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Bangor Savings Bank VS Sallie Mae

Which bank is better for you?

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

  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Good variety of CD terms offered
  • Interest rates on CDs not tiered
  • Penalty for early withdrawals is low

Cons:

  • CDs have a required opening amount
  • Must keep set amount in account
  • Does not offer guarantee for rates
  • Link CDs to external bank accounts
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.

Sallie Mae CD Review

Each Sallie Mae CD offers competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online CD accounts. Sallie Mae rates are much higher than typical bank rates. The longer the CD term the higher the interest rates offered. Sallie Mae’s five-year CD offers very competitive interest rates.

Sallie Mae offers a good variety of CD terms. The terms range from 6-months to 60-months. There are 11 CD terms in total. Sallie Mae offers CD terms in more than just traditional terms. Those term lengths include an 11-month CD, a 13-month CD, a 15-month CD, and a 30-month CD. These options allow customers to find the best fit for their money.

The CD interest rates for Sallie Mae CDs are not tiered. You do not have to have a large account balance to earn the most competitive rates available. Any balance above the required opening amount earns competitive interest rates.

Most CDs have a fee if you withdraw the money before the CD reaches maturity. The penalty for Sallie Mae CDs is less compared to other banks CD fees. The penalty for withdrawing money from CD terms 12-months or less is 90 days of interest. The fee for CDs over 12-months is 180 days of interest.

There is a set amount required to open Sallie Mae CDs. Each of the CD terms requires $2,500 to open. Make deposits through an electronic transfer or an e-deposit on the mobile app. You can also mail a check.

To earn interest on the Sallie Mae CDs, you must keep an account balance of $2,500. If your balance drops below that amount, you will not earn any interest. Sallie Mae CDs offer competitive interest rates if you keep that set balance.

Sallie Mae CDs do not come with a guarantee to lock in the best rate. The interest rate at the time you open the CD is the interest rate you receive for the life of the term. The rate you lock in is fixed for the life of the CD term.

Sallie Mae CDs must be linked to an external account to make electronic transfers. Once you link an external account, you can transfer money electronically. Customers can withdraw earned interest from the CD. To withdraw the interest, transfer the money into the linked external account.

Read the full Sallie Mae review.

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