Are you looking for a better bank? You’re in the right place. With the help of Curinos, a financial-data provider, we’ve analyzed accounts at 40 financial institutions, evaluating them based on criteria including fees, minimum balance requirements, yields and the availability of extra perks, such as free checks or financial planning services. (For more on how we judged the contenders, see the methodology below.)
One alternative to traditional banks is a credit union. Credit unions are nonprofit institutions owned by their members.
Because they’re not profit-driven, they tend to keep fees low, and they may offer hefty yields. The institutions listed here have open membership to customers anywhere in the U.S.
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Alliant Credit Union
Standout account: Alliant’s no-fee High-Rate Checking account yields 0.25% if you meet simple requirements, and it reimburses out-of-network ATM fees.
Where it is: Alliant operates online.
How to join: Join the Alliant Credit Union Foundation; Alliant will make a $5 contribution to the foundation on your behalf.
Alliant’s free High-Rate Checking provides a 0.25% yield if you receive electronic statements and make at least one monthly electronic deposit. You also get $20 a month in rebates for out-of-network ATM fees. Teens between the ages of 13 and 17 can open a no-fee Teen Checking account, which offers a yield of 0.25% with the same eligibility requirements and ATM fee rebates. Parents own the account jointly with the teen (you must be an Alliant member to be a joint owner).
Alliant’s free High-Rate Savings account offers a 3.1% yield if you keep a daily balance of at least $100. Want to save for multiple financial goals? You can open separate Supplemental Savings accounts, which also offer a 3.1% yield with a $100 minimum balance. Children 12 or younger can get a jump start on saving with the Kids Savings account, which has the same yield and balance requirement as the other savings accounts. Among Alliant’s CDs, you could recently earn 4.3% with a one-year maturity ($1,000 minimum deposit).
Bellco Credit Union
Standout account: With the Boost Interest Checking account, you can earn a 4.5% yield by meeting certain activity requirements.
Where it is: About 30 branches in Colorado, with many in the Denver area.
How to join: Make a one-time, $5 donation to the Bellco Foundation.
As its name suggests, the Free Checking account has no monthly maintenance fee or minimum balance requirement. Bellco’s Student Checking account offers the same benefits for customers between the ages of 13 and 24, and the first box of checks is free. Boost Interest Checking boasts a 4.5% yield on a balance of up to $25,000 if you meet monthly requirements of making 15 debit card purchases, having at least one direct deposit, and logging into online or mobile banking. The premium Platinum Checking account waives its $12 monthly maintenance fee if you have a combined $15,000 in deposits and loans, and it offers perks including free standard checks, money orders, cashier’s checks and wire transfers.
Among savings options, the Premier Money Market account yields 2.7% if you have a balance of at least $10,000, or you can earn 3.25% with a balance of $50,000 or more; you must maintain a $10,000 balance to dodge a $10 monthly fee. The Youth Savings account, for customers between the ages of 13 and 24, provides a 3.25% yield on a balance up to $1,000. Traditional CDs recently offered a 3.9% yield on a six-month term and a 3.7% yield on a one-year term; the minimum deposit is $500.
Connexus Credit Union
Standout account: The free Xtraordinary Checking account has a remarkable 5% yield if you meet certain monthly requirements.
Where it is: More than a dozen branches in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
How to join: Make a $5 donation to the Connexus Association.
The Simply Free Checking account has no monthly maintenance fee or minimum deposit requirement, and the free Xtraordinary Checking offers a juicy 5% yield on a balance of up to $25,000 if you meet monthly requirements of receiving electronic statements; making 15 debit card purchases or spending $500 on your debit card; and making at least $500 in direct deposits or certain other deposits. Plus, you get $15 monthly in reimbursement for out-of-network ATM fees. For those ages 10 to 17, the free Teen Checking account offers a 2% yield on balances up to $1,000.
For your savings, consider the Money Market Account. The yield depends on your balance; if you have a balance of $20,000 to $99,999, for example, you get a 2% rate. Connexus’s CDs require a $5,000 minimum deposit, and recently, the two-year CD offered a 4.06% yield.
Methodology
With data from Curinos, a financial-data provider, as well as from financial institutions and other sources, we evaluated 13 national banks, 14 internet banks (including online accounts from brokerage firms) and 13 credit unions. We reviewed checking accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts and certificates of deposit from each institution.
We looked at interest rates; minimum deposit and balance requirements; monthly maintenance fees and the ease of waiving those fees; ATM benefits, such as waived or reimbursed fees for out-of-network withdrawals; free or discounted benefits, such as personal checks, cashier’s checks, paper statements and overdraft-protection transfers; overdraft fees and concessions, such as cushions; and online and mobile banking features, such as the availability of peer-to-peer payment services. Yields and other data listed in the article are as of early July.
Curinos LLC. Data is obtained from public sources; accuracy and completeness is not guaranteed. Curinos is not liable for reliance on the data.
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Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.
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