The required amounts to open Comenity Direct accounts are low. The Comenity Direct savings account requires $100 to open. Each of the CDs offered through Comenity Direct require $1,500 to open.

The interest rates for Comenity Direct accounts are competitive. Their rates are much higher than typical bank rates. They are competitive with other online accounts. To earn interest on CDs, you must keep $1,500 in the CD. The high-yield savings account only requires $1.00 to earn interest.

Comenity Direct accounts do not have monthly maintenance fees. There are not set account balances required to avoid the monthly fees. Their accounts are free. The CDs have a fee if you withdraw the money before the maturity date, but no monthly fee.

All Comenity Direct accounts can be opened online. You do not need to visit a branch location or mail in part of the application. The entire account opening process is online. You must be at least 18 years old and have a social security number. You must be a resident of the United States with an address. You cannot open an account with a P.O. Box.

Comenity Direct offers limited accounts. They offer a high-yield savings account and CDs. The CD terms range from one to five-years. There are no CD terms shorter than one year. Comenity Direct does not offer checking or money market accounts.

Comenity Direct accounts require a linked external account. You can link an account with your current bank. Once you link the two accounts, you can transfer money electronically. You can also have money directly deposited into your Comenity Direct account.

The Comenity Direct high-yield savings account does not offer checks or debit cards. Federal law allows for six withdrawals each billing statement from a savings account. Make withdrawals through electronic transfers into the linked external bank account.

Comenity Direct offers CD terms from one to five-years. The early withdrawal fees for these CDs are high compared to other online CDs. For terms from 12-months to three-years, the fee is 180 days of interest. For terms four-years or longer, the fee is 365 days of interest.

Read the full Comenity Direct 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.