CIT Bank Review: Checking, Savings, CDs
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at CIT Bank, Member FDIC
- Savings
- Savings
- Checking
- Certificates of deposit
- Customer experience
- Overdraft fees
Overall institution rating
4.4
Editor’s note: In a January 2022 merger, CIT Bank became the online division of First Citizens Bank. Some of CIT Bank’s treasury and payment services are now handled by First Citizens Bank, but all other products and services continue to be available through CIT Bank.
CIT Bank is an online bank with a checking account that pays interest, certificates of deposit and high-yield savings options. You won’t pay monthly maintenance fees with CIT, and some of its interest rates are competitive. There’s no free ATM network, though, which is unusual among online banks with checking accounts.
Pros
- No overdraft fees.
- No monthly fees.
- Competitive rates on some savings accounts.
- ATM fee rebates.
Cons
- High minimum opening deposits for checking accounts.
- Low rates on some CDs.
- No cash deposit.
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Full review
CIT Bank
Savings
Savings
Member FDIC
4.5
/5 NerdWallet ratingat CIT Bank
CIT Bank’s Platinum Savings account offers a super competitive annual percentage yield of 4.55% for balances of at least $5,000 — that’s a much higher APY than the national average. You can open an account with a deposit of $100 and there’s no monthly fee, but balances under $5,000 earn only 0.25% APY.
If you want to earn a high rate without having to keep a large balance, consider CIT’s Savings Connect account, which offers a high APY with no minimum balance required to earn it.
» COMPARE: Rates from the best savings accounts
Savings
Savings
Member FDIC
4.5
/5 NerdWallet ratingCIT Bank's Savings Connect account, which we did not factor into the bank’s overall rating, is a highly competitive option. There are no minimum balance requirements to earn its 4.20% APY, but it does require a minimum deposit of $100 to open.
» COMPARE: Best high-yield online savings accounts
Checking
Checking
Member FDIC
4.6
/5 NerdWallet ratingCIT's eChecking account pays 0.10% APY on balances under $25,000 and 0.25% APY for balances of at least $25,000. Other online checking accounts pay more, but they often require spending and deposit qualifications to earn the high rate.
CIT doesn’t have its own free ATM network, but it offers $30 per month in reimbursements of outside ATM fees and doesn’t charge any ATM fees itself. Many other online banks partner with networks that offer tens of thousands of free ATMs nationwide.
There's no monthly fee on CIT's eChecking. Other banks require you to keep a certain minimum balance or complete qualifying activities to avoid monthly surcharges. However, CIT does require $100 to open eChecking. Many of its competitors let you open a checking account without a minimum deposit requirement.
» CONSIDER: NerdWallet’s picks for best online checking accounts
Certificates of deposit
CD
Member FDIC
2.4
/5 NerdWallet ratingWhile CIT offers decent rates for its six-, 13- and 18-month terms, its standard CD rates are low. There's a $1,000 minimum deposit requirement to open a CIT CD. That amount can be typical for national banks, but some online banks and credit unions have lower minimums.
The bank also offers an 11-month CD that doesn't charge an early withdrawal penalty. In all, CIT Bank’s Term CDs range from six months to five years.
» Check out: Our list of this month's best CD rates
Customer experience
4.6
NerdWallet ratingCIT Bank has an easy-to-navigate website that clearly shows rates, contact information and instructions on how to open an account. The customer service center is reachable by phone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET on weekdays, along with shorter Saturday hours. In addition, CIT's banking apps earn low ratings from Android users and high ratings from iOS users.
As an online bank, there are no branches to visit, so there’s no way to do your banking in person. CIT Bank has an X (Twitter) account, which offers some customer support. But there’s no live chat on the site or apps.
CIT customers can’t deposit cash. Instead, you can fund and withdraw money from accounts by electronic transfer with another bank account, wire or mail. ATMs are another option for withdrawals, and mobile check deposit is available, too.
» MORE: Our picks for the best banks and credit unions for mobile banking
Overdraft fees
4.8
NerdWallet ratingCIT Bank has joined the ranks of other financial institutions that no longer charge overdraft fees. If you overspend with a CIT eChecking account, you can easily transfer money from your CIT savings account to cover the shortfall — at no charge.
For customers who haven’t opted in to overdraft protection, transactions that would overdraw their account will generally be declined, but an overdraft fee won’t be charged.
» COMPARE: NerdWallet's picks for best banks for overdrafts
How does CIT Bank compare?
Current Product
CIT Bank Platinum Savings Member FDIC | SoFi Checking and Savings Member FDIC |
---|---|
NerdWallet rating 4.5 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.5 /5 |
APY 4.55% With $5,000 min. balance for APY | APY 4.20% With $0 min. balance for APY |
Bonus N/A | Bonus $300 Earn up to $300 with direct deposit. Terms apply. |
Learn more at CIT Bank | Learn more at SoFi Bank, N.A. |
Methodology
NerdWallet’s overall ratings for banks and credit unions are weighted averages of several categories: checking, savings, certificates of deposit or credit union share certificates, banking experience and overdraft fees. Factors we consider, depending on the category, include rates and fees, ATM and branch access, account features and limits, user-facing technology, customer service and innovation. The stars represent ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars). Ratings are rounded to the nearest half-star.