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Banesco USA VS American Express

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Low opening required amounts
  • Can open BaneSmart CDs online
  • Options on how to receive interest

Cons:

  • Limited CD terms available online
  • Does not offer interest rate guarantee
  • Interest on 12-months must be paid out
  • Fund accounts through mailing a check
  • 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
Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon Star Icon

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
Banesco USA CD Review

The Banesco USA BaneSmart CDs offer competitive interest rates. These rates are much higher than typical bank rates. Banesco USA CDs offer rates competitive with other online CDs.

The Banesco CDs have low opening required amounts. The amounts range from $1,000 to $1,500 depending on the account. You must keep these balances in your CD accounts to earn competitive interest rates.

You can open each BaneSmart CD term online. The application is on the Banesco USA website. You do not need to visit a branch location.

There are options on how and when you receive your interest payments. You can choose to receive BaneSmart CD interest payments monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually. You can also choose to receive the interest when the CD reaches maturity. You can deposit interest earnings into any Banesco USA accounts.

There are limited BaneSmart CD terms available through Banesco USA. The terms range from six to 36-month CDs. There are a total of five CDs available online. More CD terms may be available at a branch location.

The BaneSmart CDs do not offer an interest rate guarantee. If the interest rates increase shortly after you open your CD, your rates will not increase. The interest rates for BaneSmart CDs are competitive. But, there is not a guarantee if the rates increase.

Banesco CD terms longer than 12-months have limits on interest payments. The annual percentage yield cannot stay in the account. A payout is necessary. Withdrawing the money before the CD reaches maturity will result in a fee. Contact customer service for more information on this matter.

There are limited ways to fund your BaneSmart Banesco CD. To initially fund your CD, you need to mail in a check. The CD terms range from six to 36-months.

Read the full Banesco USA review.

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.

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