Radius Bank VS PenFed Credit Union

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 1.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • High interest rates on accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • Most accounts do not have fees
  • Low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Limited CD term lengths opened online
  • Only one savings account offered
  • Highest interest rate requires a large sum
  • 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
Radius Bank Review

The Radius Hybrid checking account offers competitive interest rates. You earn the competitive interest rate on any balance over $2,500. The savings account offers competitive interest rates as well. You earn higher interest rates on balances over $25,000. The interest rate under $25,000 is still competitive, just a slightly lower rate.

Radius Bank offers a variety of business accounts. Four different checking accounts are available. The accounts vary in benefits. This allows you to find the best fit for your business. A money market account and CDs are available for businesses also.

Most Radius accounts do not have monthly fees. The only account that has a monthly fee is the Essential checking account. That fee is $9 a month. After you make the opening required deposit, there is no required amount to keep in Radius Bank accounts.

The Radius savings account and two checking accounts only require $100 to open. The basic checking account only requires $10 to open. There are three CDs you can open online, the one-year, 18-month, and the three-year. Each of those CDs only require $500 to open. Open different CD term lengths at branch locations. Those CDs require either $500 or $1,000 depending on the term.

At this time, only a few Radius accounts are available to open online. Three Radius checking accounts can be opened online. The Radius High-Yield savings account and CDs can also be opened online. To open a business account, visit their financial center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Only three Radius Bank CD terms are available to open online. The CDs include a 12-month, 18-month, and three-year CD. Each CD only requires $500 to open. The interest rate on the CDs are competitive with other online-only accounts.

Only one savings account is available through Radius Bank. They do not offer a money market account. There is no monthly fee for the savings account. The opening amount required is $100. You can request an ATM card for this savings account. Federal regulations only allow six transactions per statement cycle.

To earn the highest interest rates for the Radius savings account, you must have $25,000 in the account. Any amount over $10 earns interest. Those rates are low; similar to typical bank rates. Having $2,500 in the account will earn much higher rates. Rates for balances over $2,500 are good but still less than the interest you earn if you have over $25,000. To earn interest on your Radius checking account balance, you must have $2,500 in the account. Any amount less does not earn interest.

Read the full Radius Bank review.

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.

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American Express
Savings (Rate as of 3/28/2024)
APY 4.35%
Rate 4.26%
For APY $1
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
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Jenius Bank
Savings (Rate as of 3/28/2024)
APY 5.25%
Rate 5.25%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC. No fees. Easy deposits and quick withdrawals.
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Barclays
Savings (Rate as of 3/28/2024)
APY 4.35%
Rate 4.35%
For APY $0
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
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