Comenity Direct VS Popular Direct

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low opening required amounts
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Can open accounts entirely online

Cons:

  • Limited account options
  • Must link an external bank account
  • No checks or debit cards available
  • Early withdrawal fee on CDs is high
  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
4.60%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • High-interest rates on accounts
  • Account available everywhere
  • Variety of CD terms
  • Online and mobile banking

Cons:

  • Opening accounts requires large deposit
  • The savings account has a monthly fee
  • Only offer CDs and one savings account
  • Linked external account required
Comenity Direct Review

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.

Popular Direct Review

The interest rates on Popular Direct accounts are very competitive. They are considerably higher than your typical brick and mortar banks. The rates are competitive with other online-only accounts.

Because Popular Direct is an online-only bank, the accounts are available everywhere. Applying for the account is quick and completed online. Everything you need for your account is accessed online. There are no branch locations.

Popular Direct offers a variety of different CD term lengths. The terms range from a three-month term to five-year terms. The other terms include six months, one year, eighteen months, two, three, and four-year terms. The interest rates increase the longer the term length.

All Popular Direct accounts come with online and mobile banking. With online banking, you can set up account notifications and see statements. You can transfer funds between the linked external account. Mobile and online banking allow you to transfer money between Popular Direct accounts. You can check account balances and deposit checks.

To open a savings account with Popular Direct, you must have $5,000 as your opening deposit. To open a CD with Popular Direct, you must have $10,000 as the opening required deposit. You will still earn interest if your balance drops below these required amounts.

Popular Direct savings account has a monthly fee. The fee is $4 per month if your balance falls below $500. No fee is charged if your balance remains above $500. There is also a fee for closing the account before 180 days after opening it. A $5 monthly fee is charged each month if your account is inactive for 12 months. Following the 12th month, the fee is charged each month the account is inactive.

Popular Direct only offers CDs and one savings account. They do not offer a checking account, money market account, or any business accounts. The CDs range from 30-day CDs to a five-year term.

Popular Direct requires you link your account to an external account. The linked account allows you to make deposits into your Popular Direct account. The external bank account cannot be changed within the first 60 days of opening the account.

Read the full Popular Direct review.

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