UFB Direct VS Community First Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
5.25%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Low required amounts to open an account
  • No minimum balance or monthly fees
  • Earn American Airline miles
  • High interest rates on accounts

Cons:

  • No branch locations
  • Highest interest rate requires large sum
  • MMA has a fee and large opening deposit
  • Business accounts and CDs not offered
  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Christmas savings account
  • Business accounts, including nonprofits
  • Business Premium Package
  • Cash Management options for businesses

Cons:

  • Have to open accounts at a branch
  • Interest rates not listed on website
  • Unlimited withdrawals, but only in person
  • Most accounts have high opening deposits
UFB Direct Review

UFB Direct checking and savings accounts have a low required opening amount. The opening deposit is only $100. To receive the highest interest rates, you must keep a certain amount in the accounts. If the balance is below the set amount, you will earn a lower interest rate, but not be charged a fee.

Most UFB Direct accounts do not have a monthly maintenance fee. UFB Direct savings and checking accounts are free. There is no monthly fee and no amount required to keep in the account.

Earn miles for everyday purchases with the UFB Airline Rewards Checking account. When you use your debit card for purchases, you earn miles. Earn one mile for debit transactions over $3.00. The miles go toward American Airlines. You can earn up to 120,000 per calendar year. UFB Direct may add more airlines in the future.

The interest rates on UFB Direct accounts earn very competitive interest rates. The savings, checking, and money market accounts earn some of the highest rates on the market. For some accounts, you must keep a high balance in the account. However, if you do not have that set amount in the account, you will earn a lower rate. The lower rate on those accounts is still much higher than your typical brick and mortar banks rates.

There are no branch locations for UFB Direct. It is an entirely online bank. To talk to customer service, you can call a 24-hour phone line. You can reach customer service through mail or email. You can access everything about your account online.

Certain balances are required to earn the highest interest rates on the UFB Direct savings accounts. The basic savings account requires $20,000 in the account to earn the highest interest rates. The Premium savings account requires $25,000 to earn the highest interest rates. Any amount lower than the required amount will still earn interest, just a much lower rate.

The UFB Direct money market account has a monthly fee and a large sum required as the opening deposit. The monthly fee is $10 a month. Waive the fee by keeping a balance of $5,000 in the account. The required opening deposit is $5,000. You will earn interest and can write checks from the MMA.

UFB Direct does not offer business accounts or CDs. The accounts offered are a personal checking, saving, and money market account. There are options for loans, but not business accounts or CDs.

Read the full UFB Direct review.

Community First Bank Review

Community First Bank offers a special savings account for Christmas. This account only requires $10 to open. You can set up automatic transfers for monthly, twice a month, or weekly. After October 1 of each year, you can withdraw an unlimited amount of times until the last day of December. Withdrawals are only allowed those three months. There is a withdrawal fee if not withdrawn during the designated time.

A variety of different business accounts are available. There are four different checking accounts, including one for a nonprofit. Community First Bank offers savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs. Loans, credit cards, and retirement accounts are available for business accounts.

You can sign up for the Business Premium Package. This sets you up for a checking account, savings account, and a money market account. You also sign up for two other accounts from ten other options. HSA, credit cards, loans, and cash management all qualify. With the package, you receive 100 free additional transactions from your business checking.

The cash management lets you have different levels of authority on accounts. You decide what employees can see about customer accounts. You can add more users to the accounts. The premium option pays taxes and payroll. Cash management automatically deducts customer fees or payments.

You cannot open accounts online. Some account applications are available to download and send to the local branch. To open checking, savings, money market, CDs, and business accounts you must apply in a local branch. Community First Bank only has branches in Wisconsin.

To know the interest rates on Community First Bank accounts, you must call a local branch. The interest rates are not available on the website. You could earn higher interest rates on CDs by opening certain accounts.

The Community First Bank's money market accounts offer unlimited withdrawals. The withdrawals must be made in person at a local branch. You are only allowed six withdrawals from other methods per billing cycle. Those methods include withdrawals made by ATMs, checks, check cards, and electronic transfers.

The basic accounts have low opening balances. However, to earn the competitive interest rates, there is a high opening balance. The required amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Read the full Community First Bank review.

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