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California First National Bank VS ableBanking

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.5 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Can apply for CD accounts online
  • Shorter CD terms offer competitive rates
  • Can choose how to receive interest
  • Can withdraw interest without a fee

Cons:

  • High opening required amounts
  • Limited CD terms available
  • Low-interest rates on CD accounts
  • Early withdrawal fee does not vary
  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Low opening required amounts
  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Lower balance required to earn interest
  • Can open CD accounts online

Cons:

  • Limited CD terms available
  • No interest rate guarantee
  • Link an external account to CDs
  • Cannot add money to CDs
California First National Bank CD Review

You can open all CalFirst CDs terms online. You can complete the entire application through the CalFirst website. There is also the option to apply by calling customer service or mailing in an application.

The shorter-term CDs offer more competitive rates than long-term CDs. The rates are more competitive with online CDs than long-term CDs. The short-term CDs include a three month and six-month term.

Customers can choose how to receive interest payments. You can have the money credited to your CD or another CalFirst account. You can have the money transferred into another bank account, or have the interest mailed to you in a check. Interest will credit to your account monthly.

Customers can choose how to receive interest payments. You can have the money credited to your CD or another CalFirst account. You can have the money transferred into another bank account, or have the interest mailed to you in a check. Interest will credit to your account monthly.

The initial amount required to open CalFirst CDs is high. Each of the standard CD terms requires $5,000 to open. You must keep that amount in the CD to earn interest. To open IRA CDs and earn interest requires a balance of $2,000.

There is a limited amount of CD terms offered through CalFirst. There are five CD terms available. Those terms range from three months to three years. CalFirst provides CD terms as standard CDs or IRA CDs. All terms can be opened online.

CalFirst CD interest rates are low. They are not competitive with online CD rates. These rates are competitive with typical bank rates. CalFirst rates are not tiered. Any balance over the opening amounts earns the rates listed on the website.

There are only two early withdrawal fees for CalFirst CDs. For terms less than one year, the fee is 90-days of interest. For CD terms 12-months or longer, the fee is 180-days of interest. If you withdraw money early, you must pay that amount of interest even if you have not earned it.

Read the full California First National Bank review.

ableBanking CD Review

Each of the ableBanking CDs has low opening required amounts. All the terms only require $1,000 to open. The CD terms available range from six months to four years.

The ableBanking CDs offer competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online CDs. They are higher than the typical bank rates.

ableBanking CDs require $1,000 to open, but only $500 to earn competitive interest rates. The CD rates are not tiered. Any balance over $500 earns the competitive rates.

You can open ableBanking CDs online. ableBanking is an online division of Northeast Bank. Because of this, you open your accounts and access your accounts entirely online. You do not need to visit a branch location to open an account.

There are five CD terms offered through ableBanking. They offer six-month, one, two, three, and four-year CDs. These are the only CD terms available through ableBanking.

The ableBanking CDs do not offer an interest rate guarantee. If CD rates increase shortly after you open your account, your rates will not increase. The interest rates for each CD term are competitive.

ableBanking is an online bank. To transfer money into your account, you must link another account. This account can be the ableBanking money market account or an external account. Once you link the accounts, you can transfer money. Only one external account can be linked to an ableBanking account at a time.

The only time you can add money to ableBanking CDs is when you open the CD and once the CD reaches maturity. They do not offer CDs that you can add money to at any time. ableBanking does not accept cash deposits. Only electronic, wire, or check deposits are accepted.

Read the full ableBanking review.

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