Washington Savings Bank VS American Express National Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 4.0 Star Icon
0.05%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Low opening required amounts
  • Variety of bank accounts
  • Online Rewards checking account
  • Checking and CDs offer competitive rates

Cons:

  • Must meet requirements to earn interest
  • Not competitive rates for savings and MMA
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Not everyone can open accounts
  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Options on how to receive interest
  • No opening required amount
  • Pay credit card bill from savings account
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts

Cons:

  • Only offer savings and CD accounts
  • Must link account to a different bank
  • Funds not transferred immediately
  • No checks, debit cards, or ATM cards
Washington Savings Bank Review

Accounts at Washington Savings Bank have low required opening amounts. All the checking and money market accounts only require $10 to open. The savings account opening balances range from $1 to $50, depending on the account. All the CD terms require $500 to open.

Washington Savings Bank has a variety of personal deposit and business accounts. They offer three personal checking accounts and a variety of savings accounts. They also offer CDs, business accounts, and lending options.

Washington Savings Bank offers an Online Rewards checking account. This account is available to U.S. citizens across the country. You earn debit card cash rewards for purchases. You must have a direct deposit into this account. There is a monthly fee of $9.95. This is a checking account for those who need a second chance. After one year of good accounts history, you can receive a lower monthly fee.

The Washington Savings Bank checking accounts and CDs offer competitive interest rates. Not all CDs offer competitive rates. There are five special CD terms that have competitive rates. The checking account does have tiered interest rates. The most competitive rate is for balances between $0 and $10,000. Some qualifications must be met to earn the competitive rate.

The checking account has set requirements to earn the competitive interest rate. Those qualifications include having at least 12 debit card purchases post and clear. You must receive eStatements. You must also have one automatic payment, direct deposit, or bill pay post and clear. If these qualifications are met each month, you earn the competitive interest rate.

The savings and money market account do not have competitive interest rates. Washington Savings Bank offers a variety of savings accounts, but the rates are low. These account rates are not competitive with other online accounts.

Some Washington Savings Bank accounts have a monthly maintenance fee. Those fees range from $3 to $10 depending on the account. To waive the fees requires a set amount be in the accounts. Those balances range from $50 to $2,500. The Online Rewards checking has a monthly fee of $9.95.

Not everyone can open Washington Savings Bank accounts. Savings accounts are only for residents of Massachusetts or New Hampshire. Two of the checking accounts are only offered to those residents as well. The Online Rewards checking account is available for anyone. That account has a $9.95 monthly fee.

Read the full Washington Savings Bank review.

American Express National Bank Review

American Express Bank offers ways to receive the money you earn off interest. You can deposit it back into the account earning the interest. The interest can be transferred to your CD account. You can deposit the money into your linked external account, or receive a check. You can request a check to come monthly, quarterly, or annually.

There is no minimum amount required to open an account. You start earning interest with any amount deposited into the high-yield savings account. The more money you deposit, the more interest you earn, but no required amount.

Once you open a savings account with American Express, you can link that account to your credit card. Log into your account and link the savings account to the credit card. Paying your credit card bill from your savings account does count as a withdrawal.

American Express Bank offers higher interest rates than your typical bank. Their rates are competitive with other online banks. You can find the current rates are on their website.

American Express Bank only offers a high-yield savings account and CDs. To deposit money into the accounts, you must link it to your current banking accounts. You can also sign up for direct deposit from your employer or to make automatic deposits.

You must link your American Express accounts to your current bank account. You can then transfer money between the different accounts. Federal regulations only allow six transactions each billing cycle for savings accounts.

Transferring money to and from your American Express personal account is not immediate. Money coming into your American Express account is not available until the fifth business day. All other transfers take 1-3 business days.

American Express Bank does not offer checks, debit cards, or ATM cards for their accounts. To get your money, you must transfer it from your American Express savings account back into your linked external account. If you open a CD, you must wait until the maturity date to access your money without a penalty.

Read the full American Express National Bank review.

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