Dollar Bank has a savings rate of 2% annual percentage yield (APY) on balances up to $20,000. The FreeMoney Savings must be linked to a FreeMoney Checking or e-Checking account, which are free checking accounts. Other details of the savings account include:

• $50 minimum to open
• No monthly service charge
• No minimum balance
• Insured by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)

Interest on the FreeMoney Savings is subject to change so check with the bank for current savings rates. Interest is compounded and credited monthly. When non-cash deposits, such as checks, are made, interest begins to accrue the same day.

The FreeMoney Checking and e-Checking accounts earn up to $150 each year in rewards. You can earn 10 cents each time you sign for a debit purchase with a MasterCard. You can earn 5 cents for each bill paid online and get free access to more than 37,000 ATMs. The checking account requires a $50 minimum to open. The checking accounts also offer unlimited check writing and 50% off checks. The account also offers immediate access to direct deposits.

Dollar Bank operates more than 60 branches and loan centers in the Pittsburgh and Cleveland metropolitan areas.

Open a 5-year certificate of deposit (CD) at Melrose Credit Union and you could earn a CD rate of 3.29% annual percentage yield (APY). You must open a savings account to become a member of the Briarwood, NY-based credit union. There are no other restrictions for joining so it doesn’t matter where you live or work. Other requirements for opening an account include a $1 one-time membership fee and $25 minimum opening deposit.

CDs require a minimum investment of $5,000. If you are opening an IRA certificate, the minimum opening balance is $4,000. You earn dividends only when you maintain a minimum balance of at least $500. Dividends are compounded on a quarterly basis and can be transferred to another share account.

CD rates are subject to change at any time so check with Melrose Credit Union for the most current information. CD rates as of June 30, 2010, were:

• 1.76% APY for 1 year
• 2.02% for 2 years
• 2.52% for 3 years
• 2.78% for 4 years

Money deposited at Melrose Credit Union is insured up to $250,000 per depositor by the National Credit Union Administration.

Open a Citizens Bank checking account and you could earn a bonus of up to $120 a year. The bank’s Green$ense program rewards you for making paperless payments.

Any Citizens Bank checking account can be enrolled in the Green$ense program. Each time you make a paperless payment with a debit card the bank pays you 10 cents. You can also earn the bonus with online payments and automatic payments charged to your checking account or debit card.

Details of the Green$ense program include:

• Free enrollment, but some checking accounts have fees associated with them
• Must have 10 eligible transactions in a month to receive Green$ense earnings
• Maximum of 100 eligible transactions per month
• Existing checking accounts are eligible to enroll

The Green$ense program is aimed at helping the environment. According to Citizen Bank, enrolling in the program for just one year can save emissions equal to 87 miles of driving and save almost four gallons of gas consumed by transporting paper statements and bills. Being in the Green$ense program for a year can save more than 3.5 gallons of waste water and more than 7 square feet of forest.

Citizens Bank is based in Providence, RI. It has more than 1,500 branches and and more than 3,500 ATMs in various states.

Cybercrime against banking customers has become so prevalent that banks are asking people to help prevent theft. According to a USA Today article:

The banking industry wants consumers to monitor their online accounts for unauthorized transactions on a “continuous, almost daily, basis,” says Doug Johnson, the [American Banking Association's] vice president of risk-management policy. That’s because PCs and smartphones have become “the online bank branch for a lot of individuals,” he says. “The customer needs to really recognize that security is most effective when they work in partnership with their financial institution.”

Cyberattacks originate from a variety of sources around the world. At the end of 2009, there were 65,098 Trojans, up from 4,295 at the beginning of the year, that were designed to steal from online bank accounts.

The best thing you can do to keep online savings accounts and checking accounts safe is to guard your information and never reveal passwords to other individuals. Don’t be fooled by emails that instruct you to provide personal information such as social security numbers and passwords.

Phishing attempts via email are rampant and you should always ignore them. If you need to contact your bank regarding  a savings, checking, or other account, go to the official website or call the official phone number for customer service.

Bank2 is offering a savings rate of 2.01% annual percentage yield (APY) and a checking account that earns 4.01% APY. The two accounts work together to help you grow your money.

The savings and checking accounts include the following features:

• No minimum balance
• No monthly fees
• Free online banking
• Free e-statements
• Direct deposit available
• $100 minimum deposit to open account

The savings and checking accounts also are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. There is unlimited check writing privileges and up to $50 of ATM fees are refunded during each statement period. When you open two accounts, the 4.01% interest earned on the checking account is automatically deposited into the savings.

The Great Rate Checking includes the following features:

• 4.01 APY on balances up to $15,000
• 1.01% APY on balances over $15,000
• 0.1% APY if you don’t meet qualifications for the checking account

The Great Rate Savings has a 2.01% APY on balances up to $35,000. If you have more than $35,000, the savings pays 1.01% APY on the portion above that amount. If you don’t meet the qualifications for the savings account, the interest rate is 0.1% APY.

Bank2 is a unit of Chickasaw Banc Holding Company, which is 100% owned by the Chickasaw Nation. The bank is based in Oklahoma City, OK.