E*TRADE VS Citizens Access

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 1.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • No minimum opening deposits
  • Interest rates not tiered
  • ATM fee reimbursement
  • Can open accounts online

Cons:

  • Max-Rate checking account has a fee
  • Limited personal accounts offered
  • Low interest rates on accounts
  • Business accounts limited
  • Financial Rates: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
4.50%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Competitive interest rates
  • Any account balance earns interest
  • Good variety of CD terms

Cons:

  • High opening required amounts
  • Must link accounts to external bank
  • No ATM or debit cards or checks
  • Limited accounts offered
E*TRADE Review

E*TRADE accounts do not have set amounts required to open accounts. You can open the Premium savings, Max-Rate checking, and E*TRADE checking with any amount. To avoid a monthly fee may require a set balance, but not to open the account.

The interest rates for E*TRADE Bank accounts are not tiered. Any balance earns the most competitive interest rate. The highest rates are not competitive with other online-only accounts. But any balance earns the best rate.

E*TRADE Bank accounts offer unlimited ATM fee reimbursement. There are no ATM fees for money withdrawn from ATMs across the nation. To get a refund, you must meet certain qualifications. If you qualify for the refund, the money should be in your account by the end of the day of the ATM transaction. Not all accounts offer ATM fee refunds.

You can open E*TRADE accounts online. They are available for anyone to open across the United States. You can transfer money from external bank accounts into your E*TRADE account.

The E*TRADE Max-Rate checking account has a monthly fee. The fee is $15 a month. Waive the fee by keeping a set account balance in one account or an average in multiple accounts. Having a direct deposit over $200 waives the fee. Making a set amount of trades can also help waive the fees.

The types of personal accounts offered through E*TRADE Bank are limited to new customers. Those accounts include a savings account and two checking accounts. More accounts may be available once you become a customer.

The E*TRADE Bank accounts earn interest, but the rates are low. The interest rates are not competitive with other online accounts. Any account balance earns the most competitive rate. Even the highest rates are not competitive with other online accounts.

E*TRADE offers limited accounts for small businesses. They do not offer traditional accounts for small or commercial businesses. The accounts offered to small businesses include retirement accounts.

Read the full E*TRADE review.

Citizens Access Review

Looking for Citizens Bank? Click here for our review on the local bank.

Citizens Access bank accounts do not have any fees. There are no monthly maintenance fees or fees to open the account. The Citizens Access savings account is completely free. The only fee with the CDs comes if you withdraw money before the maturity date.

The online savings account and each of the CD terms earn competitive interest rates. Citizens Access rates are much higher than your typical brick and mortar bank rates. They are competitive with other online accounts. To earn the most competitive rate requires a balance of $5,000 in each account.

Any account balance in the Citizens Access savings account earns interest. If the account balance falls below $5,000 the interest you earn is less, but you still earn interest. To earn the most competitive rate requires a $5,000 balance in the account.

Citizens Access offers a good variety of CD terms. Those terms range from six-month terms to five-years. Each of these CDs requires $5,000 to open. The interest rates are competitive on each term. The longer the CD term, the higher the interest rate.

To open an online savings account or CD with Citizen Access requires a large sum. Each of these accounts requires $5,000 to open the accounts. To earn the most competitive interest rate requires a balance of $5,000.

To transfer money in and out of your Citizens Access account you must link to an external bank account. That account can be a different banking institution. Once you link the accounts, you can transfer money electronically between the two accounts. To withdraw money, you could request a check.

Currently, Citizens Access does not offer ATM cards, debit cards, or checks for their online savings account. Access your money easiest through electronic transfers. You can call customer service to request a check.

Citizens Access has a limited variety of account. Only personal deposit savings account and CDs are available. No personal checking accounts or money market accounts are available. There are no business accounts offered.

Read the full Citizens Access review.

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Jenius Bank
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.25%
Rate 5.25%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC. No fees. Easy deposits and quick withdrawals.
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APY 4.35%
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Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
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