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California First National Bank VS Colorado Federal Savings Bank

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: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 3.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Early withdrawal penalty low
  • Good variety of CD terms available
  • The bank is completely online

Cons:

  • Enrolling in online banking is required
  • High opening required amounts
  • Must link another account to CDs
  • Does not offer interest rate guarantee
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.

Colorado Federal Savings Bank CD Review

The interest rates for Colorado Federal Savings Bank CDs are competitive. Their interest rates are competitive with other online CD rates. CFSB interest rates are much higher than typical bank rates. Each of the CD terms offers competitive interest rates.

The penalty for withdrawing money from your CFSB CD before the maturity date is low. Most CDs have a penalty for withdrawing money before the maturity date. Colorado Federal Savings Bank fees are much lower than other bank fees. For terms less than six months, the fee is one month of interest. Terms from six to twelve months require three months of interest. For terms longer than twelve months, the penalty is only six months of interest.

Colorado Federal Savings Bank offers a good variety of CD terms. The shortest terms available is a one-month CD. The longest term offered from CFSB is a five-year CD. They offer a total of nine different CD terms between these two CD lengths. These CDs are for consumer accounts.

Colorado Federal Savings Bank is an entirely online bank. There are no branch locations. You apply for an account online and access your accounts online. They offer consumer CDs as well as an online savings account. CFSB also offers some lending options. Each of these services is online. You must open accounts online. You cannot apply for an account through the mail or in person.

Because CFSB is an entirely online bank, to open an account, you must enroll in online banking. This is how you will access all CFSB accounts. With online banking, you can see your account balances and account history. You can transfer money between CFSB accounts and to external bank accounts. You must receive your statements online.

The amount required to open any of the Colorado Federal Savings Bank CDs is high. Each CD term requires $5,000 to open. You must keep at least $5,000 in the account to earn interest on the CDs. If your balance drops below the $5,000, CFSB may close your account.

You must link your Colorado Federal Savings Bank CD to an external bank account. When you decide to close your account, CFSB will not send you a check for the amount from the account. To receive your money from the closed CD, CFSB transfers the money back into your linked account.

The CDs with Colorado Federal Savings Bank does not offer an interest rate guarantee. They offer competitive interest rates, but the rates you receive when you open the CD is the rate for the CD term. If the interest rates increase shortly after you open the CD, you will not receive a higher rate.

Read the full Colorado Federal Savings Bank review.

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