HSBC Direct Bank VS Washington Savings Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 5.0 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:

  • Options of personal deposit accounts
  • Low required opening amounts
  • Business accounts available
  • Variety of other products offered

Cons:

  • Checking accounts have a monthly fee
  • Low-interest rates on accounts
  • Amount required to waive fees is high
  • Tiered interest rates
  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
0.05%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Low opening required amounts
  • Variety of bank accounts
  • Online Rewards checking account
  • Checking and CDs offer competitive rates

Cons:

  • Must meet requirements to earn interest
  • Not competitive rates for savings and MMA
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Not everyone can open accounts
HSBC Direct Bank Review

Each type of personal deposit account has more than one option. There are four different checking accounts and three different savings accounts offered. This allows you to find the account to fit your needs best. There are only three different term lengths of CDs offered. A six-month, one-year, and two-year terms.

The HSBC savings accounts all require only $1 to open. The checking account does not have an amount required when you open the account. The HSBC CDs require $1,000 to open.

There are a wide variety of different business accounts offered through HSBC. Savings accounts, checking accounts, and CDs are all available through HSBC. There are loans and credit cards for businesses. There are options for corporate accounts. Different cash management options are also available.

Along with business accounts, HSBC offers a wide variety of other products. That includes credit cards and insurance. They offer options for investing and retiring. There are also different loan options to meet your needs.

HSBC checking accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $3 to $50 each month. Most of the fees can be waived by meeting certain requirements. One checking account only allows eight checks or withdrawal slips to be written. After those eight you are charged for each check you write.

Interest rates on HSBC accounts are not competitive. They are much lower than other online-only accounts. Their rates are competitive with other brick and mortar banks.

The amounts required to keep in HSBC checking accounts to waive the fees are high. The amounts range from $1,500 to $100,000, depending on which account you open. Some accounts allow the fee to be waived if you have a direct deposit into the account of certain amounts. Know the fees and requirements to waive the fees before you open an account.

To receive the highest interest rates offered on HSBC accounts you must have a large balance. The savings accounts require $100,000 to earn the best rates offered. Lower amount still earn interest, just a lower rate.

Read the full HSBC Direct Bank review.

Washington Savings Bank Review

Accounts at Washington Savings Bank have low required opening amounts. All the checking and money market accounts only require $10 to open. The savings account opening balances range from $1 to $50, depending on the account. All the CD terms require $500 to open.

Washington Savings Bank has a variety of personal deposit and business accounts. They offer three personal checking accounts and a variety of savings accounts. They also offer CDs, business accounts, and lending options.

Washington Savings Bank offers an Online Rewards checking account. This account is available to U.S. citizens across the country. You earn debit card cash rewards for purchases. You must have a direct deposit into this account. There is a monthly fee of $9.95. This is a checking account for those who need a second chance. After one year of good accounts history, you can receive a lower monthly fee.

The Washington Savings Bank checking accounts and CDs offer competitive interest rates. Not all CDs offer competitive rates. There are five special CD terms that have competitive rates. The checking account does have tiered interest rates. The most competitive rate is for balances between $0 and $10,000. Some qualifications must be met to earn the competitive rate.

The checking account has set requirements to earn the competitive interest rate. Those qualifications include having at least 12 debit card purchases post and clear. You must receive eStatements. You must also have one automatic payment, direct deposit, or bill pay post and clear. If these qualifications are met each month, you earn the competitive interest rate.

The savings and money market account do not have competitive interest rates. Washington Savings Bank offers a variety of savings accounts, but the rates are low. These account rates are not competitive with other online accounts.

Some Washington Savings Bank accounts have a monthly maintenance fee. Those fees range from $3 to $10 depending on the account. To waive the fees requires a set amount be in the accounts. Those balances range from $50 to $2,500. The Online Rewards checking has a monthly fee of $9.95.

Not everyone can open Washington Savings Bank accounts. Savings accounts are only for residents of Massachusetts or New Hampshire. Two of the checking accounts are only offered to those residents as well. The Online Rewards checking account is available for anyone. That account has a $9.95 monthly fee.

Read the full Washington Savings Bank review.

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