LendingClub VS BankDirect

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
4.75%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates
  • Free Rewards checking account
  • Checking account cash back option
  • No fees and low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • Required account balance for high rates
  • Specific stipulation for cash back benefit
  • High monthly fee for two checking accounts
  • Other accounts have low rates
  • Financial Rates: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.5 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low required opening amounts
  • Reimbursement of ATM fees
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Money market account earns good rates

Cons:

  • Highest MMA rate requires large amount
  • High required amount to open CDs
  • Checking accounts have a monthly fee
  • Must mail in application to open account
LendingClub Review

The accounts offered through LendingClub offer competitive interest rates. The high-yield savings account offers rates up to 0.60%. Their checking account earns a lower rate than the savings account, but does offer some interest earning at 0.15%.

LendingClub offers a Rewards checking account. This account does not have monthly maintenance fees. This checking account earns cash back, and interest, if you meet the requirements. It requires $100 to open the account. After you open the account, there are no monthly fees or required amounts to avoid the fees, but a set balance amount to earn the rewards.

With the Rewards checking account, customers can earn up to one percent back on their debit card purchases. The debit card is linked to your Rewards checking account. Purchases made online or in-store are eligible for the cash back option.

Most of the accounts at LendingClub do not have monthly maintenance fees. Once you open the high-yield savings account with $100, there is not a monthly fee or minimum requirement to keep in the account to avoid a monthly fee. The opening required amounts for most accounts are low. The high-yield checking account only requires $100 to open.

The interest rates for the high-yield account is high, but in order to earn that amount, you must keep a set amount in the account. This account requires a balance of $2,500 to be in the account to earn the highest interest amount. Balances that fall below $2,500 will receive a much lower interest rate of 0.05%.

In order to earn the cash back, you must have your account open for 30 days and have $2,500 in the account from direct deposits or another source of income. The credit comes from purchases made online or in the store using your debit card signature option. To earn the cash back option, you MUST choose the credit option instead of the debit option when making your purchase. Transactions made with your PIN are not eligible for the cash back. The money you earn will be credited into your account at the end of each earning period.

The Essential Checking account has a monthly fee of $9. You can waive this fee by keeping a set amount in the account, but this amount is high as well. To waive the monthly fee, you must have at least $5,000 in the checking account at all times. If the account balance falls below $5,000, you will be charged the fee. The Tailored checking account has a monthly fee of $10 if you do not have at least $5,000 in the account.

Not all accounts offer competitive interest rates. The CDs, money market account, and basic savings account do not offer competitive interest rates. Those rates are much lower than the high-yield savings account rates.

Read the full LendingClub review.

BankDirect Review

Most of the BankDirect accounts have a low amount required to open the account. BankDirect checking accounts only require $500 to open. Both BankDirect money market accounts require $500 to open. The basic savings account only requires $100 to open.

BankDirect does not own any ATMs; they reimburse their customers the ATM fees. The first four ATM withdrawals per statement cycle are refunded. The refunds are up to $2.50 per transaction. There is a withdrawal limit of $500 from an ATM each day.

BankDirect offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. There are three different checking accounts and two different money market accounts. There are a variety of different CD terms available. BankDirect offers one savings account. There are no business accounts available.

The BankDirect Money Market Plus account offers a competitive interest rate. BankDirect also offers a mileage money market account. This account earns American Airline miles. Both MMA require $500 to open. The mileage money market account earns much lower interest rates. You earn miles instead of interest. There is no monthly fee for either account.

To earn the high rates offered on the BankDirect Money Market Plus account you must have $10,000 in the account. Amounts under $10,000 do not earn any interest. Only $500 is required to open this account, but to earn any interest requires $10,000.

BankDirect offers a variety of different CD terms. The required amount to open any of the CDs is $10,000. There is no monthly fee. The interest rates for CDs are competitive. The 12-month, 18-months, 24-months and 36-month CDs offer the most competitive rates. To open a mileage CD also requires $10,000.

Two of the BankDirect checking accounts have monthly fees. The interest and mileage checking accounts both have a monthly fee. The fee is waived for the interest checking account if you have at least $2,500 in the account. The mileage checking does not list a way to waive that monthly fee.

Opening an account with BankDirect is not entirely online. To open an account, you must fill out the application online, then print off part and mail it in. You will then receive a welcome kit within one to two weeks. Once you get your kit, you can finish setting up your account.

Read the full BankDirect review.

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Min to Open $0
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APY 4.10%
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