BrioDirect bank review: High-yield savings, money market accounts, and CDs with zero monthly service fees

Insider’s experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

BrioDirect has online-only checking, savings, money market accounts, and CDs.

The bottom line: BrioDirect is a solid choice if you’d like to open a BrioDirect High-Yield Savings Account with zero monthly service fees and a competitive interest rate. However, its checking account might not be the best choice if you frequently overdraw from your account

Overall bank rating

FeatureInsider rating (out of 5)Savings4Checking3.75CD3.75Money market account3.75Trustworthiness4Total4

Pros and cons

Advertisements

ProsCons

No monthly services fees on any accounts

Pays competitive interest rates

Low minimum opening deposits on accounts

No overdraft protectionLimited mobile app ratingsNo checks included with the checking accountNo checks or debit cards included with the money market account

BrioDirect High-Yield Savings Account review

The BrioDirect High-Yield Savings Account is a great if you have at least $500 to open an account. It also has zero monthly service fees

BrioDirect Checking Account review

Advertisements

The BrioDirect Checking Account might be worth considering if you don’t want to deal with monthly service fees or ATM fees. BrioDirect has a decent-sized ATM network, and you get up to $20 in out-of-network ATM fee reimbursements each month. 

The BrioDirect Checking Account isn’t the best option if you overdraw from your account, though. BrioDirect charges a $35 overdraft fee if you have a negative balance that exceeds $5, and it doesn’t have any overdraft protection.

BrioDirect High-Yield Certificate of Deposit review

BrioDirect CDs only require a BrioDirect High-Yield Certificate of Deposit opening deposit and are an especially great option to explore if you’d like to open a 12-month, 18-month, or 2-year CD. 

Bear in mind that there are early withdrawal penalties, which may be significant depending on which term you choose. 

BrioDirect High-Yield Money Market Account review

Advertisements

You’ll need a minimum of $100 to open the BrioDirect High-Yield Money Market Account. If you’re strictly searching for a competitive interest rate, the BrioDirect High-Yield Savings Account will likely be more appealing.

How BrioDirect works

BrioDirect is an online-only division of Webster Bank. You may open a BrioDirect checking account, high-yield savings account, high-yield money market account, or high-yield CD from anywhere in the US. 

Customers have access to over 32,000 free ATMs through the MoneyPass ATM network. 

Advertisements

Customer service is available by phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays or 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Saturdays. 

BrioDirect has 4.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store — it’s only received 12 reviews so far, though. The institution’s mobile app doesn’t have a rating on the Google Play store, because it hasn’t been reviewed by enough customers yet. 

BrioDirect accounts are FDIC insured through Webster Bank. You may safely keep up to $250,000 in an individual bank account. 

BrioDirect trustworthiness and BBB score

Advertisements

We use ratings from the Better Business Bureau so you can see how a bank addresses customer issues.

The BBB gave BrioDirect’s parent company Webster Bank a B- rating because it received numerous customer complaints filed against the bank and hasn’t resolved a complaint.

BBB ratings aren’t the be-all and end-all, though. To see if BrioDirect is a solid choice for you, talk to current customers or read online customer reviews. 

The bank hasn’t been involved in any recent public controversies. 

BrioDirect vs. FNBO Direct

FNBO Direct is an online division of First National Bank of Omaha. You can open an online bank account from anywhere in the US. 

Your decision between these two institutions may depend on the accounts you’d like to open. 

You’ll earn a higher interest rate on the BrioDirect savings account than with the FNBO Direct Online Savings Account. BrioDirect will also be a better option if you would prefer to explore different types of savings accounts since FNBO Direct doesn’t offer money market accounts or CDs.

FNBO Direct might be a more appealing choice for opening a checking account. The FNBO Direct Online Checking Account offers one automatic overdraft refund every 12 months. You can also link your savings account to your checking account to avoid overdraft fees. 

BrioDirect vs. Ally

Advertisements

BrioDirect and Ally Bank both have a variety of online bank accounts with zero monthly service fees. 

Ally pays a slightly higher interest rate on its money market account, while BrioDirect offers a slightly higher interest rate on its savings account. If you want to open a CD, it’ll be a toss-up based on which term length you want.

When it comes to a high-yield savings account features, Ally stands out because of its unique perks. The Ally High Yield Savings Account has budgeting tools that separate your money into individual goals. If you have the Ally Interest Checking Account, you’ll also be able to initiate surprise savings transfers to add money to your goals. 

You’ll probably prefer Ally to BrioDirect if traditional banking hours don’t work for you. Ally offers 24/7 customer support by phone and online chat. 

Frequently asked questions

How do you open a BrioDirect account?

Advertisements

BrioDirect accounts may be opened online from anywhere in the US. You’ll need a US ID and a social security number to fill out the online application. The minimum opening deposit for a savings account or a checking account is $25. 

How do you transfer money to a BrioDirect savings account? 

To deposit money to your savings account, you’ll need to initiate a transfer from an external bank account. If you open a BrioDirect checking account, you may link your debit card to your savings account and deposit money at ATMs.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Read More

Advertisements
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments