Community First Bank VS Navy Federal Credit Union

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Christmas savings account
  • Business accounts, including nonprofits
  • Business Premium Package
  • Cash Management options for businesses

Cons:

  • Have to open accounts at a branch
  • Interest rates not listed on website
  • Unlimited withdrawals, but only in person
  • Most accounts have high opening deposits
  • 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
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Low opening required amounts
  • Variety of accounts available
  • ATM fee reimbursements
  • Competitive rates on most accounts

Cons:

  • Must become a member first
  • Accounts have tiered interest rates
  • Daily cash limits on withdrawals
Community First Bank Review

Community First Bank offers a special savings account for Christmas. This account only requires $10 to open. You can set up automatic transfers for monthly, twice a month, or weekly. After October 1 of each year, you can withdraw an unlimited amount of times until the last day of December. Withdrawals are only allowed those three months. There is a withdrawal fee if not withdrawn during the designated time.

A variety of different business accounts are available. There are four different checking accounts, including one for a nonprofit. Community First Bank offers savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs. Loans, credit cards, and retirement accounts are available for business accounts.

You can sign up for the Business Premium Package. This sets you up for a checking account, savings account, and a money market account. You also sign up for two other accounts from ten other options. HSA, credit cards, loans, and cash management all qualify. With the package, you receive 100 free additional transactions from your business checking.

The cash management lets you have different levels of authority on accounts. You decide what employees can see about customer accounts. You can add more users to the accounts. The premium option pays taxes and payroll. Cash management automatically deducts customer fees or payments.

You cannot open accounts online. Some account applications are available to download and send to the local branch. To open checking, savings, money market, CDs, and business accounts you must apply in a local branch. Community First Bank only has branches in Wisconsin.

To know the interest rates on Community First Bank accounts, you must call a local branch. The interest rates are not available on the website. You could earn higher interest rates on CDs by opening certain accounts.

The Community First Bank's money market accounts offer unlimited withdrawals. The withdrawals must be made in person at a local branch. You are only allowed six withdrawals from other methods per billing cycle. Those methods include withdrawals made by ATMs, checks, check cards, and electronic transfers.

The basic accounts have low opening balances. However, to earn the competitive interest rates, there is a high opening balance. The required amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Read the full Community First Bank review.

Navy Federal Credit Union Review

Navy Federal accounts have low opening required amounts. The savings account only requires $5 to open. The money market account does not have a set amount required to open, but to earn interest requires $2,500. The checking accounts do not have a set amount required to open. The CDs have tiered opening required amounts. The lowest amount to open a regular CD is $1,000. Special CD offers require lower opening amounts.

There are a wide variety of accounts offered through Navy Federal. They offer a savings account, money market account, and CDs. Their CD terms range from three-month terms to seven-year terms. Navy Federal offers five checking accounts. Those accounts include one for students, an online account, and an active duty account. Navy Federal also offers loans and credit cards.

Most Navy Federal checking accounts offer ATM fee reimbursement. Only the Everyday Checking account does not. The reimbursement amount ranges from $10 to $20, depending on the account. Some accounts require a direct deposit to earn the reimbursement.

Most all Navy Federal accounts offer competitive interest rates. The CDs offer the most competitive interest rates. Navy Federal savings and checking accounts earn interest. The rates are lower than online account rates. The money market account rates are slightly lower than online rates. These rates are higher than typical bank rates.

Before you open an account with Navy Federal, you must first become a member of the credit union. Servicemembers and veterans are eligible to join Navy Federal. Department of Defense employees are eligible. Family members of each of these groups can become members of Navy Federal Credit Union.

Navy Federal money market and Flagship checking account have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive rate on the MMA requires a balance of at least $50,000. The checking account requires $25,000. To earn the most competitive rate on Navy Federal CDs requires $100,000.

Navy Federal only allows for a daily cash withdrawal of $600. This includes cash from an ATM, a branch, or receiving cash back. There is a daily transaction limit of $3,000 for most checking accounts and $5,000 for the Flagship checking. Their accounts do not typically have limits on the number of transactions.

Read the full Navy Federal Credit Union review.

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