Northfield Bank VS Citizens Bank

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: 3.0 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Online accounts have competitive rates
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Online and mobile banking
  • Business accounts available

Cons:

  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Tiered interest rates
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • High required amounts for online
  • Financial Rates: 1.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • No set amount to open most accounts
  • Good variety of accounts available
  • Overdraft Pass
  • Can open most accounts online

Cons:

  • Products not available everywhere
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Limited CD terms offered
  • Low interest rates for accounts
Northfield Bank Review

The Northfield Bank online accounts offer competitive interest rates. The rates for the online accounts are competitive with other online accounts. The online account rates are higher than other Northfield Bank account rates.

There are a variety of personal accounts offered by Northfield Bank. They offer an interest-earning checking account, one for students, and traditional checking accounts. They offer a savings account for children, CDs, and money market accounts.

Northfield offers online and mobile banking for their accounts. These services are not just for the online accounts. All Northfield Bank accounts have the option of online and mobile banking. You can see account balances, transfer money, and deposit checks. You can pay bills and pay others with PopMoney.

Along with personal deposit accounts, Northfield offers business accounts. Those accounts include a checking and money market account for businesses. Northfield also offers credit cards, lending, and cash management services for businesses. All business accounts must be opened in a branch location.

Not all Northfield Bank accounts can open online. Most Northfield accounts require you to visit a branch location to open. Their branches are in the New York and New Jersey area. The accounts you open online include one savings account and CDs. The CD terms include a nine-month, 11-month, 16-month, and 60-month.

The interest rates for Northfield accounts opened in a branch location are tiered. To earn the most competitive rates on those accounts requires large account balances. The money market account requires $15,000. The high yield money market and premier savings account requires $100,000.

Most Northfield accounts have monthly fees. The fees for accounts opened in the branches range from $3 to $25. To waive the fees requires a set account balance. Those balance range from $500 to $100,000. The online savings account has a monthly fee of $8 if your balance falls below $2,500.

The online accounts with Northfield have high opening required amounts. The online CDs require $2,500 to open. The savings account only requires $0.01 to open, but there is an $8 monthly fee if your balance falls below $2,500. Any amount over $0.01 earns interest. You must also link the Northfield account to another bank account. You fund your Northfield online account through the linked account.

Read the full Northfield Bank review.

Citizens Bank Review

Checking, savings, and money market accounts do not have required opening amounts. However, to earn the best rates, you must be a Platinum member. A Platinum member has at least $25,000 in Citizen Bank accounts. The basic checking and savings accounts do not require you to be a Platinum member.

Citizens Bank offers a variety of accounts. These accounts include:

  • Four personal checking accounts
  • Three personal money market accounts
  • Four personal savings accounts
  • CD terms of 11, 14, and 24-month CDs
  • IRA accounts
  • Personal credit cards, lending, retirement, and investment options
  • Business savings, checking, and money market accounts
  • Business CDs
  • Credit cards, lending, and investment options for businesses

Checking and money market accounts include $5 Overdraft Pass. If you overdraw your account for $5 or less, there will not be a fee. To avoid other overdraft fees, deposit money into your account as soon as possible. There is no limit to how many overdrafts qualify for the pass.

If you live where Citizens Bank account are available, you can open most personal accounts online. The application is entirely online. To open the College Saver savings account, you need to visit a branch location. Business and IRA account must also be opened in a branch.

Accounts are not available everywhere. Citizens Bank currently operates in 11 states. If you do not live in one of these states, you cannot open an account. Those states are:

  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

Citizen Bank accounts have fees. The fees range from $3.99 to $25 each month. There are ways to waive the fees. Those included making deposits and having set account balances. The balances range from $2,500 to $25,000, depending on the account. You can waive some money market and savings account fees by opening a Platinum checking account.

There are only three standard CD terms offered through Citizens Bank. They offer 11, 14, and 24-month CDs. The 14-month CD is an online-only account. Each term requires $1,000 to open. Business and IRA CDs are also available.

Most Citizens Bank accounts have low rates. The interest rates compare to typical brick-and-mortar bank rates. The CDs offer slightly higher rates if you also open a Citizens Bank checking account. Even those higher rates are not competitive with other online accounts.

Read the full Citizens Bank review.

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