Flagstar Bank VS CD Bank

Which bank is better for you?

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

Pros:

  • Variety of accounts offered
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Some CDs offer competitive rates
  • Promotional savings accounts

Cons:

  • Low interest rates on accounts
  • Tiered interest rates
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Cannot open accounts online
  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon

Pros:

  • Good variety of CD terms and no fees
  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Can open any CD account online
  • Short-term CDs offer competitive rates

Cons:

  • Only CDs offered
  • Must link CDs to external accounts
  • High opening required amounts
  • Customer service not available 24/7
Flagstar Bank Review

Flagstar Bank offers a variety of personal deposit and business accounts. There are three checking accounts to choose from and three savings accounts. They offer a money market account and many CD terms. Lending options are available for personal accounts as well as business. Flagstar offers business checking, savings, money market accounts, and credit cards.

The amounts required to open Flagstar accounts is low. The checking accounts all require $50 to open. The savings accounts and money market account all only require $1 to open. All CD terms only require $500 to open.

Flagstar offers three CDs with competitive interest rates. Those CD terms are a 13-month, 19-month, and 25-month. Each term requires $500 to open. These CDs must be opened in a branch location. They are only available for Michigan residents.

Flagstar offers promotional savings accounts. The interest rates for these three accounts are competitive. They offer a SimplySavings, MaxSavings, and High Yield Promo account. They guarantee the competitive rate for the first 12 months. There is no minimum balance or checking account required during the promo period. After the promotional period, you can choose which account fits you best. Monthly fees apply after the 12 months. These accounts are only for Michigan residents.

The interest rates for Flagstar Bank accounts are low. They are competitive with other brick and mortar bank rates. Most account rates do not compare with interest rates for online accounts. Only a few interest rates are competitive.

Along with being low, the interest rates for Flagstar accounts are tiered. To earn the most competitive rates for the high yield savings account requires $1 million. To earn a good rate requires $50,000. The SimplyMax savings and checking account earns the best rate for balances over $25,000. The money market and SimplyPlus checking account requires $10,000 to earn the best rate.

Flagstar Bank accounts have monthly fees. Checking account fees range from $10 to $25 a month. Waive those fees by keeping a balance of $1,000 to $5,000 in the checking. Alternatively, waive fees by having $5,000 to $25,000 between multiple accounts. Savings and money market account fees range from $3 to $35 a month. To waive those fees requires a $300 to $50,000 balance, depending on the account. Having a checking account will also waive the savings account fees.

At this time Flagstar Bank personal deposit accounts cannot be opened online. You must visit a branch location to open a checking, savings, or money market accounts, and CDs. You can apply for a mortgage online. The option to apply online may be available in the future.

Read the full Flagstar Bank review.

CD Bank Review

There are a variety of CD terms offered through CD Bank. The terms range from three-month to 60-month terms. There are nine CDs offered between those terms. There are no fees to open the accounts or to maintain the account. The only fee is if you withdraw the money before the CD reaches maturity.

Each of the accounts offered through CD Bank offer competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online CDs. The rates are much higher than typical brick and mortar bank rates.

CD Bank is an entirely online bank. You can open any CD term online as long as you meet the requirements. You must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or resident alien. The process to open a CD with CD Bank is completely online.

Usually, with CDs, the longer terms earn more competitive interest rates. However, some short-term CDs from CD Bank offer more competitive rates than the longer terms. The 9, 12, 18, and 24-month CD terms offer the most competitive interest rates.

CD Bank offers a limited amount of accounts. They only offer personal deposit CDs. Those CD terms range from three-month to 60-months. There are no other personal deposit accounts available. There are also no business accounts offered through CD Bank.

The easiest way to fund CD Bank accounts is to link the account to an external account. You can mail a check or request a wire transfer. To make electronic transfers does require a linked external account. Money can only be deposited into CD accounts at CD Bank during the grace period after the CD reaches maturity.

The amount required to open any CD with CD Bank is high. Each term requires $10,000 to open. You must also have $10,000 in the account to earn the most competitive interest rate. Balances under $10,000 do not earn the competitive interest rates.

Customer service for CD Bank has specific hours. They are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. If you contact customer service after hours, they will address your issue the next business day.

Read the full CD Bank review.

Sponsored Offers

Advertiser Disclosure
Featured Offers
Jenius Bank
Savings (Rate as of 4/25/2024)
APY 5.25%
Rate 5.25%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC. No fees. Easy deposits and quick withdrawals.
Next >
American Express
Savings (Rate as of 4/25/2024)
APY 4.25%
Rate 4.16%
For APY $1
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >
EverBank
Savings (Rate as of 4/25/2024)
APY 5.15%
Rate 5.02%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >
LendingClub
Savings (Rate as of 4/25/2024)
APY 5.00%
Rate 5.00%
For APY $100
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC Plus, no monthly fees and unlimited free external transfers
Next >
Barclays
Savings (Rate as of 4/25/2024)
APY 4.35%
Rate 4.35%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >