Golden 1 Credit Union VS Rising Bank

Which bank is better for you?

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

  • Variety of accounts offered
  • CDs offer competitive interest rates
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Freedom Checking Account for teens

Cons:

  • Must become a member first
  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Monthly maintenance fees
  • Not competitive rates for most accounts
  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
5.00%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Savings account has a low opening minimum
  • No monthly fees on saving account
  • Rising CDs offer interest rate increases

Cons:

  • Limited accounts offered
  • Some CDs have high opening amounts
  • Interest rates not fixed for savings
  • Limited ways to contact customer service
Golden 1 Credit Union Review

Golden 1 offers a wide variety of accounts. They offer free checking, interest-earning checking, and checking for students. They offer CDs, a money market, and a basic savings account. They also offer savings accounts for youth, the holidays, and big purchases. They also offer credit cards, investment options, insurances, and loans.

Golden 1 CDs offer good interest rates. The rates are higher than typical brick and mortar bank rates. They are slightly lower than other online accounts. A few of the CD terms do offer rates that are competitive with other online CDs.

Most Golden 1 Credit Union accounts have low opening required amounts. The opening amounts range from $1 to $100 depending on the account. Some accounts do not have a required amount. The CDs require $1,000 to open. The money market account does require $2,500 to open.

This checking account is set up specifically for students ages 16 and 17. To have this account, you must maintain a B average in school. Teens can have freedom of their own finances and learn to manage their money. There is no required amount or monthly fee. They offer online and mobile banking, and mobile deposit.

To open an account with Golden 1, you must first become a member. If you live or work in California, you qualify to be a member. Family members of other Golden 1 members also qualify. You can qualify if you belong to certain employee groups. If these options do not work, you can join the Financial Fitness Association to become a member.

Not all Golden 1 accounts can be opened online. Some accounts require visiting a local branch location to open. All the CDs and most of the savings accounts can be opened online.

The premier checking account and the money market account both have monthly fees. The fees are $5 each month. You can waive those fees by having a set amount in each of the accounts. The checking account requires $1,000, and the money market account requires $2,500.

Most accounts with Golden 1 do not offer competitive interest rates. The checking, savings, and money market account rates are not competitive with other online accounts. They are competitive with other brick and mortar rates.

Read the full Golden 1 Credit Union review.

Rising Bank Review

The interest rates for Rising Bank accounts are competitive. The rates are competitive with other online accounts. They are much higher than typical bank rates. The rates are not tiered. Any amount above the required opening amount earns competitive interest rates.

The Rising Bank high yield savings account and the regular CDs have low opening amounts. The regular CDs are available in one, two, and three-year CDs. These CDs and the savings account each only requires $1,000 to open.

There are no monthly fees on the high yield savings account. This account is free. To earn interest, you must keep $1,000 in the account. The CDs only have a fee if you withdraw money before the CD reaches maturity.

Rising Bank offers two Rising CDs. These come in 18-month and 36-month terms. Each of these CDs requires $25,000 to open. During the CD term if interest rates increase you can increase the rate on your CD. The 18-month CD allows for one rate increase; the 36-month allows two rate increases. When you increase the rate of the CD, you can also deposit more money into the CD.

Rising Bank has limited types of accounts available. They offer a high yield savings account and CDs. The CD terms range from one year to three-year terms. There are not a wide variety of term lengths available through Rising Bank. They offer regular CDs, one jumbo CD, and two Rising CDs. Rising Bank does not offer a money market account or checking accounts. No business accounts are currently available.

The Rising CDs and the jumbo CD have high opening amounts. The Rising CD terms each require $25,000 to open. The jumbo CD has one term length, and it requires $100,000 to open the account. You must keep these amounts in the CDs to earn interest.

The interest rates for the Rising Bank high yield savings account are not fixed. Rising Bank may change the rate you earn on your account at any time. The bank does not have to notify you if the rates change. Interest credits to your account every month for the savings account and every three months for CDs. If you close your accounts before interest credits, you will not receive the earned interest.

Rising Bank offers limited ways to contact customer service. Reach a representative through phone, mail, or email. They are open Monday through Friday. The Rising Bank website says their customer service representatives offer personalized help. The ways to contact someone are limited though.

Read the full Rising Bank review.

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