Vio Bank VS PNC

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
1.10%APY
Savings/MMA
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates
  • Low required opening amounts
  • Variety of CD terms available
  • No monthly fees

Cons:

  • Limited personal accounts offered
  • Customer service not available 24/7
  • No business accounts offered
  • Specific transfer regulations
  • Financial Rates: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
Advertiser Disclosure
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Pros:

  • Virtual Wallet rates are competitive
  • Relationship Rates offer higher rates
  • Student accounts offered
  • Business accounts are available

Cons:

  • Low interest rates for other accounts
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • High required balances to avoid fees
  • Must open CDs at branch locations
Vio Bank Review

Vio Bank offers competitive interest rates on their CDs and high yield savings account. The interest rates are much higher than typical brick and mortar bank rates. Vio Bank interest rates are competitive with other online accounts. They monitor their interest rates to keep them competitive with national rates.

Vio Bank accounts have low opening required amounts. All the different CD terms only require $500 to open. The high yield savings account only requires $100 to open.

Vio Bank offers a good variety of CD terms. The CDs range in length from six-month to 120-month terms. Each of the CDs requires $500 to open. They are all FDIC insured and can be opened online. The CD terms all earn competitive interest rates.

The savings account at Vio Bank does not have a monthly fee. There is no required balance to avoid a monthly fee. The CDs only have a fee if the money is withdrawn before the maturity date of the CD.

Vio Bank offers limited personal deposit accounts. Only a personal savings account and CDs are available. The CD terms range from six-months to 120-months. No checking or money market accounts are available.

Customers cannot reach a Vio Bank representative 24/7. Customer service has specific hours of operation. They are open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Central Time. Saturday they are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday they open from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Vio Bank does not offer business accounts. Only personal deposit accounts are available. Those accounts include a personal high yield savings account and CDs. The CDs range in term from six-month CDs to 120-month CDs.

Money can only be transferred from the savings account to external bank accounts. If you want to make a wire transfer, you must submit the forms 72 hours before the transfer takes place. Federal regulations only allow six withdrawals per month from your savings account.

Read the full Vio Bank review.

PNC Review

Opening PNCs Virtual Wallet accounts earn competitive interest rates. This includes three specific accounts: the Spend, Reserve, and Growth accounts. The Spend account is your checking account for everyday spending. The Reserve account is a short-term savings account. It offers overdraft protection for the Spend account. The Growth account is for longer-term goals, like a down payment, car, or vacation. Virtual Wallet accounts offer interest rates that are competitive with other online accounts. You must link these accounts together to earn competitive rates.

Some Growth savings accounts offer slightly higher rates with Relationship Rates. You must qualify to earn the Relationship Rates. To qualify, you must have a set amount directly deposited into the Spend account. Making five debit transactions also qualifies you. The amounts of direct deposits vary from $500 to $5,000 depending on the account. If you qualify, your money will earn even higher interest rates.

PNC offers accounts for college students. With proof you are enrolled in college, the monthly fee is waived. This account offers a debit card and online and mobile banking. The same features of Virtual Wallet are available for the college account. Parents can sign up to receive alert texts when balances are low or overdrawn. Some colleges offer other perks with the account. For example, one college allows you to use your student ID card as a PNC ATM card.

PNC offers small and commercial business accounts. Checking, savings, and money market accounts are available. CDs, credit cards, and online services for your business are available. Bill pay, remote check deposits, and online payroll are services offered.

PNC standard account interest rates are low. To earn the competitive rates on Virtual Wallet accounts, you must meet the set requirement. If you open a standard account or do not meet the requirements, interest rates are low. To earn the competitive rates, be sure you open the right accounts and meet the requirements.

Most PNC accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $5 to $25 depending on the account. There are ways to waive the fees. Having a set amount in the account or in qualifying PNC accounts will waive the fees. Direct deposits of a set amount or if you are 62 years or older will waive some fees. As of March 2019, PNC loan and investment balances are not included to waive monthly fees.

The amounts required to have in PNC accounts to waive the monthly fees are high. The money market account requires $5,000 to avoid the monthly fee. Virtual Wallet accounts require $500 to $5,000 to waive the fee or $10,000 to $25,000 across all PNC deposit accounts. After March 2019, loans and investment balances will no longer count toward the total amount to waive fees. Their standard savings account only requires $300 to waive monthly fees.

Customers must open PNC CDs at a branch location. Most PNC CDs required $1,000 to open. The CDs with terms of seven to 89 days require $5,000 to open. PNC has branch locations in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Read the full PNC review.

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