TIAA Bank VS Citizens Trust Bank

Which bank is better for you?

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

  • No monthly fees for accounts
  • High-interest rates on select accounts
  • Variety of business accounts offered
  • Interest on checking, high for first year

Cons:

  • Checking interest drops after first year
  • Large amount required to open accounts
  • Basic accounts have lower interest rates
  • ATM fee reimbursement requires high sum
  • Financial Rates: 1.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Most accounts have low opening amounts
  • Business accounts available
  • Other products offered

Cons:

  • Most accounts have a monthly fee
  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Personal accounts have low rates
  • Jumbo and regular CDs earn same rates
TIAA Bank Review

Note: TIAA has acquired EverBank, rebranding the bank as TIAA Bank. The acquisition completed on June 12, 2018.

The Yield accounts at TIAA Bank do not charge monthly maintenance fees. There is no amount required to keep in the accounts to avoid fees. You will earn interest on any amount you have deposited in the account.

TIAA Bank guarantees that their account offerings will earn the top five percent interest in the nation. This makes them a competitive bank in the field of high-interest rates.

Business accounts are available through TIAA Bank. Your business can earn the high interest rates you earn with personal banking. There are checking accounts for small businesses and non profits. Interest earning and basic business checking accounts are available. Money market accounts, CDs, and credit cards are also available for your business.

The Yield Checking account offers a one-year spotlight APY. The rate for one year is much higher than the regular interest rates. This rate is only for new customers. Earn interest on any amount above $5,000, but less than $250,000.

After the one-year spotlight APY, the rate drops. The account still earns interest, but lower than the first year. The interest you earn after the first year depends on the amount you have in the account. The rates drop by almost one whole percentage point for balances under $10,000.

The high interest earning accounts have a high required opening balance. You must have $5,000 to open the Yield Pledge Checking, Yield Pledge Money Market, and Yield Pledge CD accounts. Once you open one of these accounts, you will earn the top five percent of yields on your money. TIAA Bank ensures the top interest rates on these accounts.

To open the TIAA Bank accounts with the high interest rates you must have $5,000. TIAA Bank does offer a basic checking and savings account. These accounts only require $25 to open. There is no monthly fee as long as you keep $25 in the account. The basic CDs only required $1,000 to open. These basic accounts get lower interest rates, but still competitive.

TIAA Bank does reimburse fees charged at ATMs, but only if your account balance is over $5,000. TIAA Bank does not charge fees for using their ATMs. The fees are only for other bank ATMs.

Read the full TIAA Bank review.

Citizens Trust Bank Review

Citizens Trust Bank has a variety of personal deposit accounts. There is a checking account for students and those over 50 years old. Citizens Trust Bank offers regular savings, holiday savings accounts, and youth accounts. The different accounts require different balances, allowing you to find the best account for your finances.

The opening required amounts for most Citizens Trust Bank accounts are low. The amounts needed to open accounts range from $25 to $100. Most checking accounts require $50 to open. The basic savings account requires $100 to open. CDs require $500 to open. The money market account and Silver Investor savings account have higher opening amounts. They require between $1,000 to $5,000.

Citizens Trust Bank offers business accounts. Checking and savings accounts are available. There are merchant services and cash management options available to businesses. They also offer loans, credit cards, and investment accounts for businesses.

There are a variety of products offered through Citizens Trust Bank. They offer personal and business credit cards and loans. They offer investment accounts, life insurance, disability insurance, and final expense insurance.

Most Citizens Trust Bank accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $0.30 per check or debit card transaction to $15 a month. Waive the fees by keeping a minimum balance in the account. The required balances range from $5 to $7,500, depending on the account. Some accounts require enrolling in online banking and receiving eStatements.

Not all Citizens Trust Bank accounts can be opened online. Some accounts require visiting one of the financial centers. The youth savings account and the Christmas Club account must be opened in a branch location.

The interest rates for Citizens Trust Bank are low. The rates are similar to your typical brick and mortar bank rates. Their rates are not competitive with online bank rates.

Citizens Trust Bank offers regular and jumbo CDs. The regular CDs require $500 to open. The jumbo CDs require $100,000 to open. The interest rates are the same for regular CDs and jumbo CDs. Both rates are not competitive with other online CDs. The CD terms range from seven-days to five-years.

Read the full Citizens Trust Bank review.

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American Express
Savings (Rate as of 4/26/2024)
APY 4.25%
Rate 4.16%
For APY $1
Monthly Fee $0.00
Checkbook No
Member FDIC
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