First Tech Federal Credit Union VS VirtualBank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Dividend Rewards earns great rates
  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • CDs offer good rates
  • Low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • Must become a member first
  • Tiered interest rates
  • High opening amount for Instant Access
  • Low daily ATM withdrawal amount
  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Low required opening deposit
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • eMoney Market account offers high rates
  • Online and Mobile Banking

Cons:

  • Monthly fees on accounts
  • High-interest rates require large amounts
  • CDs require a large opening deposit
  • No checking accounts offered
First Tech Federal Credit Union Review

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.

VirtualBank Review

VirtualBank money market accounts have a low required opening deposit. The required amount is only $100. That opening deposit is for the eMoney Market and the Jumbo eMoney Market.

The interest rates on VirtualBank accounts are competitive with other online-only accounts. You only need one penny in the eMoney Market account to earn interest. To earn the highest interest on the Jumbo eMoney Market, you must keep at least $250,000 in the account. Anything over $0.01 earns interest, just not the highest rates.

The eMoney Market account offers a competitive introductory rate. New customers to VirtualBank receive a higher interest rate for the first year of the account being open. After the first year, the rate drops considerably. The lower rate is still much higher than your typical brick and mortar bank rates. Money already in a VirtualBank account does not qualify for the higher rate.

All VirtualBank accounts come with online and mobile banking. With online banking, you can see account balances, transfer funds, and receive e-Statements. Everything that can be done online can be done through mobile banking. You can also deposit checks through the app.

The eMoney Market and the Jumbo eMoney Market account have a monthly fee. The fee is $5. To waive the monthly fee, you must keep $100 in the account.

The Jumbo eMoney Market requires $250,000 to earn the highest interest rate. You still earn interest on any amount less than $250,000. To earn the highest amount, you must have that balance. This account only requires $100 to open. The eMoney Market account earns the same amount of interest not matter how much you have in the account.

VirtualBank CDs require $10,000 to open. The CDs range from a one-month term to a five-year term. There are 11 different CDs between those term lengths. The interest rates for each different term are competitive. The longer the term, the higher the interest rates.

VirtualBank does not offer checking accounts. They used to offer an eChecking account, but it no longer available. Because no checking accounts are offered, there are no ATM or debit cards. Bill pay is not available. You can have money directly deposited into VirtualBank money market accounts.

Read the full VirtualBank review.

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