PenFed Credit Union VS Quantum National 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: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Low opening required amounts
  • High Rate Checking earns good rates
  • Variety of accounts offered
  • Account for kids and seniors

Cons:

  • Low interest rates
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Tiered interest rates on accounts
  • Cannot open accounts online
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.

Quantum National Bank Review

The required amounts to open Quantum National Bank accounts are low. All the checking accounts and the saving account require $100 to open. The high rate money market account and CDs require $1,000 to open.

Quantum National Bank offers a High Rate Checking account. To open this account only requires $100. There is also a High Rate Checking account for senior citizens. You must be over 55 to open this account. To get the best rate offered you must meet requirements. You must have a minimum of 12 point-of-sale ATM or debit card transactions per month. You must also have one ACH debit or credit per statement cycle, and receive electronic statements.

Quantum National Bank has a variety of accounts. Those accounts include personal deposit and business accounts. Savings, checking, and money market accounts are available. CD terms range from seven-days to five-years. Quantum National bank offers credit cards and loans as well.

Quantum National Bank offers accounts for minors and senior citizens. The minor account only requires $1.00 to open, and there is no required minimum balance. The child receives a gift when they open the account and each time the child makes a deposit. The senior citizen High Rate Checking account is for those 55 or older. This account requires $100 to open. There is no required balance or monthly fee. If you meet the requirements, interest rates are competitive.

The interest rates offered on Quantum National Bank are low. The rates are slightly higher than some brick and mortar bank rates. Some Quantum National accounts offer more competitive rates than others. Most rates are not competitive with other online accounts.

Some Quantum National Bank accounts have monthly fees. The fees range from $5 to $15 a month. Waive the fees by keeping a set amount in the accounts. That amount ranges from $500 for the savings account, to $15 for the High Rate Checking account.

Most Quantum National accounts have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive rate requires a large balance in the account. The money market account requires $250,000 to earn the highest rate. The interest earning checking account requires $10,000 for the best rate. The 14-month CD term requires $100,000 to get the best rate.

Quantum National Bank accounts cannot be opened online. To open an account, you fill out a form and submit it to the bank. A bank representative will get in touch with you about the accounts. You can then stop by a branch location to open an account.

Read the full Quantum National Bank review.

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