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Sallie Mae Bank Review 2024

Updated July 24, 2024
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At a glance

4.2
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
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CDs

Rating: 3.9 stars out of 5

Savings

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5

MMA

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5

About Bankrate Score

Overview

Sallie Mae Bank is a good option for consumers looking for an online savings account, money market account or CDs that earn competitive yields.

Highlights

  • High APY
Sponsored offers
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These are sponsored offers rated highly by us for competitive rates, fees, and minimums.

Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.80
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 12/21/2024
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer:
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.80
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 12/21/2024
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: It only takes about 5 minutes to open a fee-free account.
Bank logo
Member FDIC
CD
4.25
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 12/21/2024
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
$500
Minimum deposit
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer:

Overall

Sallie Mae Bank offers competitive APYs on its savings accounts, but it doesn’t offer a checking account.

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Sallie Mae offers competitive yields on its savings accounts.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The SmartyPig account allows customers to stash away money for specific goals.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Sallie Mae offers a variety of CD terms.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Sallie Mae Bank’s liquid deposit products (both of its savings accounts and its money market account) don’t require a minimum opening deposit.

Cons

  • Sallie Mae doesn’t offer checking accounts.

  • The bank’s mobile app has received very low ratings.

CTA We want to know what you think about Sallie Mae Bank

We want to know what you think about Sallie Mae Bank

Do you have experience with Sallie Mae? Let us know your thoughts.

Sallie Mae Bank banking products

4.9
/5
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
4.10%
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Access to funds:
Good
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
Info Icon
FEATURES
Invest Rate Icon
4.10% APY
Info Icon
Savings Icon
$0 minimum balance for APY
Loan Icon
$0 minimum deposit to open

Sallie Mae Bank savings overview

The High-Yield Savings account earns a competitive yield and doesn’t require a minimum balance to open, making it easily accessible for savers who are just starting out. The account also has no maintenance fee.

The SmartyPig account similarly earns a high yield on all balances, with the opportunity to set and track specific savings goals.

You can receive a $10 referral for every friend that you refer to open a SmartyPig account. Those friends will need to contribute to the account and establish a goal.

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    The High-Yield Savings Account offers a competitive APY.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There are no maintenance fees.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The SmartyPig account comes with a savings goal tracker.

Cons

  • Other savings accounts offer a more competitive APY.

  • Sallie Mae Bank doesn’t offer an ATM card for its savings accounts.

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

    Sallie Mae Bank
    APY
    APY
    Info Icon
    National average APY
    How do we get this data?
    Info Icon

Bank fees

Fee Charged?
Overdraft fee N/A
Non-sufficient funds fee N/A
Monthly maintenance fee None
Out-of-network ATM fee N/A
Excessive transaction fee None

About Sallie Mae Bank

Sallie Mae Bank is an FDIC-insured bank headquartered in Salt Lake City. It offers savings and money market accounts as well as certificates of deposits, which are all online accounts.

It is a subsidiary of SLM Corp., the Newark, Delaware, provider and servicer of government-backed and private student loans, better known as Sallie Mae.

Bank experience

Sallie Mae Bank is an FDIC-insured bank that stands out for its goal-setting functionality, allowing customers with SmartyPig accounts to stash away money in different buckets for specific goals. It also offers competitive yields on its savings products.

But it does fall short on some features. The bank’s app receives very low ratings from both iOS users and Android users. It offers no checking account and customer service hours are limited to weekdays — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.

How Sallie Mae Bank compares to other banks

Compare different account types offered by Sallie Mae Bank. Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown were updated between Dec. 14, 2024 and Dec. 20, 2024.

