PenFed Credit Union VS Dime Community 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
No Rate Information
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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: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low opening required balances
  • Some CDs offer competitive rates
  • Variety of different types of accounts
  • Business accounts are available

Cons:

  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Most account rates are not competitive
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Branch locations only in New York
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.

Dime Community Bank Review

Most Dime accounts have a low required opening amount. All the checking accounts only require $25 to open. The money market account requires $1,000, and CDs require $500. The club savings accounts only require $5 to open.

Some Dime CD terms offer competitive interest rates. The rates with the most competitive terms are the 4, 24, 36, 48, and 80-month CDs. The rates for these accounts are competitive with other online CDs. Dime CDs can be opened in a branch location.

Dime offers a variety of personal accounts. The accounts include:

  • Statement savings account
  • Student savings account
  • Money market savings account
  • Club savings accounts
  • Personal checking
  • Fabulous 50 Interest checking
  • Direct Interest checking
  • Prime Dime Interest checking
  • CDs from three months to 84-months
  • Retirement accounts
  • Personal mortgage and lending options

Dime offers many business accounts. Savings, checking, and money market accounts are available for businesses. CDs and lines of credit are available. Business account holders have access to different money management options. Online and mobile banking are also available for business accounts.

You cannot open Dime accounts online. To open a CD and savings account, you must visit a branch location. To open a checking account, you can call customer service or visit a local branch. Dime has branch locations in New York.

Most of the interest rates offered on Dime accounts are not competitive. The interest rates are similar to typical brick-and mortar-rates. Only a few CDs offer interest rates competitive with online-only accounts.

Some Dime accounts have monthly fees. The fees range from $4 to $10 a month. Waive the fees by keeping a set account balance. Those balances range from $500 to $1,500, depending on the account.

All Dime branch locations are in New York. If you do not live close to a branch, you are not able to open those accounts. You must visit a branch location to open Dime accounts. They have 28 branch locations around New York.

Read the full Dime Community Bank review.

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American Express
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For APY $1
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Jenius Bank
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APY 5.25%
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