Popular Direct VS Key Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
5.15%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • High-interest rates on accounts
  • Account available everywhere
  • Variety of CD terms
  • Online and mobile banking

Cons:

  • Opening accounts requires large deposit
  • The savings account has a monthly fee
  • Only offer CDs and one savings account
  • Linked external account required
  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Savings account for kids
  • Many CD term length options
  • Business accounts are available
  • Relationship Rewards on certain accounts

Cons:

  • Low-interest rates and monthly fees
  • Amounts to waive fees is high
  • Not all checking accounts earn interest
  • High required amounts to open CDs
Popular Direct Review

The interest rates on Popular Direct accounts are very competitive. They are considerably higher than your typical brick and mortar banks. The rates are competitive with other online-only accounts.

Because Popular Direct is an online-only bank, the accounts are available everywhere. Applying for the account is quick and completed online. Everything you need for your account is accessed online. There are no branch locations.

Popular Direct offers a variety of different CD term lengths. The terms range from a three-month term to five-year terms. The other terms include six months, one year, eighteen months, two, three, and four-year terms. The interest rates increase the longer the term length.

All Popular Direct accounts come with online and mobile banking. With online banking, you can set up account notifications and see statements. You can transfer funds between the linked external account. Mobile and online banking allow you to transfer money between Popular Direct accounts. You can check account balances and deposit checks.

To open a savings account with Popular Direct, you must have $5,000 as your opening deposit. To open a CD with Popular Direct, you must have $10,000 as the opening required deposit. You will still earn interest if your balance drops below these required amounts.

Popular Direct savings account has a monthly fee. The fee is $4 per month if your balance falls below $500. No fee is charged if your balance remains above $500. There is also a fee for closing the account before 180 days after opening it. A $5 monthly fee is charged each month if your account is inactive for 12 months. Following the 12th month, the fee is charged each month the account is inactive.

Popular Direct only offers CDs and one savings account. They do not offer a checking account, money market account, or any business accounts. The CDs range from 30-day CDs to a five-year term.

Popular Direct requires you link your account to an external account. The linked account allows you to make deposits into your Popular Direct account. The external bank account cannot be changed within the first 60 days of opening the account.

Read the full Popular Direct review.

Key Bank Review

KeyBank offers a savings account for kids 18 years old and younger. Their parent or guardian must have a KeyBank account. This account only requires $10 to open. There are no monthly fees or balance requirements. This savings account earns interest.

KeyBank has a variety of CD term lengths, including short-term CDs. The short-term lengths vary from seven days to six months. There are a number of tiered CD accounts. The terms vary from six months to 10 years with many options in between. The jumbo CDs range from seven days to 11 months.

KeyBank offers a variety of business accounts. Checking, savings, and CD accounts are available. A Mastercard and business loans are offered. Other business services include wire transfers and HSA accounts. Automated tax payments, electronic payments, and invoicing are other features of the business accounts.

KeyBank checking account and reward credit card holders earn rewards points. Points are earned by making debit and credit card transactions. Earn points by using online banking, ATMs, and mobile deposits. Direct deposit, automatic debits and credits, and online statements also qualify. Redeem points for gift cards, cash back, travel, and other items. There is an annual fee to earn rewards. Key Privilege or Key Privilege Select checking accounts do not have the annual fee.

The interest rates on KeyBank accounts are lower than other online-only accounts. The rates are competitive with typical bank rates. Most all KeyBank accounts have a monthly maintenance fee. The only checking account without fees is the KeyBank Hassle-Free account. That account does not earn interest. All KeyBank savings accounts have a monthly fee except the kids account.

The amounts required to waive the monthly maintenance fees are high. The lowest amount required for checking accounts is $500. The other checking accounts require $10,000 to $100,000. KeyBank savings accounts require $300 to $25,000 to waive the monthly maintenance fees.

Not all KeyBank checking accounts earn interest. The only two interest earning accounts are the most expensive accounts to keep open. To waive the monthly fee you must keep $10,000 to $100,000 in KeyBank accounts. You can also waive the fee by having a mortgage through KeyBank. Direct deposits totaling $1,000 to $5,000 each month also waives the fee.

The amount required to open a CD is $2,500 for the short term CDs and the tiered CDs. The jumbo CDs require $100,000 to open. You earn Relationship Reward points for opening any of the KeyBank CDs.

Read the full Key Bank review.

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