Union Bank VS BankDirect

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
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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
  • Financial Rates: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.5 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Low required opening amounts
  • Reimbursement of ATM fees
  • Variety of personal deposit accounts
  • Money market account earns good rates

Cons:

  • Highest MMA rate requires large amount
  • High required amount to open CDs
  • Checking accounts have a monthly fee
  • Must mail in application to open account
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.

BankDirect Review

Most of the BankDirect accounts have a low amount required to open the account. BankDirect checking accounts only require $500 to open. Both BankDirect money market accounts require $500 to open. The basic savings account only requires $100 to open.

BankDirect does not own any ATMs; they reimburse their customers the ATM fees. The first four ATM withdrawals per statement cycle are refunded. The refunds are up to $2.50 per transaction. There is a withdrawal limit of $500 from an ATM each day.

BankDirect offers a variety of personal deposit accounts. There are three different checking accounts and two different money market accounts. There are a variety of different CD terms available. BankDirect offers one savings account. There are no business accounts available.

The BankDirect Money Market Plus account offers a competitive interest rate. BankDirect also offers a mileage money market account. This account earns American Airline miles. Both MMA require $500 to open. The mileage money market account earns much lower interest rates. You earn miles instead of interest. There is no monthly fee for either account.

To earn the high rates offered on the BankDirect Money Market Plus account you must have $10,000 in the account. Amounts under $10,000 do not earn any interest. Only $500 is required to open this account, but to earn any interest requires $10,000.

BankDirect offers a variety of different CD terms. The required amount to open any of the CDs is $10,000. There is no monthly fee. The interest rates for CDs are competitive. The 12-month, 18-months, 24-months and 36-month CDs offer the most competitive rates. To open a mileage CD also requires $10,000.

Two of the BankDirect checking accounts have monthly fees. The interest and mileage checking accounts both have a monthly fee. The fee is waived for the interest checking account if you have at least $2,500 in the account. The mileage checking does not list a way to waive that monthly fee.

Opening an account with BankDirect is not entirely online. To open an account, you must fill out the application online, then print off part and mail it in. You will then receive a welcome kit within one to two weeks. Once you get your kit, you can finish setting up your account.

Read the full BankDirect review.

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