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Salem Five Direct Bank Review 2025

Updated January 28, 2025
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At a glance

Overview

Salem Five Direct is an online bank that offers savers competitive yields. The online bank offers almost a full slate of deposit accounts, giving you the option to consolidate your finances under one roof. These accounts include certificates of deposit (CDs), checking and savings accounts. As the bank doesn’t have branches, you’ll need to be comfortable banking solely online.

Highlights:

High APY ATM Fee Refunds Low Min Deposit
4.4
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
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CDs

Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
4.1 /5

Checking

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6 /5

Savings

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4 /5
4.4
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
Customer Score
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See all 23 consumer reviews Arrow Right Icon
Sponsored offers
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Bank logo
Member FDIC
Checking Account
0.50
%
APY
APY
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As of 2/22/2025
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon

Overall

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Salem Five Direct offers a highly competitive annual percentage yield (APY) on its eOne Savings account for balances — of up to $1 million.

  • Checkmark Icon

    It provides generous ATM reimbursement on its checking account.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Its mobile app is favorably reviewed.

Cons

  • The bank offers a smaller selection of CDs than some banks.

  • CDs have a much higher minimum requirement to open than many banks or credit unions.

  • Though the yields are solid, higher-yielding options on CDs, checking and savings accounts can be found elsewhere.

CTA We want to know what you think about Salem Five Direct

We want to know what you think about Salem Five Direct

Do you have experience with Salem Five Direct? Let us know your thoughts.

4.4
/5
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
4.01%
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
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Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Monthly service fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Access to funds:
Good
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    You only need to deposit $10 to open this account, which is very low.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The yield is competitive on any balance up to $1 million.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There are no monthly fees, which is typical of online banks.

Cons

  • There’s a $10 fee for making more than six withdrawals or transfers during a statement cycle.

  • Many online banks don’t have a minimum deposit requirement.

  • Balances above $1 million earn a rock-bottom APY.

  • Salem Five customers — those with a checking or savings account at Salem Five Direct’s parent bank called simply Salem Five Bank — can’t apply for an eOne savings account.

See how rates for this account have changed over time. Interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.

Salem Five Direct
APY
APY
Info Icon
National average APY
How do we get this data?
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4.1
/5
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
4.15%
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
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Minimum deposit:
$500.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Range of term lengths:
3 mos – 5 yrs
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Early withdrawal penalty:
Poor
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
1/5
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Offer no-penalty or bump-up CDs:
No
Rating: 0 stars out of 5
0/5
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Offer IRA CDs:
No
Rating: 0 stars out of 5
0/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    The CDs earn high yields.

Cons

  • Salem Five Direct requires a relatively steep minimum balance to open a CD.

  • Only three CD terms are offered.

See how rates for this account have changed over time. Select the CD term length from the dropdown and interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.

Salem Five Direct
APY
APY
Info Icon
National average APY
Caret Down Icon
How do we get this data?
Info Icon
4.6
/5
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    The eOne Checking reimburses out-of-network ATM fees up to $15 per statement cycle.

  • Checkmark Icon

    You only need $10 to open this account, though many other online banks don’t have a minimum deposit requirement.

Cons

  • The account is limited to those who apply online and don’t have a Salem Five checking account already.

  • Higher-yielding checking accounts can be found elsewhere.

