Sallie Mae VS TAB 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
4.65%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Cash rewards on savings accounts
  • No account fees or required amounts
  • Personal and student loans if you qualify
  • Five year CDs have amazing interest rates

Cons:

  • High opening amount for CDs
  • CDs require large sum to earn interest
  • No checking accounts offered
  • High-interest rates on personal loans
  • Financial Rates: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
0.25%APY
Savings/MMA
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Variety of accounts offered
  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Most accounts have low opening amounts
  • Savings account and CDs offer high rates

Cons:

  • Savings account opening balance high
  • Most account interest rates low
  • Opening accounts not entirely online
  • Customer service not available 24/7
Sallie Mae Review

To get the cash back rewards you have to meet requirements. You must link a UPromise Goal Saver Account with the UPromise Rewards Account. You must also either have $5,000 in the account or make ten deposits within the first 90 days. You earn 10% of the amount of money transferred from your Rewards account to your Goal Saver account. If you meet the requirements, you earn an annual bonus of $10 the first two years and a loyalty bonus of $100 the third year.

The high yield savings account and money market accounts do not have any monthly fees. There is no required amount to open these accounts. They offer competitive interest rates, and there is no required monthly balance.

Sallie Mae is a college funding bank. They offer student and personal loans. Some of the different loans include undergraduate loans, parent loans, MBA loans, dental or medical school loans, medical residency loans, bar study loans, or graduate student loans. Sallie Mae offers a personal loan to help consolidate your debt, pay for major expenses, or life events.

The interest rates on Sallie Mae CDs are exceedingly higher than other banks. CDs range in term from six months to five years. The five year CD offers the best interest rate, but the other terms are still better than other banks.

To open a CD with Sallie Mae bank, the required opening balance is $2,500. The interest rates on the CDs are much higher than other banks.

To earn interest on Sallie Mae CDs, you must keep at least $2,500 in the CDs at all time. If your account balance drops below that amount, you will not earn interest. Sallie Mae CDs offer interest rates that are considerably higher than other banks and even other online banks.

Sallie Mae does not offer a checking account. This is a college savings bank. They do offer different savings accounts to help you prepare for college. Sallie Mae also has different loans to help pay for college, but no checking accounts.

As with any loan, the interest rates are high. Know the different repayment plans, interest rates, and if there is a fee for paying your loan off early. High-interest rates mean you could end up paying almost $9,000 in interest on a $10,000 loan.

Read the full Sallie Mae review.

TAB Bank Review

A variety of accounts are available through TAB Bank. They offer personal and business checking, savings, and money market accounts, along with CDs. The CD terms range from six months to five years. TAB offers personal deposit accounts and accounts for all sizes of businesses.

The accounts at TAB Bank do not have monthly maintenance fees. There is no required amount to keep in the account to avoid a monthly fee. The accounts do have set amounts to earn the most competitive interest rates.

Most TAB accounts have low required amounts to open. The money market account, checking, and basic savings account all only require $25 to open. There is a daily balance required of $1 to keep the account open and earn interest. Each of the CD terms require $1,000 to open.

TAB Bank’s high yield savings account and CDs offer competitive interest rates. These rates are competitive with other online accounts. The interest rate for the high yield account is not tiered. You do need to have a balance of $2,500 to earn the most competitive rate. Amounts under $2,500 still earn interest, just a much lower rate. Each of the CD terms offers competitive interest rates. CDs require $1,000 to open and earn interest.

The high yield savings account has a high opening balance. This account requires $2,500 to open. That amount is also required to keep in the account to earn the highest interest rate. Any amount under $2,500 earns interest, just a much lower rate.

Interest rates for TAB accounts, besides the high yield savings account and CDs, are low. They are not competitive with other online accounts. The interest rates for checking, basic savings, and money market accounts compare to brick and mortar bank rates.

Opening an account with TAB Bank is not done entirely online. The application is online. You must print off the application and fill out the information. Once the application is complete, you can email, fax, or mail it to TAB Bank.

TAB Bank customer service is not always available. TAB customer service is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain Time. On Saturday they open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. TAB customer service is closed Sunday and federal holidays.

Read the full TAB Bank review.

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