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My Safra Bank FSB VS American Express

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 3.0 Star Icon
  • Variety of Terms: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Required Opening Amount: 5.0 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • Competitive interest rates for CDs
  • Variety of CD terms available
  • Can open CDs entirely online
  • Low opening required amounts

Cons:

  • No interest rate guarantee
  • Customer service not available 24/7
  • Link external accounts
  • Cannot add money to CDs
  • 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
My Safra Bank FSB CD Review

MYSB Direct CDs offer competitive interest rates. Their rates are competitive with other online CDs. They are much higher than the typical bank rates. Even the shorter-term CDs offer competitive interest rates. Those rates are very competitive with short-term online CDs.

There are a good variety of CD terms available through MYSB Direct. The terms range from three months to 72-months. Between these terms, there are a total of nine different CDs. MYSB Direct CDs are entirely online CDs.

You can open each of the MYSB Direct CD terms entirely online. These CDs range in terms from three-months to 72-month terms. The application is available on the M.Y. Safra Bank website.

The opening required amounts for MYSB Direct CDs are low. The MYSB Direct accounts require either $500, $750, or $1,000 to open. The required opening balances vary depending on the CD term.

The MYSB Direct CDs offer competitive interest rates on their terms. But there is not an interest rate guarantee. If the interest rates increase shortly after you open your CD, your rates will not increase. MYSB Direct guarantees rates for the life of the CD term.

MYSB Direct is an online division of M.Y. Safra Bank. These accounts are entirely online. Customer service for these accounts is not available 24/7. Reach customer service through email, phone, mail, or their branch location in New York. Customer service hours are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.

To deposit money into MYSB Direct CDs, you must link an account. The account can be another M.Y. Safra account or an external account. Because MYSB Direct accounts are entirely online, electronic transfers are necessary.

You cannot add money to your MYSB Direct accounts after the initial deposit. Once you open the CD, you must wait until it reaches maturity to add money to the CD. The opening required amounts for the MYSB Direct CDs is $500, $750, or $1,000 depending on the term.

Read the full My Safra Bank FSB 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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