USAA VS Axos

Which bank is better for you?

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

  • Low opening required amounts
  • No monthly fees or required balances
  • Youth and college accounts available
  • ATM reimbursement for USAA accounts

Cons:

  • Low-interest rates
  • Business accounts are not offered
  • Not a wide variety of accounts
  • Must be a member to open accounts
  • Financial Rates: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
0.25%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Variety of accounts available
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Most accounts do not have monthly fees
  • Low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • Earning interest has set requirements
  • Tiered interest rates on accounts
  • Not all rate information listed
  • Interest rates may change without notice
USAA Review

Most USAA accounts only require $25 to open the accounts. To earn interest on the Classic checking account, you must have $1,000 in the account.

There are no monthly fees for any USAA accounts. They do not have a set amount required to keep in any of their accounts. Some accounts only earn interest if the balance is a set amount. However, you will not be charged a fee for not having a certain amount in the account.

Youth and college accounts offered through USAA do not have a monthly fee. There is not a required balance to keep in the account. The youth savings account earns interest. The youth checking account offers parental controls. Parents can set debit or ATM limits and receive text alerts. The college account only requires $50 to open. Friends and family can contribute to these accounts.

There are over 60,000 free USAA ATMs. The first ten withdrawals from a USAA owned ATM are free. USAA refunds up to $15 in ATM fees charged from using other banks ATMs. The ATM reimbursement does not apply to the USAA Cashback Rewards checking account.

USAA accounts do not offer competitive interest rates. The rates are slightly higher than those of your typical brick and mortar banks. Some CDs receive more competitive interest rates. All other accounts are much lower than other online-only accounts.

USAA does not offer business accounts. The only accounts offered are personal checking and savings accounts and CDs. Insurance, investments, and retirement options are available. Loans, credit cards, and real estate options are offered.

USAA only offers two different checking accounts and two savings accounts. The basic savings account only requires $25 to open the account. The other savings account requires $10,000 to open. Only one checking account earns interest. The other checking account earns cashback rewards. They do not both have the same benefits.

To open an account with USAA, you must become a member. Those eligible to become a member are active and former military and their families. Cadets and midshipmen at academies are eligible to become a member. Once accepted, USAA will help you find the right accounts for your needs.

Read the full USAA review.

Axos Review

Axos Bank offers a good variety of bank accounts. They offer cash-back and interest-earning checking accounts. They offer a checking account for those over 55 and for teens. Axos offers money market and savings account, along with CDs. Their CD terms range from three to 60 months. Axos offers checking, savings, and money market accounts for businesses. They also offer lending options for personal accounts and business accounts.

The Axos Bank accounts offer competitive interest rates. The rates are slightly lower than other online accounts but still competitive. Axos Bank interest rates are much higher than typical bank rates. There is not a set account balance required to earn interest.

The Axos Bank accounts do not have monthly fees. The accounts do not have set balances that you must keep in your account to avoid fees. These accounts are free. The only accounts with a fee are the Second Chance and World checking accounts. That fee is $6.95 a month with a direct deposit for the Second Chance account. The World checking account fee is $30 if your balance falls below $150,000.

The minimum opening required amount for Axos accounts are low. Most of the Axos checking accounts require $50 to open. The World checking account requires $75,000 to open. The savings accounts require $50 to open. The High Yield savings and IRA savings accounts requires $250. The High Yield money market account and CDs both require $1,000 to open.

The Axos Rewards checking account has requirements to earn competitive interest rates. The more requirements you meet, the more interest you earn. To earn the most competitive rate, you must have a direct deposit into your account and make 15 debit card transactions each month.

Most Axos accounts have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive interest rates requires a high account balance. The highest tier requires more than $100,000 in the account. Some checking accounts will not earn interest if the balance is over $150,000.

Not all the rate information for Axos accounts is on the website. The disclosures say accounts have tiered interest rates. The Axos website does not list the rates for the different tiers. To find the specific rates for the tiers call customer service.

Interest rates for Axos accounts may change without notice. This applies to their checking, savings, and money market accounts. The rates are subject to change without giving the customer notice. The interest rates on CDs are also subject to change at the bank's discretion.

Read the full Axos review.

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