North American Savings Bank VS Popular Direct

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 personal deposit accounts
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Competitive interest rates
  • Online and mobile banking

Cons:

  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Tiered interest rates on accounts
  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • No business accounts offered
  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
4.60%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • High-interest rates on accounts
  • Account available everywhere
  • Variety of CD terms
  • Online and mobile banking

Cons:

  • Opening accounts requires large deposit
  • The savings account has a monthly fee
  • Only offer CDs and one savings account
  • Linked external account required
North American Savings Bank Review

NASB offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. They offer a free, student, and interest-earning checking account. A variety of savings accounts are available as well. They offer student savings, stepping stone savings account, and a premier account. Their CD terms range from six months to 120-month terms.

Most NASB accounts have low opening required amounts. Most of the savings accounts require $25 to $500 to open. The performance savings account does require $5,000 to open. Most of the checking accounts require $50 to $1,000 to open. The money market account and CDs have higher opening required amounts. They require $1,000 to $5,000 to open.

Most NASB accounts offer competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online accounts. The rates are higher than typical bank rates. Two checking accounts earn interest. Those rates are higher than typical bank rates, but not competitive with online checking accounts.

All NASB accounts offer online and mobile banking. With mobile banking, you can deposit checks, transfer funds, and see account balances. You can pay bills through online or mobile banking. With the mobile app, you can access NASB’s personal finance management tool.

North American Savings Bank accounts have monthly maintenance fees. The fees for each account are $7.50 a month. To waive the fees, you must keep a set account balance. Those balances range from $100 to $15,000 depending on the account.

Most all NASB accounts have tiered interest rates, even the CDs. To earn the most competitive interest rates requires a high account balance. To earn the most competitive rates for CDs requires $5,000 to $10,000. The checking account requires $2,500. The money market account requires $50,000 to earn the best rate. The savings accounts require $50,000 to $75,000 to earn the most competitive rate.

Not all NASB accounts are able to be opened online. Some accounts require visiting a branch location to open. North American Savings Bank offers special online accounts and in-branch accounts. Their website makes it easy to see which accounts are online and which are in-branch accounts.

North American Savings Bank does not offer business deposit accounts. They offer commercial lending options and construction and development loans. NASB only offers personal deposit accounts. Those accounts include savings, money market, and checking accounts, as well as CDs.

Read the full North American Savings Bank review.

Popular Direct Review

The interest rates on Popular Direct accounts are very competitive. They are considerably higher than your typical brick and mortar banks. The rates are competitive with other online-only accounts.

Because Popular Direct is an online-only bank, the accounts are available everywhere. Applying for the account is quick and completed online. Everything you need for your account is accessed online. There are no branch locations.

Popular Direct offers a variety of different CD term lengths. The terms range from a three-month term to five-year terms. The other terms include six months, one year, eighteen months, two, three, and four-year terms. The interest rates increase the longer the term length.

All Popular Direct accounts come with online and mobile banking. With online banking, you can set up account notifications and see statements. You can transfer funds between the linked external account. Mobile and online banking allow you to transfer money between Popular Direct accounts. You can check account balances and deposit checks.

To open a savings account with Popular Direct, you must have $5,000 as your opening deposit. To open a CD with Popular Direct, you must have $10,000 as the opening required deposit. You will still earn interest if your balance drops below these required amounts.

Popular Direct savings account has a monthly fee. The fee is $4 per month if your balance falls below $500. No fee is charged if your balance remains above $500. There is also a fee for closing the account before 180 days after opening it. A $5 monthly fee is charged each month if your account is inactive for 12 months. Following the 12th month, the fee is charged each month the account is inactive.

Popular Direct only offers CDs and one savings account. They do not offer a checking account, money market account, or any business accounts. The CDs range from 30-day CDs to a five-year term.

Popular Direct requires you link your account to an external account. The linked account allows you to make deposits into your Popular Direct account. The external bank account cannot be changed within the first 60 days of opening the account.

Read the full Popular Direct review.

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