Sallie Mae VS Union 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: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Checking and savings account for youth
  • Low opening amount for some accounts
  • Business accounts offered
  • MMA offers tiered interest rates

Cons:

  • Accounts have low interest rates
  • High monthly fees
  • Opening amounts for MMA are high
  • Not all checking accounts earn interest
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.

Union Bank Review

Accounts for kids and teens are offered from Union Bank. The Kidz savings account is for children ages 8-12. From ages 13-17, teen savings and checking accounts are available. These youth accounts must be jointly owned with an adult. Youth accounts do not have a monthly fee. The opening deposit amount for the savings accounts is $1. The checking account requires $100. Each deposit of at least $5 into the Kidz savings account earns a stamp. After ten stamps the child earns a gift card.

Union Bank savings, checking, and CDs have a low opening deposit. All checking accounts, except the Priority account, only need $100 to open. The basic savings account requires $50. The youth savings accounts only require $1. Union Bank CDs require $350 to open the CD. Only the seven days to one-month CDs require a higher balance.

Union Bank offers a variety of small and commercial business accounts. Checking, savings, and money market accounts are available for small and commercial business. Loans, CDs, and credit cards are available as well. Union Bank offers payable and receivable services for large businesses.

Both Union Bank money market accounts offered tiered interest rates. This means the more money you have invested in the account, the higher the interest you will earn. The regular MMA requires $2,500 to open; the High Rate MMA requires $10,000.

Union Bank accounts do not offer competitive interest rates. Their rates are similar to your brick and mortar bank rates. They are not competitive with other online-only bank accounts.

Most all Union Bank accounts have a monthly maintenance fee. The fees range from $4 to $30 a month depending on the account. Signing up for online statements will lower the monthly fee by $1 for some accounts, but not waive it. Ways to waive the fees include having a required amount in the account or direct deposits. The youth accounts do not have a monthly fee.

There are two money market accounts offered by Union Bank. The basic MMA requires $2,500 to open the account. The High Rate money market account required $10,000 to open. Both accounts have a monthly maintenance fee. Union Bank requires you to link one of their checking accounts to the money market accounts. The interest rates for Union Bank MMA are not competitive.

The Priority bank account is the only checking account that earns interest. The minimum opening deposit for the interest earning account is $1,000. There is a $30 monthly fee. The fee is only waived if you have over $50,000 in combined Union Bank accounts or have a mortgage through Union Bank.

Read the full Union Bank review.

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