Limelight Bank VS UFB Direct

Which bank is better for you?

  • 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
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Interest rates are not tiered
  • No fees and low opening required amounts
  • Everything for an account is online

Cons:

  • Limited accounts offered
  • Customer service not available 24/7
  • No business accounts offered
  • Link CD accounts to external accounts
  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
5.25%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Low required amounts to open an account
  • No minimum balance or monthly fees
  • Earn American Airline miles
  • High interest rates on accounts

Cons:

  • No branch locations
  • Highest interest rate requires large sum
  • MMA has a fee and large opening deposit
  • Business accounts and CDs not offered
Limelight Bank Review

The interest rates on Limelight CDs are competitive. They are competitive with other online CD accounts. Limelight interest rates are much higher than typical brick and mortar bank rates.

Limelight interest rates are not tiered. Any amount in the CD earns the most competitive rate offered. There is no set balance required to earn the most competitive rate.

Each of the Limelight CDs only requires $1,000 to open. There are no monthly fees. The only fees with Limelight CDs are from withdrawing money before the account reaches maturity. You can withdraw money during the grace period without a fee.

Limelight Bank is an entirely online bank. There are no branch locations. You open your account online, and everything for your account is online. Any U.S. citizen, who is 18 years or older, with an SSN or ITIN can open an account.

Limelight Bank offers limited options for personal deposit accounts. They only offer personal deposit CDs. Those CD terms include a six-month term, 12-month term, or 18-month term. Limelight Bank does not offer a savings, checking, or money market account.

Limelight customer service is not available 24/7. The most common way to reach customer service is through email. There is a phone number listed on the website. Customer service hours are not listed on the website.

Limelight Bank does not offer business accounts. The only account offered are personal deposit CDs. Those terms include a six-month, 12-month, and 18-month terms.

Limelight does not offer a checking or savings account. To fund the CDs requires the accounts to be linked to an external account. Once the account is linked to an external bank account, you can easily make transfers into and out of the CDs. Transfer money during the CD grace period or when the CD reaches maturity to avoid a fee.

Read the full Limelight Bank review.

UFB Direct Review

UFB Direct checking and savings accounts have a low required opening amount. The opening deposit is only $100. To receive the highest interest rates, you must keep a certain amount in the accounts. If the balance is below the set amount, you will earn a lower interest rate, but not be charged a fee.

Most UFB Direct accounts do not have a monthly maintenance fee. UFB Direct savings and checking accounts are free. There is no monthly fee and no amount required to keep in the account.

Earn miles for everyday purchases with the UFB Airline Rewards Checking account. When you use your debit card for purchases, you earn miles. Earn one mile for debit transactions over $3.00. The miles go toward American Airlines. You can earn up to 120,000 per calendar year. UFB Direct may add more airlines in the future.

The interest rates on UFB Direct accounts earn very competitive interest rates. The savings, checking, and money market accounts earn some of the highest rates on the market. For some accounts, you must keep a high balance in the account. However, if you do not have that set amount in the account, you will earn a lower rate. The lower rate on those accounts is still much higher than your typical brick and mortar banks rates.

There are no branch locations for UFB Direct. It is an entirely online bank. To talk to customer service, you can call a 24-hour phone line. You can reach customer service through mail or email. You can access everything about your account online.

Certain balances are required to earn the highest interest rates on the UFB Direct savings accounts. The basic savings account requires $20,000 in the account to earn the highest interest rates. The Premium savings account requires $25,000 to earn the highest interest rates. Any amount lower than the required amount will still earn interest, just a much lower rate.

The UFB Direct money market account has a monthly fee and a large sum required as the opening deposit. The monthly fee is $10 a month. Waive the fee by keeping a balance of $5,000 in the account. The required opening deposit is $5,000. You will earn interest and can write checks from the MMA.

UFB Direct does not offer business accounts or CDs. The accounts offered are a personal checking, saving, and money market account. There are options for loans, but not business accounts or CDs.

Read the full UFB Direct review.

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