In a Nutshell
pros
- Very high checking APY
- Full suite of banking products
- 100% online and mobile bank
cons
- No cash deposits
- High minimum balance to get best APY
Radius Bank at a Glance
Fees: $0–10/m
Personal loans available: Yes
Credit card available: Yes
SMS/Mail alerts: Yes
24-hour customer service: No
Money transfers: Yes
Check scanning: Yes
Average APY: 0.15%
Minimum for APY: $0 - $100,000
Advantages Over Regular Bank
As a full-fledged virtual bank, Radius Bank offers a stack of advantages over traditional brick-and-mortar banks.
These advantages include:
- Being able to open and manage your bank account without ever having to leave home.
- Relatively low maintenance fees compared to big bricks-and-mortar banks.
- Above-average interest rates on checking accounts, savings accounts, and CDs.
- Mobile app that lets you do a lot of convenient things from your smartphone or tablet.
Cutting-Edge Banking Services
Radius Bank has a selection of products and features. When you look at the Radius Bank platform, it’s easy to see why this online bank has won awards like the 2018 Best of FinXTech Award and 2017 Celent Model Bank Product Innovation Award.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Get your paycheck up to 2 days early with direct deposit, which makes the funds available to you as soon as your employer submits their payroll.
- 1% cash back with Rewards Checking every time you use your Radius debit card.
- Turn your debit card on/off, set up customer transaction alerts, and enable location-based restrictions in seconds with the Radius Card app.
- Open a Superhero Checking account to earn money for yourself and earn donations for March of Dimes, a non-profit that fights for the health of moms and babies, every time you spend.
- Manage your money, create a budget, track your spending, and analyze trends with integrated finance tools.
- Add your Radius debit card to Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
- Get access to a wide range of third-party financial products through the Radius Marketplace.
- $50 cash bonus each time you refer a friend.
Traditional Banking Services
Choosing an online bank doesn’t mean having to give up on those basic banking services you’ve been used to all your life. Thankfully, Radius offers everything you would expect of a brick-and-mortar institution.
Here are some of the traditional banking services on offer:
- Free ATM withdrawals worldwide, plus rebates on all third-party ATM fees for all Rewards Checking and Superhero Checking customers.
- A range of personal credit cards to suit your lifestyle.
- Range of borrowing options, including mortgages, personal loans, and student loans.
- Two types of overdraft protection: linked overdraft protection and overdraft protection line of credit.
- Tailored small business and commercial accounts.
Interest Rates and Fees
We’ve seen a lot of online banks and Radius Bank’s checking account is competitive when measured by APY. The savings and CD rates are also highly competitive and include close to the highest APYs seen in the industry. Note that a minimum balance is required to collect interest. Read on for a breakdown of interest rates and fees.
Customer Service
Although primarily an online bank, Radius Bank offers customer service during extended business hours. Its customer service reps are available to take your call or speak on live chat (on desktop or mobile app) from Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 1am ET and Saturday to Sunday, 8am – 8pm ET. It also offers support through its various social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) during the week, which we think is a nice touch.
Mobile Apps
The Radius Bank mobile app allows customers to access and manage their account from anywhere at any time. The app is available for download on iOS and Android devices and includes an impressive range of features.
Here are some of the things you can do with the Radius mobile app:
- Securely deposit checks into your Radius account(s).
- Access finance tools that help you create a budget and track trends.
- View your account balance and recent transactions in real time.
- Transfer funds between accounts.
- Make and schedule payments to businesses or individuals.
- Add your debit card to your mobile wallet.
- Search third-party deals, including: lower utility bills with Billshark, home and renters insurance with Lemonade, life insurance with Ladder, and personal and student loans with Credible.
- Chat directly with Radius Bank’s customer service team.
Security
We’re happy to say Radius Bank checks all the right boxes when it comes to protecting your data and savings. Its website uses 256-bit encryption to protect your sensitive information from hackers and other malicious actors. Additionally, Radius Bank is FDIC-insured, which means your deposits are covered for up to $250,000 per account.
Conclusion
Radius Bank started out as a regular bank in 1987 and migrated online in recent years. These days it presents the best of both worlds, with a full-feature, fully online banking experience. Radius Bank offers all the products and services you would expect of a big bank, but does it with added convenience, lower fees, and far superior savings rates. Overall, Radius Bank is a good choice for anyone looking for an online/mobile bank where you can manage your money.