USAA VS Citizens Trust Bank

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: 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
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.

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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Min to Open $100
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