PenFed Credit Union VS Bangor Savings Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
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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: 2.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.5 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Business accounts available
  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Most accounts have low opening amounts

Cons:

  • High opening required amount for MMA
  • Tiered interest rates
  • Accounts only for certain residents
  • Some accounts require a checking account
PenFed Credit Union Review

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.

Read the full PenFed Credit Union review.

Bangor Savings Bank Review

Bangor Savings Bank offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. They offer three checking accounts and savings and money market accounts. Those accounts include a savings account for kids and one for the holidays. Bangor offers CDs that range from three-month terms to five-year terms.

Bangor Savings Bank offers a wide variety of business accounts. Those accounts include business checking and savings accounts. They offer business credit cards and insurance options. Bangor offers cash management and payroll services for businesses.

The Bangor Savings Bank CDs offer competitive rates. The interest rates for these CDs are competitive with other online CDs. The terms range from three months to five years. The amount required to open each CD is $500.

Most Bangor Savings Bank accounts have low required amounts to open. Each of the checking accounts requires $25 to open. Two savings accounts also only need $25 to open. The CDs each need $500 to open.

The Benefit Money Market and Market Rate account have high opening required amounts. These accounts each need $5,000 to open and to earn interest. Balances below $5,000 do not earn interest. There is a $10 monthly fee if the Market Rate account drops below $5,000. The Benefit Money Market does not have a monthly fee.

Some Bangor Savings Bank accounts have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive rate for the MMA requires an account balance of $100,000. The savings account requires $25,000. Amounts under that balance earn interest, just not the most competitive rate.

Bangor Savings Bank accounts are not available to anyone across the United States. Only residents of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont can open an account. You can open some accounts online if you are a resident of one of these states. A few accounts require visiting a branch location.

Some accounts require having a Bangor checking account first. To open the Benefit Savings and MMA requires having a Bangor checking account. Once you have a checking account, you qualify to open these other accounts.

Read the full Bangor Savings Bank review.

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