-
Financial Rates:
4.0
-
Customer Service:
5.0
-
Website Experience:
3.5
-
Bank Fees:
3.0
Pros:
- CDs have competitive interest rates
- Low opening required amount
- CDs offered to save for education
- Low monthly fee for checking account
Cons:
- High opening balances for CDs
- Low-interest rates
- Best rates require large balances
- Do not offer a variety of accounts
-
Financial Rates:
3.0
-
Customer Service:
5.0
-
Website Experience:
4.0
-
Bank Fees:
4.0
Pros:
- CD bonus of higher interest rates
- Senior citizen checking accounts
- Kids Klub savings account
- Government or nonprofit checking account
Cons:
- Debit cards might not work in all states
- High opening amount for CDs
- Business checking has credit/debit limit
- Products not available to everyone
PenFed CDs have competitive interest rates. The rates on CDs are competitive with online-only accounts. The longer you can invest the money in the CD the higher the interest rates you will earn. CD terms range from six months to seven years.
All accounts, other than CDs, have a low opening balance of only $25. The more you invest in the money market account, the higher interest rates you will earn. However, you are only required to have $25 to open an account with PenFed.
PenFed offers CDs designed to save specifically for education costs. These CDs only require $500 to open instead of $1,000. The education CDs range in term from one year to seven years. The interest rates earned on these CDs are competitive with other CD accounts.
Only the checking account has a monthly maintenance fee. The fee is low and is easy to waive. The fee is waived by having a daily balance of $500 in the account. Having a direct deposit into the account of more than $500 each month will also waive the fee. The savings account and money market accounts do not have a monthly fee.
To open a CD, PenFed requires $1,000. The CD terms vary in length from six months to seven years. The longer you can invest your money in a PenFed CD the higher interest you will earn over the CD term. The interest rates on these CDs are competitive with other online-only CDs.
The interest rates for PenFed savings, checking, and money market accounts are not competitive. The rates are low. Those interest rates are competitive to your typical bank rates. Online only accounts offer much higher interest rates for these accounts.
To earn the highest interest on the PenFed checking account, a daily balance of $20,000 to $50,000 is required. If you do not have at least $20,000, you will earn much lower interest rates. Any amount earns interest. To get the highest rates, your daily balance must meet the requirements.
PenFed only offers one checking account, savings account, and money market account. This does not allow you to find the account that best fits your needs.
American Eagle CDs can earn higher interest rates if you earn the relationship bonus. To receive this bonus, you must have $5,000 in a qualifying checking, savings, or money market account. With this bonus, you earn around 0.15% more interest on the money in your CD.
American Eagle offers a Golden Eagle checking account for senior citizens. To qualify for the senior account, you must be over 55 years of age. This account offers unlimited check writing, no monthly fees, and a higher interest rate than their other checking accounts.
The Eagle Saver Kids Klub only requires $1 to open. Kids must be under 17 and have a parent or guardian co-signer. For every deposit made, kids earn ‘Wooden Nickels.’ Kids use those nickels to get prizes.
The American Eagle Platinum NOW checking account is for government and nonprofits. It only requires $100 to open. There is no monthly fee with at least $500 in the account. This account offers unlimited check writing, an ATM or debit card with no fees, and earns interest.
In the name of security, the American Eagle debit card may not work in all areas. Those areas include New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, or Canada. If you travel to these areas, you must call the bank in advance to make sure your debit card will work.
CDs require $1,000 to open and earn interest. The CD terms vary in length from six to sixty months. Special add-on CDs let you make unlimited deposits of at least $1 or more.
The business checking account limits transactions each month. You must not exceed 500 debit and credit transactions per month. There is a fee if you do.
Not all American Eagle accounts are available to everyone. You cannot apply online for an account. You must call a local branch to get information and apply for an account. Some products are only available to current customers and those living in certain areas.
Sponsored Offers
| Savings (Rate as of 4/19/2024) | |
| APY | 4.30% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.21% |
| For APY | $1 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC | |
| Savings (Rate as of 4/19/2024) | |
| APY | 5.15% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 5.02% |
| For APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC | |
| Savings (Rate as of 4/19/2024) | |
| 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 | |
| Savings (Rate as of 4/19/2024) | |
| 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. | |
| Savings (Rate as of 4/19/2024) | |
| APY | 4.35% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.35% |
| For APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC | |
The rate information is obtained by Bankrate from the listed institutions. Bankrate cannot guarantee the accuracy or availability of any rates shown. Institutions may have different rates on their own websites than those posted on Bankrate.com. The listings that appear on this page are from companies from which this website receives compensation, which may impact how, where, and in what order products appear. This table does not include all companies or all available products.
All rates are subject to change without notice and may vary depending on location. These quotes are from banks, thrifts, and credit unions, some of whom have paid for a link to their own website where you can find additional information. Those with a paid link are our Advertisers. Those without a paid link are listings we obtain to improve the consumer shopping experience and are not Advertisers. To receive the Bankrate.com rate from an Advertiser, please identify yourself as a Bankrate customer. Bank and thrift deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Credit union deposits are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.
Consumer Satisfaction: Bankrate attempts to verify the accuracy and availability of its Advertisers' terms through its quality assurance process and requires Advertisers to agree to our Terms and Conditions and to adhere to our Quality Control Program. If you believe that you have received an inaccurate quote or are otherwise not satisfied with the services provided to you by the institution you choose, please click here.
For details on our best products and how we chose them click here.
Rates proudly provided by 
For Bankrate's privacy policy, click here.
1 APY stands for Annual Percent Yield. It's different from Rate because it takes into account compounding interest for the year.
2 MMA stands for Money Market Account. It's a savings and checking hybrid, allowing you to earn interest and use checks 6 times a month.