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California First National Bank VS Rising 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: 2.0 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 4.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Regular CDs have low opening amounts
  • Competitive interest rates on CDs
  • Can open accounts online
  • Rising CDs offers rate increase

Cons:

  • Limited CD terms available
  • High opening amounts for some CDs
  • Interest credits every three months
  • Limited ways to reach customer service
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.

Rising Bank CD Review

The regular CDs offered through Rising Bank have low opening required amounts. These CDs only require $1,000 to open. You must keep this amount in the CD to earn interest. If your account balance falls below $1,000, your CD will not earn interest.

The interest rates for Rising Bank CDs are competitive. Their rates are higher than typical bank CD rates. Rising Bank rates are competitive with other online CDs of the same term length. The CDs do not have tiered interest rates. Any amount over the required opening deposit earns competitive interest rates.

Rising Bank is a completely online bank. You can open any of their accounts online. The process of opening an account is entirely online. They offer a high yield savings account and CDs. The CD terms range from one-year to three-year terms. The CDs come in regular, jumbo, and Rising CDs.

Rising Bank offers a Rising CD. These CDs come in 18-month and 36-month terms. If the interest rates increase during the CDs term, you can increase your CDs interest rate. Once the rate increases, you can also add money to your CD. You can increase your rate once during the 18-month CD term and twice during the 36-month CD term.

Rising Bank offers different types of CDs, but they do not offer a wide variety of term lengths. In the regular CDs, they only offer a one-year, two-year, and three-year CD. The jumbo CDs are available in a two-year term. The Rising CDs are available in 18-month and 36-month terms.

Rising Bank CDs and jumbo CDs have high opening amounts. The Rising CDs require $25,000 to open. The jumbo CD requires $100,000 to open. You must keep these balances in the account to earn interest. If your balance falls below this amount, you will not earn interest.

The interest earned on Rising Bank CDs credits to your account every three months. When the interest is credited, the money is added to your CD amount. If you close your CD before interest credits to your account, you will not receive the interest earned.

Because Rising Bank is an online bank, there are no branch locations. You can only reach customer service through email or telephone. Their website says their customer service is personalized to each customer. The ways to reach customer service is just limited.

Read the full Rising Bank review.

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