SmartyPig VS TAB Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Free savings account
  • Tiered Interest Rates
  • Set up multiple goals
  • Direct withdrawals

Cons:

  • Only offer one type of account
  • Six withdrawals allowed per month
  • Maximum account balance
  • One external funding source allowed
  • 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
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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
SmartyPig Review

SmartyPig accounts do not have monthly maintenance fees. There is not a required amount to keep in the account. The first initial deposit to open the account is $25.

This savings account offers tiered interest rates. This means the more money you have in the account, the more interest you will earn. The interest rates do not vary much between tiers. The difference from a low amount to the higher amount is around 0.05%.

With this SmartyPig account, you can set up different savings goals. The savings accounts can be long-term, like saving for a college education. They can also be short term, like saving for a mountain bike or birthday party. You can transfer money from your SmartyPig primary account to different savings goals.

The best way to save money is to set up direct withdrawals. You set up when you want the money to come out of your account and how much to withdraw. Then, SmartyPig does the rest. Once the money is deposited into your account, you can transfer it into different savings goal. The withdrawals can be set up to occur monthly or biweekly.

SmartyPig has only one account offered: a high yield savings account. They do not offer checking accounts, CDs, money market accounts, or business accounts. The interest rate on this savings account is considerably higher than other banks savings accounts.

The website says you can withdraw money anytime, but federal regulation only allows six withdrawals per billing cycle. This includes transfers between your SmartyPig primary account and your different savings goals. The transfer or withdrawal will not take place if you have made more than six in a billing cycle. If you repeatedly try to make more than six, your account will be closed. Once you reach your goal, you cannot withdraw part of your money back to your external funding source. You must withdraw it all, or transfer the money between other savings goals.

This account is not meant for high account balances. There is a maximum account balance of $250,000. If your account has $250,000, you will earn interest on the money in the account, but you cannot add to the account.

Each SmartyPig account is only allowed to have one external funding source set up for it. That means you can only have one bank account connected to each SmartyPig account. You can change your external funding source if you want, but never have more than one.

Read the full SmartyPig 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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