South Carolina Banking Rates and News

I learned of this promotion on Friday when the FDIC announced CertusBank had assumed all deposits of the failed Parkway Bank. As I reviewed the CertusBank website, I noticed it was offering a checking account bonus of up to $125. Both new personal and business accounts are eligible. The details are listed in CertusBank’s promotion page as of 4/29/2013.

To earn the full $125 bonus, the following is required:

• $100 for opening a new checking account with direct deposit and bill pay
• Additional $25 for using your debit card five times in the first 60 days

Below is a copy...

Regions Bank is again advertising a checking account promotion in which you can earn $125. This is another big bank that lacks free checking so you'll have to be careful to avoid monthly fees. The offer requires a new customer open a LifeGreen Checking Account online with the promo code 125, have at least $500 in total direct deposits and at least 10 Visa check card purchases in the first 60 days. Offer is scheduled to end on 4/7/2013. The offer is listed in this Region's promotion page.

There's no mention of this offer on Region's home...

Just two weeks ago I posted on a BB&T $100 checking account bonus. Now it's offering a $125 bonus with the same requirements. The nice aspect of this bonus is that you can qualify for it without direct deposit. The downside is that BB&T's checking accounts have potential monthly service fees. So if you open the checking account for the bonus, you have to make sure to avoid the fees.

To qualify for the $125 bonus, customers must open a BB&T checking account and set-up and receive 2 direct deposits of at least $100 OR make 3 online bill payments...

BB&T is again offering a $100 bonus for opening a checking account and performing some additional activities. Just like most large banks, BB&T's checking accounts have potential monthly service fees. So if you open the checking account for the bonus, you have to make sure to avoid the fees.

To qualify for the $100 bonus, customers must open a BB&T checking account and set-up and receive 2 direct deposits of at least $100 OR make 3 online bill payments of at least $25. The offer is scheduled to end on 3/1/2013. Here's the link to the BB&T...

In the good old days, it was easy to find reward checking accounts paying over 4% for balances up to $25K. Those days are over. In today's environment, if you can find 2% for balances up to $25K, you should consider yourself lucky. CBC National Bank should help more people have access to this type of reward checking account. Its reward checking account is called Advantage Checking, and it has the following rates and features as of 11/13/2012:

• 2.00% APY for up to $25,000
• 0.36% to 2.00% APY for balances over $25,000
• No interest paid if requirements are not met
• Rebates of up to...

BrandBank has started a checking account promotion which is guaranteeing a 1.07% APY through June 30, 2013. A minimum balance of $50,000 is required. The rates are much lower for smaller balances (0.25% for $10K to $50K and 0.10% for under $10K). There's also another requirement. One of the following criteria must be met within 60 days of account opening: 1) sign up for recurring Direct Deposit on this account; 2) enroll in Brand Bill Pay; or 3) open a CD with at least $25,000 in new money not currently on deposit with BrandBank. If this requirement isn't met,...

Greenville Heritage Federal Credit Union has a competitive reward checking account that's called Heritage Advantage Checking. The rate isn't the best, but the combination of rate and balance cap makes it better than what's nationally available. It currently pays 2.78% APY for balances up to $25,000. This is listed in the credit union's checking page as of 9/27/2012: To qualify for this rate, the following monthly requirements must be met:

• 12 signature-based debit card purchases
• 1 direct deposit or ACH credit
• Use Home Banking at least once
• Maintain eStatements

Minimum initial deposit is $100. Only 1 account is allowed per member.

Membership

The...

Regions Bank is advertising a checking account promotion in which you can earn $125. This is another big bank that lacks free checking so you'll have to be careful to avoid monthly fees. The offer requires a new customer open a LifeGreen Checking Account online with the promo code Online125Bonus, have at least $500 in total Direct Deposits and at least 10 Visa CheckCard transactions in the first 60 days. Offer is scheduled to end on 9/30/2012. The offer is listed in this Regions promotion page.

There's no mention of this offer on Region's home page. I...

Many banks may have ended their free checking accounts, but at least a few are still offering new account bonuses. Customers will have to be more careful if they plan to take advantage of these promotions. That's the case with BB&T which is offering a $100 bonus for opening a checking account and performing some additional activities. Last year BB&T ended its free checking account, so those interested in this promotion will have to make sure they can avoid the fees.

To qualify for the $100 bonus, new customers must open a BB&T checking account and set-up direct deposit OR...

SunTrust Bank has a CD and IRA CD special with a competitive rate. It's a 6-year (72 month) CD with a 2.00% APY. Minimum deposit is $2,000, and the maximum opening deposit is $250,000 per CD. A new or existing checking account is required. This is a limited time special, and the rate may vary by location. This special rate and term are listed at the SunTrust CD rates page for several zip codes as of 2/28/2012.

I wasn't able to find an account disclosure online, so I used SunTrust's online chat service to find out about...

There are a few institutions which reward senior members and Jumbo deposits with premium rates. The premium rates are often not that substantial, but that's not the case for Charleston Area Credit Union. When you combine the Jumbo and senior premium rates, the credit union has some very competitive share and IRA certificate rates. The best three are a 2.50% APY 5-year CD, a 2.00% APY 4-year CD and a 1.80% APY 3-year CD. Minimum deposit is $50,000. This is for "star" members who are at least 55. It appears star membership requires a checking account. Without...

Coastal Federal Credit Union has been offering its reward checking account, the Go Green Checking, for about four years. I first reviewed it in early 2008. Like all deposit accounts, rates have fallen, but there was an interesting rate hike in October as noted in the discussion forum. Coastal FCU increased the rate of its reward checking account from 2.00% to 2.51% APY, and it didn't decrease the balance cap. This 2.51% APY applies to balances up to $50,000. However, there was an unfortunate change. It increased the required number of monthly debit card purchases...