Wells Fargo VS Colorado Federal Savings Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 1.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
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Pros:

  • Opportunity checking account
  • Business accounts are available
  • Checking account for teenagers
  • Low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • Low-interest rates
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Few CD options and high opening amount
  • No money market account offered
  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 2.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Can open all accounts online
  • No monthly fees or required balances
  • Competitive interest rates
  • Savings has a low opening amount

Cons:

  • Limited accounts offered
  • Must link external bank account
  • Premier account requires large amount
  • CDs require a large opening deposit
Wells Fargo Review

Wells Fargo offers an Opportunity Checking account. This account is for those who do not qualify for a regular checking account. It offers checks, a debit card, bill pay, and mobile banking. With the Opportunity account, there is a $10 monthly fee. There are options to waive the fee.

Many business accounts are available through Wells Fargo. Business savings and checking accounts are available. They offer CDs, loans, and credit cards. Commercial finance options are available. Wells Fargo offers retirement and investment options for businesses, along with payroll options.

Wells Fargo offers a checking account specifically for kids 13-17 years old. A parent must open the account with the child. There are no monthly fees and it offers a debit card and mobile banking. Parents can set limits on the number of purchases and withdrawals made from the account.

To open a Wells Fargo checking and savings requires a low opening deposit. The savings and checking accounts only need $25 to open. The accounts may require more money to earn interest, but to open the account only requires $25.

The interest rates for Wells Fargo accounts are low. They are not competitive with other online-only accounts. Even the highest interest rates offered are low compared to other online accounts.

Most Wells Fargo accounts have a monthly fee. The fees range from $10-30, depending on the account. Ways to waive the fees include:

  • Signing up for electronic statements
  • Having an average daily balance above a set amount
  • Setting up a reoccurring savings deposit
  • Account holder is between a certain age
  • Having a direct deposit over a certain amount
  • Combined account balances are above a set amount
  • Making a set number of debit card transactions

Wells Fargo does not offer many CD term lengths. There are only four CDs with an opening amount of $2,500. Those terms are three-month, six-month, and one-year CDs. The 9, 29, and 39-month CDs require $5,000 to open. The Step Rate CD is a 24-month term. To open requires $2,500 and must be done in a branch location.

Wells Fargo does not offer a money market account. They offer a basic and a Platinum savings account. Neither account offers interest rates competitive to online accounts.

Read the full Wells Fargo review.

Colorado Federal Savings Bank Review

Colorado Federal Savings Bank is an online bank. Opening an account is completed online. You do not have to mail information in or wait for the bank to send you information. All the information you need to open an account is on their website.

Colorado Federal Savings Bank accounts do not have monthly maintenance fees. The accounts are completely free. There are no fees to transfer money into the account with electronic transfers.

The interest rates for CFSB are competitive. Their rates are much higher than your typical brick-and-mortar rates. They are competitive with other online-only accounts. CFSB rates are not tiered. Any amount over the required opening deposit earns the competitive rates offered.

The high yield savings account only requires $1.00 to open the account and keep in the account. The interest rates are competitive. The only fee is if you withdraw more than six times each billing cycle.

CFSB offers limited accounts. Only an online savings account and CDs are available. No checking or money market account is available. There are no business accounts available. Only those few personal deposit accounts are available through CFSB.

To fund your CFSB accounts, you must link an external bank account. Once you link the accounts, you can make transfers between the two accounts. Electronic transfers between linked accounts are how you access your CFSB money.

CFSB has a Premier Savings account offering competitive interest rates. The minimum account balance is $50,000. To open the Premier Savings account, you must be a new customer. This means you have not maintained a CD or savings account with CFSB in the previous 60 days.

To open a CD through CFSB requires $5,000. There are six CD terms. They range from six-months to five-year terms. The only fee is if you withdraw your money before it reaches the maturity date. The interest rates for each of the terms are competitive.

Read the full Colorado Federal Savings Bank review.

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