How Salem Five Direct compares to other banks

Selected bank
Salem Five Direct savings account
Salem Five Direct Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
Info Icon
Most comparable
Bask Bank savings account
Bask Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info Icon
Read review
Search for or select a bank:
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Bankrate score
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Read review
APY
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4.01% 4.35%
Minimum balance for APY
$0.00 $0.00
Estimated earnings
Info Icon
$2,005 $2,175
Salem Five Direct’s eOne Savings account offers a competitive yield for balances up to $1 million. Every dollar after that amount earns a rock-bottom yield. While some online banks don’t require a minimum deposit, Salem Five Direct requires a $10 deposit to open an account. Bask Bank’s Interest Savings Account earns a highly competitive APY, with no minimum balance requirement or monthly fees. The bank also offers a Mileage Savings Account, which allows you to earn American Airlines miles as rewards, based on your monthly balance.
  • The eOne Savings account offers a high yield.
  • There’s no monthly fee.
  • Only $10 is required to open an account.
  • Bask Bank’s Interest Savings Account earns a top-notch yield.
  • The Interest Savings Account doesn’t charge a maintenance fee or require a set minimum balance.
    N/A
  • There’s a $10 fee for making more than six withdrawals or transfers during a statement cycle.
  • Salem Five customers — those with a checking or savings account at Salem Five Direct’s parent bank called simply Salem Five Bank — can’t apply for an eOne Savings account.
  • Bask charges $35 per outgoing domestic wire transfer not done online, which is steep compared to other banks.
  • Neither savings account comes with ATM access.
    N/A

Bank fees

Fee Charged?
Overdraft fee $35
Non-sufficient funds fee $35
Monthly maintenance fee $0
Out-of-network ATM fee None
Excessive transaction fee $10

Customer experience

Review methodology

With so many financial institutions to choose from, it can be hard to know who to trust. Bankrate’s ever-growing list of bank and credit union reviews is updated regularly. Our editorial team analyzes and reviews each institution across deposit products such as savings accounts, checking accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market accounts (MMAs). Banks are rated by important factors such as offered interest rates, fees, minimum balance requirements, access to funds and more.

We assign a score to each type of account and its features, weigh them carefully based on importance to account holders and determine an overall score. Read our full review methodology.

Salem Five Direct customer reviews

CTA Salem Five Direct has 23 reviews

Salem Five Direct has 23 reviews

Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Salem Five Direct.

4.4 Star Icon
23 ratings
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Score breakdown
5 stars
57%
4 stars
35%
3 stars
4%
2 stars
0%
1 star
4%
Score by category
Overall Rating 4.4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 3.9 / 5
Amount of fees 3.9 / 5
Customer support 4.3 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4.3 / 5
Verified Badge Icon Bankrate methodology disclosure

In July 2024, Bankrate collaborated with a third-party vendor to survey 1,200 bank account holders nationwide. Bankrate and our vendor collected and summarized account holder responses to five rating questions on a 5-point scale as well as open-ended reviews of the banking experience. Responses are based on individual account holder product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Reviewers received an incentive for their feedback. Their ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by the associated bank or credit union, nor do these responses reflect Bankrate's own expert review of these banking products.

Community Reviews

See what users like you are saying about Salem Five Direct.
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Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Salem five direct checking account is no cost, no minimum balance and no cost for ATM usage. My experience with Salem Five Direct is great overall. I very rarely run into a problem. The people are kind and patient to work with.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Great experience. They are friendly and knowledgeable.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
I’m gonna have some of the same ones in a couple days. The only way I could be a better player than him.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
In order to maintain these accounts you must maintain a certain amount in the accounts. I’ve been with them for a long time and they are a loyal company.
Score by category
Amount of fees 3 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 3 / 5
Customer support 2 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Very positive good easy banking. Easy fast service and relatable.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
I’ve had quite the experience, in all fairness, but I’d say the overall feeling edges towards an 8. Yeah, at times they take longer than usual to get back with the necessary details but ultimately they get it done. They’re closer to my spouse’s work place which is good for us. They are quite proactive and very professional, and they’ve got quite the reputation.
Score by category
Amount of fees 3 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 3 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Sure, they got consistency when it comes to banking issues, I just don’t trust them with large funds. I think they kind of hold up too much when we want to make large withdrawals, and that puts me off. I trusted them to be efficient.
Score by category
Amount of fees 3 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 3 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Convenience-wise, proximity has been really helpful. I enjoy the app as it’s quite easy to navigate. What gasses me up is the sweetness of their customer service reps; they’re such lively folks, so humble and helpful. The interest rate is better than that of the others I was offered.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
They have great customer service. Rates. Customer service. And ability to check accounts.
Score by category
Amount of fees 3 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 3 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 3 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
The speed of service. The customer service has to be the most important.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5