The Dividend Rewards checking account earns competitive interest rates. To earn the most competitive rate has some requirements. You must have 12 debit card purchases each month and have one direct deposit or ACH withdrawal. You must also receive electronic statements. The competitive rate is for any balance from $0.01 to $15,000. Balances over $15,000 earns a lower rate.

First Tech savings and checking accounts do not have monthly fees. There is no minimum balance required to keep in the account to waive the monthly fees. These accounts are free.

The CDs offered through First Tech offer good interest rates. The terms range from six-month to 60-month terms. Each of the terms earns rates slightly lower than other online CDs. Each traditional CD term requires $500 to open.

First Tech has low required amounts to open their accounts. The checking accounts require $0.01 to open. Two of the savings accounts require $0.01 or $5.00 to open. Each of the CD terms requires $500 to open.

To open an account with First Tech, you must be a member of the credit union. You are eligible to be a member if you work for certain tech companies or the state of Oregon. If you live or work in Lane County, Oregon, you are eligible. Immediate family members of members are eligible. You can also become a member by joining the Computer History Museum or the Financial Fitness Association.

The Instant Access savings account with First Tech has tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive rate, you must have a balance over $250,000. Lower account balances earn interest, just not the most competitive rate.

The Instant Access savings account has a high opening required amount. To open the account requires $5,000. There is no monthly fee for this account. Interest rates for the Instant Access account are tiered.

First Tech members can only withdraw $500 per day, per cardholder, from First Tech ATMs. Other ATMs may allow for a higher withdrawal, but you may face a fee. If you need more than $500 at one time, visit a branch location.

Read the full First Tech Federal Credit Union review.

Get rewarded for saving money with Commerce Bank. When you open a myRewards money market account, you will earn a bonus at the end of each year. Commerce pays 0.05 percent of the average collected month-end balance after every 12 months. The maximum reward each year is $200.

Checking accounts offer free transactions at Commerce Bank ATMs. The CommerceRelationship checking account offers free transactions at ATMs across the nation. This account also offers up to $10 each month in ATM fee refunds. To have the fees refunded, the transactions must come from the CommerceRelationship account.

Commerce Bank offers a variety of accounts. These accounts include:

• Five checking accounts
• Student savings and checking account
• myRewards savings account
• myRewards money market account
• Premier money market account
• CDs terms from three-months to five-years
• Personal loans, credit cards, and investment options
• Business checking and savings accounts
• Business loans, bonds, investments, and credit cards

Commerce offers a mySpending card, which is a reloadable Visa debit card. Load the amount you want onto the card. The card is accepted anywhere Visa is. There is not a monthly fee. It costs $5.95 to buy the card for the first time. You must load it with at least $20 the first time. There is a loading limit of $3,000 per week.

Savings accounts only allow for three withdrawals per billing cycle. Any more than three will cost you $2.00 per withdrawal. Federal regulations allow six withdrawals from a savings account per billing cycle.

The interest rates for Commerce Bank accounts are low. They are not competitive with other online-only banks. Their rates are typical of brick-and-mortar banks.

Accounts with Commerce Bank have a plethora of fees. They have monthly service charges ranging from $3-20, depending on the account. Some accounts have fees for paper statements, e-statements, and foreign ATM fees. The student checking account has a $2 fee for every check written and for each teller-assisted withdrawal. Know the fees and how to waive them before you open accounts.

Customer service is not open 24/7. Customer service hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. These times are Central Time. There is a 24-hour account information line.

Read the full Commerce Bank review.