Rising Bank VS BankDirect

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
5.00%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Savings account has a low opening minimum
  • No monthly fees on saving account
  • Rising CDs offer interest rate increases

Cons:

  • Limited accounts offered
  • Some CDs have high opening amounts
  • Interest rates not fixed for savings
  • Limited ways to contact customer service
  • Financial Rates: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.5 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low required opening amounts
  • Reimbursement of ATM fees
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Money market account earns good rates

Cons:

  • Highest MMA rate requires large amount
  • High required amount to open CDs
  • Checking accounts have a monthly fee
  • Must mail in application to open account
Rising Bank Review

The interest rates for Rising Bank accounts are competitive. The rates are competitive with other online accounts. They are much higher than typical bank rates. The rates are not tiered. Any amount above the required opening amount earns competitive interest rates.

The Rising Bank high yield savings account and the regular CDs have low opening amounts. The regular CDs are available in one, two, and three-year CDs. These CDs and the savings account each only requires $1,000 to open.

There are no monthly fees on the high yield savings account. This account is free. To earn interest, you must keep $1,000 in the account. The CDs only have a fee if you withdraw money before the CD reaches maturity.

Rising Bank offers two Rising CDs. These come in 18-month and 36-month terms. Each of these CDs requires $25,000 to open. During the CD term if interest rates increase you can increase the rate on your CD. The 18-month CD allows for one rate increase; the 36-month allows two rate increases. When you increase the rate of the CD, you can also deposit more money into the CD.

Rising Bank has limited types of accounts available. They offer a high yield savings account and CDs. The CD terms range from one year to three-year terms. There are not a wide variety of term lengths available through Rising Bank. They offer regular CDs, one jumbo CD, and two Rising CDs. Rising Bank does not offer a money market account or checking accounts. No business accounts are currently available.

The Rising CDs and the jumbo CD have high opening amounts. The Rising CD terms each require $25,000 to open. The jumbo CD has one term length, and it requires $100,000 to open the account. You must keep these amounts in the CDs to earn interest.

The interest rates for the Rising Bank high yield savings account are not fixed. Rising Bank may change the rate you earn on your account at any time. The bank does not have to notify you if the rates change. Interest credits to your account every month for the savings account and every three months for CDs. If you close your accounts before interest credits, you will not receive the earned interest.

Rising Bank offers limited ways to contact customer service. Reach a representative through phone, mail, or email. They are open Monday through Friday. The Rising Bank website says their customer service representatives offer personalized help. The ways to contact someone are limited though.

Read the full Rising Bank review.

BankDirect Review

Most of the BankDirect accounts have a low amount required to open the account. BankDirect checking accounts only require $500 to open. Both BankDirect money market accounts require $500 to open. The basic savings account only requires $100 to open.

BankDirect does not own any ATMs; they reimburse their customers the ATM fees. The first four ATM withdrawals per statement cycle are refunded. The refunds are up to $2.50 per transaction. There is a withdrawal limit of $500 from an ATM each day.

BankDirect offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. There are three different checking accounts and two different money market accounts. There are a variety of different CD terms available. BankDirect offers one savings account. There are no business accounts available.

The BankDirect Money Market Plus account offers a competitive interest rate. BankDirect also offers a mileage money market account. This account earns American Airline miles. Both MMA require $500 to open. The mileage money market account earns much lower interest rates. You earn miles instead of interest. There is no monthly fee for either account.

To earn the high rates offered on the BankDirect Money Market Plus account you must have $10,000 in the account. Amounts under $10,000 do not earn any interest. Only $500 is required to open this account, but to earn any interest requires $10,000.

BankDirect offers a variety of different CD terms. The required amount to open any of the CDs is $10,000. There is no monthly fee. The interest rates for CDs are competitive. The 12-month, 18-months, 24-months and 36-month CDs offer the most competitive rates. To open a mileage CD also requires $10,000.

Two of the BankDirect checking accounts have monthly fees. The interest and mileage checking accounts both have a monthly fee. The fee is waived for the interest checking account if you have at least $2,500 in the account. The mileage checking does not list a way to waive that monthly fee.

Opening an account with BankDirect is not entirely online. To open an account, you must fill out the application online, then print off part and mail it in. You will then receive a welcome kit within one to two weeks. Once you get your kit, you can finish setting up your account.

Read the full BankDirect review.

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