E*TRADE VS MySavingsDirect

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

  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Low required amounts to open accounts
  • Accounts offer competitive interest rates
  • Interest rates are not tiered

Cons:

  • Limited accounts offered
  • Must link to an external bank account
  • Can only make electronic transfers
  • Must be a customer to open CDs
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 There are no ATM fees for money withdrawn from ATMs across the nation.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.

MySavingsDirect Review

There are no monthly maintenance fees for the MySavingsDirect savings account. The CDs do not have monthly maintenance fees. However, there is a fee if you withdraw money before the CD reaches maturity. MySavingsDirect accounts are free.

The MySavingsDirect savings account does not have a required amount to open. You can choose the amount you invest when you open the account. The MySavingsDirect CDs do have a required amount to open. Each of the CD terms requires $1,000 to open.

The interest rates for all MySavingsDirect accounts are competitive. The rates are competitive with other online-only accounts. They are much higher than typical brick and mortar bank rates.

MySavingsDirect account interest rates are not tiered. Any balance in the account earns the most competitive interest rate. The interest rates are competitive with other online accounts.

MySavingsDirect only offers a few accounts. The accounts are a personal deposit savings account and CDs. The CD terms range from 60 months to 120 months. They also offer one 30-month CD term. They do not offer a checking account or money market account. MySavingsDirect does not offer business accounts.

To fund your MySavingsDirect accounts, you must link to an external bank account. MySavingsDirect accounts must link to an existing checking account. Once the accounts are linked, you can transfer money electronically between accounts.

The only way to make deposits or withdrawals are through electronic transfers. Your initial deposit to open the account can be made by mailing in a check. After the initial deposit, all other deposits or withdrawals must be through electronic transfers. Transfer money between your MySavingsDirect account and the linked external bank account.

To open a CD with MySavingsDirect, you must first open a savings account. Once you have a savings account through MySavingsDirect, you may open a CD. The CD terms range from 60 to 120 months. The most competitive CD rate is the six-month CD. MySavingsDirect offers a three-month term, but the rate is lower.

Read the full MySavingsDirect review.

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