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Vio Bank and Ally are two online banks with strong high-yield accounts.
To help you figure out which is the better fit for you, we’ve analyzed the details of each of their bank accounts, then selected a winner for each category. We’ve also compared the financial institutions in trustworthiness, so you can see how a bank deals with customer issues and complaints.
Ally vs. Vio Bank
Ally High Yield Savings Account
Vio Bank Online High-Yield Savings Account
Standout feature
$0 minimum opening deposits
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
3.85%
Standout feature
Straightforward savings accounts with zero monthly fees
Ally has a distinct saving feature called savings buckets. Savings buckets allow you to save for specific savings goals. You can assign labels for a goal — for example, “emergency savings” or “vacation” — and track your progress by setting a goal amount.
In comparison, the Vio Bank Online High-Yield Savings Account is a much more straightforward savings account. Vio doesn’t charge monthly service fees, which may be ideal if you’re looking to avoid common bank fees. However, it doesn’t offer savings buckets or automatic savings tools.
When it comes to CDs, you’ll likely prefer Ally for long-term CDs and Vio Bank for short-term CDs. Ally also has Raise Your Rate CDs and no-penalty CDs. Raise Your Rate CDs increase your rate over time, while a no-penalty CD lets you withdraw money early without a penalty.
Vio Bank also may be worth considering if you’re searching for CDs over 5 years. Vio Bank CDs range from 6 months to 10 years, so it has more long-term CDs than most banks tend to offer.
Early withdrawal penalty of 60 days interest penalty term of 24 months or less; 90 days interest for term of 25 to 36 months; 120 days interest for terms of 37 to 48 months; 150 days interest for terms of 49 months or more
Interest compounded daily, paid monthly
FDIC insured
Additional Reading
Read our review
Ally vs. Vio Bank Money Market Account Comparisons
See how the Ally Money Market Account stacks up to the Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market Savings Account.
Ally Money Market Account
Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market Savings Account
APY
4.15%
4.88%
Minimum opening deposit
$0
$100
Monthly service fees
None
None
Perks
Paper checks and debit card
Reimbursements on out-of-network ATM fees
High interest rate
Caveats
$10 excess transaction fee if you exceed the limit (6 transactions per month) *Note: Ally is currently pausing this fee
No debit card or ATM card
$10 excess transaction fee (6 transactions per month)
Next steps
Start Saving
Start Saving
Both the Ally Money Market Account and Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market Savings Account are great options because they have low minimum opening deposits and no monthly services fees.
While both money market accounts are similar at their core, minor differences can help distinguish which account may be more suitable for you.
The Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market Savings Account pays a competitive interest rate that’s higher than what many traditional and online money market accounts offer right now.
The Ally Money Market Account pays a lower interest rate than the Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market Savings Account, but you’ll be able to access your account through a debit card and paper checks. It has also paused its $10 excess transaction fee for making more than six withdrawals per month.
No monthly fee if you sign up for online statements
Cons
$5 monthly fee if you receive paper statements
No physical branch locations
No checks
No debit card
Highlights
More Information
No monthly service fee, but you’ll pay a $5 monthly fee if you get paper bank statements
Interest compounded daily, paid monthly
FDIC insured
Ally vs. Vio Bank Checking Account Comparisons
Vio Bank doesn’t offer a checking account. If you’d like to open one, then you’ll have to turn to Ally.
Ally has an interest-earning checking account that doesn’t charge monthly service fees, overdraft fees, or out-of-network ATM fees. The online bank also reimburses up to $10 in out-of-network ATM fees, and has spending buckets that can help you manage expenses.
Reimburses up to $10/month in out-of-network ATM fees
Online bill pay
24/7 customer service
No overdraft fees
Overdraft protection
Cons
No physical branch locations
No way to deposit cash
Highlights
More Information
You can deposit checks right from your smartphone
Manage expenses by creating spending buckets
Ally reimburse’s up to $10 per statement cycle for fees charged at other ATMs nationwide
Transfer money with your voice through Ally Skill™ for Amazon Alexa
Interest compounded daily, paid monthly
FDIC insured
Additional Reading
Read our review
Ally vs. Vio Bank: Which Bank is More Trustworthy?
We use ratings from the Better Business Bureau so you can see how a bank deals with customer issues.
Ally received a A rating from the BBB because it has three unresolved complaints. Vio Bank is a division of MidFirst Bank. The Better Business Bureau has given MidFirst Bank an A+ rating.
A good BBB rating isn’t necessarily the be-all and end-all. Talk to current customers or read online customer reviews to see if a financial institution might be a good fit.
Neither Ally nor Vio has any public scandals.
Ally vs. Vio Bank: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vio Bank or Ally better?
It depends on which accounts you’d like to open.
Both banks have strong high-yield savings accounts with zero monthly service fees. If you’re interested in having robust savings tools to help you achieve financial goals, you might prefer the Ally High Yield Savings Account. The Vio Bank Online High-Yield Savings Account is a straightforward high-yield savings account that doesn’t have budgeting tools to help you save.
If you’re keeping an eye on competitive interest rates but still want access to your funds, the Vio Bank Cornerstone Money Market Savings Account may be a good option. The money market account pays 4.88% APY. However, Vio Bank doesn’t offer a debit card or paper checks, so you’ll need to link an external bank account to withdraw or deposit money into any of Vio Bank’s accounts.
For CDs, it could be a toss-up between the two banks. Something else to keep in mind is that Ally has Raise Your Rate CDs and NoPenalty CDs.
Ally will also be your go-to option for opening a checking account because Vio Bank doesn’t offer one.
Which bank, Vio Bank or Ally, has the highest interest rate?
Ally pays a higher interest rate on high-yield savings account, while Vio Bank has higher interest rate on its money market account.
Keep in mind interest rates fluctuate, though, you’ll want to consider more than savings rates when selecting a savings account.
Sophia Acevedo, CEPF
Banking Reporter
Sophia Acevedo is a banking reporter at Insider. She covers bank reviews, banking guides, and banking and savings articles for Personal Finance Insider. She is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF). Sophia joined Insider in July 2021 and is an alumna of California State University Fullerton where she studied journalism and minored in political science. She is based in Los Angeles. You can reach out to her on Twitter at @sophieacvdo or email sacevedo@insider.com. Read more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services >> Below are links to some of her most popular stories:
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Evelyn He
Compliance Associate
Evelyn He is a compliance associate at Insider who supports the Personal Finance Insider team. Personal Finance Insider is Insider’s personal finance section that incorporates affiliate and commerce partnerships into the news, insights, and advice about money that Insider readers already know and love. The compliance team’s mission is to provide readers with stories that are fact-checked and current, so they can make informed financial decisions. The team also works to minimize risk for partners by making sure language is clear, precise, and fully compliant with regulatory and partner marketing guidelines that align with the editorial team. Before joining Insider, she served in various legal and compliance roles in different industries, including the legal and pharmaceutical industries. Evelyn obtained her M.S. degree in Marketing at Boston University in 2022. Prior to combining and consolidating her knowledge of law and business, she spent one year finishing 1L courses at Suffolk University Law School to further her legal knowledge. She has also completed MBA business law courses while working on her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her 14-year-old Shih Tzu named Money, and her 4-year-old Bichon named Tibber.
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