-
Financial Rates:
5.0
-
Customer Service:
5.0
-
Website Experience:
3.5
-
Bank Fees:
4.0
Pros:
- Low opening required amounts
- Competitive interest rates on accounts
- Variety of accounts offered
- Free ATM transactions and fee refunds
Cons:
- Accounts have monthly fees
- Savings have high required daily balances
- CD early withdrawal penalties are high
- Excessive withdrawal fee high
-
Financial Rates:
3.5
-
Customer Service:
2.5
-
Website Experience:
3.0
-
Bank Fees:
4.5
Pros:
- Low required opening amounts
- Reimbursement of ATM fees
- Variety of personal deposit accounts
- Money market account earns good rates
Cons:
- Highest MMA rate requires large amount
- High required amount to open CDs
- Checking accounts have a monthly fee
- Must mail in application to open account
First IB only requires $25 to open the free checking and savings account. The Interest checking, Money Market Savings, and Tomorrow's Tycoons require $100 to open. CDs required $1,000 to open. The HSA does not have a required amount to open.
First IB accounts earn competitive interest rates. The account rates are competitive with other online-only accounts. To earn the best rate for the checking account only requires $500 in the account. The savings accounts do not have a set limit to earn the competitive interest rates.
A variety of accounts are available through First IB. The accounts include:
- Free checking
- Interest checking
- Money Market Savings
- Free savings
- CD terms from three to 60-months
- Health Savings Account
- Tomorrow's Tycoons savings account for children
- Coverdell Education Savings account
- IRA accounts
- Credit cards, personal, student, and auto loans
- Home equity loans and mortgages
- Business checking, savings, and CDs
- Business lending options
First IB is a member of the ATM Plus network, giving you access to millions of ATMs across the U.S. Certain accounts with First IB reimburse up to $10 each month in ATM fees. The Interest checking, money market, and regular savings offer the reimbursement option.
Most First IB accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $2 to $10 each month. Waive the fees by keeping an average daily balance in the accounts. The required balances vary between accounts.
The First IB Money Market Savings account requires a daily balance of $4,000 to avoid the monthly fee. The Interest checking account requires $500 to avoid the fee. Free savings and checking accounts do not have a required balance to avoid the monthly fee.
The early withdrawal penalty for First IB CDs are high. CD terms for three-months requires 90 days of interest. Terms from six to 18-months require 180 days of interest. The fee for CD terms over 24-months is 360 days of interest.
The government limits the withdrawals from savings accounts to six per month. The excessive withdrawal fee for First IB accounts is $30 per extra transaction, which is higher than other banks. The withdrawals restrictions apply to the money market and Free savings accounts.
Most of the BankDirect accounts have a low amount required to open the account. BankDirect checking accounts only require $500 to open. Both BankDirect money market accounts require $500 to open. The basic savings account only requires $100 to open.
BankDirect does not own any ATMs; they reimburse their customers the ATM fees. The first four ATM withdrawals per statement cycle are refunded. The refunds are up to $2.50 per transaction. There is a withdrawal limit of $500 from an ATM each day.
BankDirect offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. There are three different checking accounts and two different money market accounts. There are a variety of different CD terms available. BankDirect offers one savings account. There are no business accounts available.
The BankDirect Money Market Plus account offers a competitive interest rate. BankDirect also offers a mileage money market account. This account earns American Airline miles. Both MMA require $500 to open. The mileage money market account earns much lower interest rates. You earn miles instead of interest. There is no monthly fee for either account.
To earn the high rates offered on the BankDirect Money Market Plus account you must have $10,000 in the account. Amounts under $10,000 do not earn any interest. Only $500 is required to open this account, but to earn any interest requires $10,000.
BankDirect offers a variety of different CD terms. The required amount to open any of the CDs is $10,000. There is no monthly fee. The interest rates for CDs are competitive. The 12-month, 18-months, 24-months and 36-month CDs offer the most competitive rates. To open a mileage CD also requires $10,000.
Two of the BankDirect checking accounts have monthly fees. The interest and mileage checking accounts both have a monthly fee. The fee is waived for the interest checking account if you have at least $2,500 in the account. The mileage checking does not list a way to waive that monthly fee.
Opening an account with BankDirect is not entirely online. To open an account, you must fill out the application online, then print off part and mail it in. You will then receive a welcome kit within one to two weeks. Once you get your kit, you can finish setting up your account.
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| Savings (Rate as of 11/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.00% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 3.92% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC | |
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1 APY stands for Annual Percent Yield. It's different from Rate because it takes into account compounding interest for the year.
2 MMA stands for Money Market Account. It's a savings and checking hybrid, allowing you to earn interest and use checks 6 times a month.