First Bank VS Synchrony Bank

Which bank is better for you?

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

  • Checking account for 55 and older
  • Anywhere Accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • Variety of personal products offered

Cons:

  • Accounts have fees
  • Online banking is not free
  • Accounts not offered everywhere
  • Low-interest rates
  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
2.25%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • No monthly fees or required balances
  • Variety of CD terms available
  • Competitive interest rates
  • Reimbursed ATM fees

Cons:

  • Best perks require Diamond member
  • No checking account offered
  • High opening amounts for CDs
  • Tiered interest rates not offered
First Bank Review

FirstBank offers a checking account for anyone over 55 years old. This account earns interest. There is no minimum balance to earn interest or required to keep in the account. This account does not have any fees, and direct deposit is not required.

The Anywhere Accounts are a savings and checking account. Both of these accounts do not have monthly fees. There is no minimum balance required to keep in the account. You can sign up to have money from transactions rounded up to the nearest dollar. The difference is deposited into your Anywhere eSave Savings account. Those transactions include debit transactions, bill pay, or other electronic transfers.

FirstBank offers accounts for businesses. Checking and money market accounts are available. There is a checking account offered specifically for nonprofits. There are no fees for the nonprofit checking and the basic business checking. The other accounts have a monthly fee.

Not just personal deposit accounts are available at FirstBank. Personal credit cards, home equity loans, and personal construction loans are available. Health Savings Accounts and accounts to help save for college are also offered.

Most FirstBank accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $5 to $20. The debit card has a yearly fee of $10. You are only allowed 25 deposits into the eSave Savings account per month. You are charged $0.10 for each item over 25.

Account interest rates at FirstBank are not competitive with other online banks. The interest rates are similar to your typical bank rates.

FirstBank offers products and accounts in Arizona, California, and Colorado. They have over 115 branch locations in these three states with over 200 ATMs. To open an account, you must live in one of these three states.

Online banking with FirstBank is only free if you sign up to receive electronic statements. The fee is $3 each month if you do not sign up. The money will be automatically withdrawn from your checking account on the first day of each month. If you want to receive paper statements, you must keep $10,000 in FirstBank accounts to waive the monthly fee.

Read the full First Bank review.

Synchrony Bank Review

The high yield savings account and money market account do not have any monthly fees. Synchrony does not require a set amount be kept in their accounts. There is no required amount to open a savings or money market account.

Synchrony offers a variety of CD term lengths. The terms range from three months to five years. As with any CD, the longer the term length, the higher the interest rates offered on the account. There are no monthly fees for the CD accounts. A fee is charged if you withdraw your money before the CD reaches maturity.

The interest rates for all Synchrony accounts are competitive. The savings and money market accounts and CDs are much higher than your typical bank rates. They are competitive with other online-only accounts.

Synchrony will refund the ATM fees charged by other financial institutions. The fees for every account holder will be reimbursed up to $5 each billing cycle. If you are a Diamond Reward member, you will receive unlimited ATM reimbursements.

All customers receive some perks for being an account holder with Synchrony bank. To earn the best perks, you must become a Diamond Reward member. To qualify to be a Diamond Reward member, you must have over $250,000 in Synchrony accounts. You must also be a customer for at least five years.

There is no checking account offered through Synchrony Bank. They offer a high yield savings account, money market account, and CDs.

The amount required to open a CD is high. Synchrony offers a variety of different CD terms. To open any of the terms requires $2,000 as a minimum opening deposit.

The savings and money market rates do not increase based on how much money you invest. If you invest $1,000 or $250,000, you will earn the same interest rate for each amount. Some banks offer tiered interest rates based on how much money you invest in the account.

Read the full Synchrony Bank review.

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