Selected bank
Sallie Mae Bank savings account
Sallie Mae Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9
Info Icon
Most comparable
Salem Five Direct savings account
Salem Five Direct Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9
Info Icon
Read review
Search for or select a bank:
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Bankrate score
Info Icon
Read review
APY
Info Icon
4.10% 4.25%
Minimum balance for APY
$0.00 $0.00
Estimated earnings
Info Icon
$2,050 $2,125
Sallie Mae Bank offers a competitive yield on its High-Yield Savings Account. You don’t need a minimum opening deposit to open this account and the bank doesn’t charge a monthly service fee. The eOne Savings account offers savers a competitive yield and requires just $10 to open. There are no monthly fees either. The account isn’t available to everyone. You can’t open an eOne Savings account if you have a Salem Five Bank checking or savings account. (You can apply if you have an eOne Checking account.) You also need to apply online for the eOne Savings account.
  • You don’t need to make a minimum opening deposit.
  • Sallie Mae Bank currently offers a competitive yield on its High-Yield Savings Account.
  • Transfers are free.
  • You only need to deposit $10 to open this account
  • The yield is competitive
  • There are no monthly fees
    N/A
  • Some other online banks offer a higher yield on their savings accounts.
  • There’s a $10 fee for making more than six withdrawals or transfers during a statement cycle
    N/A
APY offering:
4.10%
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
5/5
Info Icon
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
Info Icon
Access to funds:
Good
4/5
Info Icon
APY offering:
4.25%
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
5/5
Info Icon
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
Info Icon
Access to funds:
Good
4/5
Info Icon
Info Icon
Info Icon
Info Icon
Info Icon
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Bankrate does not currently track additional product details for this bank.

Sallie Mae Bank vs. Citizens Bank

While Citizens Bank offers a wider range of financial products, Sallie Mae offers higher yields on its deposit products, including its CDs, money market and savings accounts. Thus, consumers just looking to grow their savings will find Sallie Mae a better choice over Citizens Bank.

Citizens Bank is generally the better choice if you’re just looking for a checking account (since Sallie Mae doesn’t offer one), but if you’re looking to consolidate your finances or open a high-yield savings account, it's best to look elsewhere. Moreover, Citizens Bank is limited in its geographic footprint. Thus, if you’re outside the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions, Citizens Bank may not be the right choice for you.

That noted, Citizens Bank’s online-only division, called Citizens Access, offers top APYs on its CDs and its high-yield online savings account.

Sallie Mae Bank FAQs

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.

Sallie Mae Bank customer reviews

CTA Sallie Mae Bank has 23 reviews

Sallie Mae Bank has 23 reviews

Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Sallie Mae Bank.

4.1 Star Icon
23 ratings
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Score breakdown
5 stars
48%
4 stars
30%
3 stars
13%
2 stars
0%
1 star
9%
Score by category
Overall Rating 4.1 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Customer support 3.8 / 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 Sallie Mae Bank.
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Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Not having to pay unnecessary fees! I chose this bank based on its reviews.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
It's a great bank to bank with. I got a student loan with this company.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
It's great the staff I'd good. Because it's cool it works great and it's epic.
Score by category
Amount of fees 2 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 2 / 5
Customer support 3 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
My digital experience has been a different experience than I expected it was earlier with this new digital product shows how customer service has changed. Sallie Mae is great. They paid my financial aid when I went into college and if they are great in that aspect, anything we do together I know we make a difference.
Score by category
Amount of fees 3 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 3 / 5
Customer support 2 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
I have experienced that my digital experience has been very positive and the usability of the app rarely causes me to experience any difficulty. I have friends who chose Sallie Mae, it is a well known bank, and I’ve seen ads about it.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
All the products this company has to offer to their customers and clients. My experience was going good and well.
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
My overall experience with Sallie Mae Bank is good. The customer service is great and the product availability is also good. The thing that influenced my decision to choose Sallie Mae bank was that it also help me get student loans.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 3 / 5
Website / Mobile app 2 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
It is easy to deposit and transfer money from and to your checking account. They offer good APY on savings accounts and loans.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
It is a decent company to save money with. I would not however accept a loan from them. Not much upkeep Low apr Trustworthy.
Score by category
Amount of fees 3 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 3 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
They should know that it’s better to leave a cd untouched in order to maintain maximum gains. They were used by a friend of mine.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5