, the one-year, 18-month, and the three-year. Each of those CDs only require $500 to open. Open different CD term lengths at branch locations. Those CDs require either $500 or $1,000 depending on the term.

At this time, only a few Radius accounts are available to open online. Three Radius checking accounts can be opened online. The Radius High-Yield savings account and CDs can also be opened online. To open a business account, visit their financial center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Only three Radius Bank CD terms are available to open online. The CDs include a 12-month, 18-month, and three-year CD. Each CD only requires $500 to open. The interest rate on the CDs are competitive with other online-only accounts.

Only one savings account is available through Radius Bank. They do not offer a money market account. There is no monthly fee for the savings account. The opening amount required is $100. You can request an ATM card for this savings account. Federal regulations only allow six transactions per statement cycle.

To earn the highest interest rates for the Radius savings account, you must have $25,000 in the account. Any amount over $10 earns interest. Those rates are low; similar to typical bank rates. Having $2,500 in the account will earn much higher rates. Rates for balances over $2,500 are good but still less than the interest you earn if you have over $25,000. To earn interest on your Radius checking account balance, you must have $2,500 in the account. Any amount less does not earn interest.

Read the full Radius Bank review.

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