published on in blog

Columbia Savings and Loan Association Review 2024

JUMP TO Section Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.
  • Overall Bank Rating
  • Pros and Cons
  • CD
  • IRA CD
  • How Columbia Savings and Loan Association Works
  • The Role of Black-led Financial Institutions
  • Is Columbia Savings and Loan Association Trustworthy?
  • Columbia Savings and Loan Association vs. OneUnited Bank
  • Columbia Savings and Loan Association vs. Liberty Bank and Trust
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Redeem now

    Our experts answer readers' banking questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess banking products). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

    The bottom line: Columbia Savings and Loan Association is a worthwhile option if you want to open a CD or IRA CD. If you're looking for other types of bank accounts, our best high-yield savings accounts guide or best checking accounts guide might be good places to start your search.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association bank accounts
    • Columbia Savings and Loan Association CD
    • Columbia Savings and Loan Association IRA CD
    Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. 0.20% to 0.80% Minimum deposit Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. $500 Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. 0.20% to 0.80% Minimum deposit Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. $500 Start saving On Columbia Savings and Loan Association's website Start saving On Columbia Savings and Loan Association's website

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association: Overall Bank Rating

    FeatureInsider rating (out of 5)
    CD3.5
    IRA CD3.5
    Trustworthiness3
    Total3.5

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association: Pros and Cons

    ProsCons
    • Black-owned bank
    • CD rates comparable to other brick-and-mortar financial institutions
    • Low minimum opening deposits
    • Only available to people in Milwaukee
    • No traditional savings or checking accounts
    • No online or mobile banking
    • Only compounds interest once every six months

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association CD

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association CD Columbia Savings and Loan Association Columbia Savings and Loan Association CD Insider’s Rating A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 3.5/5 Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    0.20% to 0.80%

    Minimum Deposit Amount

    $500

    Pros
    • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. $500 minimum opening deposit
    • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Competitive APY
    Cons
    • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Must contact the bank for early withdrawal penalties
    • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only compounds interest every 6 months
    Product Details
    • Black-owned bank in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    • Terms range from 3 months to 5 years
    • Interest compounds every 6 months
    • FDIC insured
    Show Pros, Cons, and More chevron down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

    The $500 minimum deposit is relatively low and the interest rates are comparable to other brick-and-mortar financial institutions.

    The main downside is that it only compounds interest once every six months, while many banks compound monthly or even daily.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association IRA CD

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association IRA CD Columbia Savings and Loan Association Columbia Savings and Loan Association IRA CD Insider’s Rating A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 3.5/5 Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    0.20% to 0.80%

    Minimum Deposit Amount

    $500

    Pros
    • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. $500 minimum opening deposit
    • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Competitive APY
    Cons
    • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Must contact the bank for early withdrawal penalties
    • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only compounds interest every 6 months
    Product Details
    • Black-owned bank in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    • Choose from a Roth or traditional IRA
    • Terms range from 3 months to 5 years
    • Interest compounds every 6 months
    • FDIC insured
    Show Pros, Cons, and More chevron down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

    An IRA CD locks in your APY for a set amount of time and saves your money specifically for retirement. It can be an option worth considering for people who are getting close to retirement and are looking for a safe way to invest their money.

    If you're looking for a safe investment strategy, the Columbia Savings and Loan Association IRA CD is a decent choice. You can choose between a Roth or traditional IRA CD.

    How Columbia Savings and Loan Association Works

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association is designated as a minority-led financial institution (MDI) by the FDIC. The FDIC defines an MDI as "a federal insured depository institution for which (1) 51% or more of the voting stock is owned by minority individuals; or (2) a majority of the board of directors is minority and the community that the institution serves is predominantly minority."

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association has one location in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It offers CDs, Roth IRA CDs, and traditional IRA CDs. It also gives home loans, church loans, and personal loans.

    Columbia Savings and Loan doesn't have a mobile app or online banking capabilities. You'll need to work directly with the branch.

    Contact customer service or visit the branch Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, or Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.

    Your CD deposits are FDIC insured for up to $250,000, or $500,000 for joint accounts. Columbia Savings and Loan is an Equal Housing Lender.

    The Role of Black-led Financial Institutions

    There is a history of racial prejudice in banking and lending that has significantly impacted Black Americans and contributed to a racial wealth gap in the US. Black-led financial institutions serve an integral role in providing services and products to Black communities.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association has one location in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. According to the US Census Bureau, over 68% of the city population is Black.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association is also is certified as a community development financial institution (CDFI). Banks have to undergo certification by the US Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund and meet specific requirements to address banking barriers to receive CDFI designation. 

    Is Columbia Savings and Loan Association Trustworthy?

    We include the Better Business Bureau's grade when assessing a bank's trustworthiness. Columbia Savings and Loan Association has an A+ rating from the BBB

    Columbia Savings and Loan hasn't been involved in any recent public controversies in the last three years.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association vs. OneUnited Bank

    You may like OneUnited Bank if you're comfortable banking digitally. It has a well-rounded group of banking products, including savings and checking accounts.

    But Columbia Savings and Loan pays higher interest rates on CDs than OneUnited, and OneUnited doesn't have any investment products.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association vs. Liberty Bank and Trust

    Liberty Bank and Trust has more types of banking products than Columbia Savings and Loan, including traditional and Roth IRAs. It doesn't have IRA CDs, though, so you may prefer Columbia if you're looking for a conservative investment account.

    Liberty also pays high interest rates on CDs.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association: Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Columbia Savings and Loan Association?  Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association has one branch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

    What types of products does Columbia Savings and Loan Association have?  Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association has CDs and IRA CDs. You can also get home loans, church loans, and personal loans.

    Is Columbia Savings and Loan Association FDIC insured? Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

    Columbia Savings and Loan Association is FDIC insured. Up to $250,000 per depositor is secure in a bank account that's federally insured. 

    Banking Reporter Sophia Acevedo is a banking reporter at Business Insider. Sophia joined Business Insider in July 2021. She writes bank reviews, banking guides, and banking and savings articles for Personal Finance Insider. She is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).Sophia is an alumna of California State University Fullerton where she studied journalism and minored in political science. She is based in Southern California.You can reach out to her on Twitter at @sophieacvdo or email sacevedo@businessinsider.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:Read more Read less Compliance Associate Evelyn He is a compliance associate at Business Insider who supports the Personal Finance Insider team. Personal Finance Insider is Business Insider's personal finance section that incorporates affiliate and commerce partnerships into the news, insights, and advice about money that Business 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 Business 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 5-year-old Bichon named Tibber. Read more Read less Top Offers From Our Partners Betterment Cash Reserve Account New Customer Offer: Earn 5.50% APY when you open your first cash account with $10 deposit. Terms apply. A tooltip *Current promotional rate; annual percentage yield (variable) is 4.75% as of 7/31/23, plus a .75% boost available as a special offer with qualifying deposit. Terms apply; if the base APY increases or decreases, you'll get the .75% boost on the updated rate. Cash Reserve is only available to clients of Betterment LLC, which is not a bank, and cash transfers to program banks are conducted through clients’ brokerage accounts at Betterment Securities. **The national average savings account interest rate is reported by the FDIC (7/17/23) as the average annual percentage yield (APY) for savings accounts with deposits under $100,000. Start Saving

    Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.

    Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

    **Enrollment required.

    ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyxsdGspqeZnGKzqrrAp5qeZ5Okuba5waKYZquRq7avs9JmmKecXaG8orqMmqqsp5OerrW1zqdkq52mnrK4