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American Express VS Bangor Savings Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Most terms offer competitive rates
  • Choices on how to receive interest
  • No required amount to open CDs
  • Good variety of CD terms offered

Cons:

  • Shorter terms have lower rates
  • Cannot make a partial withdrawal
  • High early withdrawal fees
  • Does not guarantee best interest rates
  • Financial Rates: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Good variety of accounts available
  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Many ways to contact customer service

Cons:

  • Cannot open CD accounts online
  • CDs have tiered interest rates
  • Early withdrawal fee is half of interest
  • No ten-day interest rate guarantee
American Express CD Review

Most American Express Personal Savings CDs offer competitive interest rates. The terms 18-months or longer offer rates that are competitive with other online CDs. These rates are much higher than typical bank rates. The interest rates for American Express CDs are not tiered. Any amount in the account earns the most competitive interest rate.

American Express offers a variety of ways to receive the interest earned off their CDs. You can request a check mailed monthly, each quarter, or once a year. You can transfer the money into another American Express account or a linked account. You can also leave the money in the CD account. American Express gives options to withdraw interest, but it will reduce your earnings. Contact customer service to initiate these options.

There is no set amount required to open American Express CDs. You can open each of the different CD terms with any amount. There is no monthly fee or no required amount to keep in the account to earn interest.

American Express Personal Savings offers a good variety of CD terms. The terms range from 6-months to 60-months. There are seven total CD terms to choose from.

The shortest American Express CD terms have lower interest rates. These term rates are not competitive with other online CDs of the same length. The six-month and 12-month terms do not offer as competitive interest rates as the other American Express CDs.

American Express does not allow partial withdrawals from the CD before maturity. If you need to withdraw money before the maturity date, you must withdraw the entire CD balance. As with all CDs, if you withdraw money before maturity, there is a fee assessed.

The early withdrawal fees for American Express CDs are high. If your CD is less than 12 months, the fee is 90 days of interest. For terms from 12 months to less than 48 months, the fee is 270 days of interest. CD terms from 48 months to less than 60 months, the fee is 365 days of interest. The fee for 60-month terms or longer is 540 days of interest. If you have not earned enough interest to cover the fee, the rest is taken from the CD principal.

American Express Personal Savings does not guarantee to get customers the highest interest rate. The interest rate you receive for the CD term is the rate on the day you fund your account. The interest rate is fixed. It is locked in for the life of the term.

Read the full American Express review.

Bangor Savings Bank CD Review

There is a good variety of CD terms available through Bangor Savings Bank. The terms range from three-months to 60-months. There are a total of nine different CD terms offered through Bangor Savings Bank.

Bangor Savings Bank CDs offer competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online CDs. Bangor Savings Bank CDs interest rates are slightly lower than other online CD terms. These CD rates are much higher than typical bank rates. Even the short-term CDs offer competitive interest rates.

The opening required amount is the same for each CD term. Each Bangor Savings Bank requires $500 to open. You must keep this balance in your CD to earn the competitive interest rates on these CDs.

There are a number of ways to contact customer service with Bangor Savings Bank. They have branch locations in Maine and New Hampshire. They offer live chat, email, mail, and phone options to contact customer service. You can also follow Bangor Savings Bank on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

You cannot open any of the Bangor Savings Bank CD accounts online. To open a CD with this bank you must visit a local branch location. Bangor Savings Bank has over 50 branch locations in Maine and New Hampshire.

The CDs available through Bangor Savings Bank have tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive interest rates you must be a Benefits Plus Customer. To be a Benefits Plus Member you must meet certain requirements. Talk to customer service about those requirements when you open your CD.

If you withdraw money before your CD reaches the maturity date, Bangor charges a penalty. The penalty for most of the CD terms ends up being half of the earned interest of the CD term. For CDs with a term length of 12-months, the penalty is six-months of interest. For 36-month CDs, the penalty is 18-months of interest. The 48-month and 60-month CDs both have the penalty of 24-months of interest.

Bangor Savings Bank does not offer an interest rate guarantee. The interest rate you earn for the life of the CD term is the rate on the day you open the CD. If the rates increase shortly after you open your CD, your interest rate will not increase.

Read the full Bangor Savings Bank review.

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