-
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:
3.0
-
Bank Fees:
4.0
Pros:
- Christmas savings account
- Business accounts, including nonprofits
- Business Premium Package
- Cash Management options for businesses
Cons:
- Have to open accounts at a branch
- Interest rates not listed on website
- Unlimited withdrawals, but only in person
- Most accounts have high opening deposits
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.
Community First Bank offers a special savings account for Christmas. This account only requires $10 to open. You can set up automatic transfers for monthly, twice a month, or weekly. After October 1 of each year, you can withdraw an unlimited amount of times until the last day of December. Withdrawals are only allowed those three months. There is a withdrawal fee if not withdrawn during the designated time.
A variety of different business accounts are available. There are four different checking accounts, including one for a nonprofit. Community First Bank offers savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs. Loans, credit cards, and retirement accounts are available for business accounts.
You can sign up for the Business Premium Package. This sets you up for a checking account, savings account, and a money market account. You also sign up for two other accounts from ten other options. HSA, credit cards, loans, and cash management all qualify. With the package, you receive 100 free additional transactions from your business checking.
The cash management lets you have different levels of authority on accounts. You decide what employees can see about customer accounts. You can add more users to the accounts. The premium option pays taxes and payroll. Cash management automatically deducts customer fees or payments.
You cannot open accounts online. Some account applications are available to download and send to the local branch. To open checking, savings, money market, CDs, and business accounts you must apply in a local branch. Community First Bank only has branches in Wisconsin.
To know the interest rates on Community First Bank accounts, you must call a local branch. The interest rates are not available on the website. You could earn higher interest rates on CDs by opening certain accounts.
The Community First Bank's money market accounts offer unlimited withdrawals. The withdrawals must be made in person at a local branch. You are only allowed six withdrawals from other methods per billing cycle. Those methods include withdrawals made by ATMs, checks, check cards, and electronic transfers.
The basic accounts have low opening balances. However, to earn the competitive interest rates, there is a high opening balance. The required amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000.
Sponsored Offers
From Our Partners
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 3.80% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 3.73% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. | |
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.75% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.65% |
| Min to Open | $500 |
| Min to Earn APY | $500 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. | |
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 3.80% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 3.80% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. Promoted offer: It only takes about 5 minutes to open a fee-free account. |
|
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.40% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.30% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. Promoted offer: No monthly maintenance fee, $0 to open, easily grow your money |
|
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.46% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.46% |
| Min to Open | $500 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. | |
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.35% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.35% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. Promoted offer: $200 Bonus w/ Tiered Savings Account and Qualifying Activities |
|
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.35% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.35% |
| Min to Open | $100 |
| Min to Earn APY | $5,000 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. Promoted offer: CIT Bank, a division of First Citizens, 125+ years of experience. |
|
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.30% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.21% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. | |
| MMA (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.10% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.02% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | Yes |
| Member FDIC. | |
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.10% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.10% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. | |
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.75% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.64% |
| Min to Open | $1,000 |
| Min to Earn APY | $1,000 |
| Monthly Fee | $5.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC. | |
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.75% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.75% |
| Min to Open | $10 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| FDIC insured at program banks†. Promoted offer: var. APY a/o 11/8/24. New customers only. Betterment LLC, not a bank |
|
| Savings (Rate as of 12/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.10% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.02% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| 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.