Northeast Bank VS SmartyPig

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon

Pros:

  • Low required amounts to open accounts
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • Pearl MMA earns a good rate

Cons:

  • Low interest rates on accounts
  • Some accounts have tiered interest rates
  • Accounts opened in branches
  • Monthly fees for most accounts
  • 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
Advertiser Disclosure
Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon

Pros:

  • Free savings account
  • Tiered Interest Rates
  • Set up multiple goals
  • Direct withdrawals

Cons:

  • Only offer one type of account
  • Six withdrawals allowed per month
  • Maximum account balance
  • One external funding source allowed
Northeast Bank Review

The required amounts to open Northeast Bank accounts are low. The savings account requires $100. The holiday club requires $2, and all CDs only require $500 to open. One checking account requires $25 to open. The other three checking accounts require $100 to open.

Northeast Bank offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. They offer a savings account for youth, regular savings, and a holiday savings account. Two money market accounts are offered. There are four checking accounts, including one for those 50 or older. There are a variety of CD terms, ranging from six-months to five-years.

Along with personal deposit accounts, Northeast Bank offers business accounts. Those include savings, checking, and money market accounts. They offer lines of credit, business, and equipment loans. Cash management options are available. Each account comes with online bill pay and banking, and merchant card processing.

The Pearl money market account is available to open to those who live by a branch location. This money market account earns more competitive interest rates than the other accounts. This account is only for new customers to Northeast Bank. Any amount over $0.01 earns the competitive rates. The minimum opening amount is $5,000. The account fee amount or required balance is not listed on the website.

The interest rates for most Northeast Bank accounts are low. They are not competitive with other online accounts. Northeast Bank checking accounts earn interest. Some accounts have tiered interest rates.

To earn the highest interest on some Northeast Bank accounts requires a large sum. The regular money market account requires $100,000 to earn the most competitive rate. The business MMA requires $75,000. The Northeast Express Gold personal checking account requires $50,000. Any balance earns some interest, just not the most competitive rate. The most competitive rate offered is not competitive with other online accounts.

The accounts listed on the Northeast Bank website are only able to open in a branch location. No online accounts are offered directly through the Northeast Bank website. Online accounts are offered through ableBanking, their online division.

Most accounts offered through Northeast Bank have a monthly fee. The fees range from $1 to $7 a month, depending on the account. To waive the monthly fee requires a set balance be in the account. That amount varies from $100 to $10,000.

Read the full Northeast Bank review.

SmartyPig Review

SmartyPig accounts do not have monthly maintenance fees. There is not a required amount to keep in the account. The first initial deposit to open the account is $25.

This savings account offers tiered interest rates. This means the more money you have in the account, the more interest you will earn. The interest rates do not vary much between tiers. The difference from a low amount to the higher amount is around 0.05%.

With this SmartyPig account, you can set up different savings goals. The savings accounts can be long-term, like saving for a college education. They can also be short term, like saving for a mountain bike or birthday party. You can transfer money from your SmartyPig primary account to different savings goals.

The best way to save money is to set up direct withdrawals. You set up when you want the money to come out of your account and how much to withdraw. Then, SmartyPig does the rest. Once the money is deposited into your account, you can transfer it into different savings goal. The withdrawals can be set up to occur monthly or biweekly.

SmartyPig has only one account offered: a high yield savings account. They do not offer checking accounts, CDs, money market accounts, or business accounts. The interest rate on this savings account is considerably higher than other banks savings accounts.

The website says you can withdraw money anytime, but federal regulation only allows six withdrawals per billing cycle. This includes transfers between your SmartyPig primary account and your different savings goals. The transfer or withdrawal will not take place if you have made more than six in a billing cycle. If you repeatedly try to make more than six, your account will be closed. Once you reach your goal, you cannot withdraw part of your money back to your external funding source. You must withdraw it all, or transfer the money between other savings goals.

This account is not meant for high account balances. There is a maximum account balance of $250,000. If your account has $250,000, you will earn interest on the money in the account, but you cannot add to the account.

Each SmartyPig account is only allowed to have one external funding source set up for it. That means you can only have one bank account connected to each SmartyPig account. You can change your external funding source if you want, but never have more than one.

Read the full SmartyPig review.

Sponsored Offers

Advertiser Disclosure
BMO Alto
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.10%
Rate 4.96%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >
LendingClub
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.00%
Rate 5.00%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC Plus, no monthly fees and unlimited free external transfers
Next >
American Express
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 4.35%
Rate 4.26%
For APY $1
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >
Jenius Bank
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.25%
Rate 5.25%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC. No fees. Easy deposits and quick withdrawals.
Next >
CIT Bank
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.05%
Rate 4.93%
For APY $5,000
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC CIT Bank, a division of First Citizens, 125+ years of experience.
Next >
EverBank
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.15%
Rate 5.02%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >
Barclays
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 4.35%
Rate 4.35%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >
Laurel Road
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.00%
Rate 5.00%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >
Sallie Mae
MMA (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 4.65%
Rate 4.54%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook Yes
Member FDIC
Next >
VirtualBank, a division of First Horizon Bank
MMA (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.00%
Rate 5.00%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook Yes
VirtualBank is a division of First Horizon Bank. Member FDIC.
Next >
MyBankingDirect, a service of Flagstar Bank, N.A.
Savings (Rate as of 3/29/2024)
APY 5.35%
Rate 5.35%
For APY $500
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
Next >