I really love this bank so far. I am enjoying the buckets and the emails that give motivation and tell me what percentage I am on with my savings.
The bucket and money sorting experience is exceptional. I live Ally and everything it has to offer.
I really like Ally's tools and user interfaces. The savings buckets are a game changer. My only complaint is that opening and fully establishing the account took a while.
Savings buckets are a good idea. Separate savings goals within one account for easier management. Brilliant! However, there is a major flaw that renders them useless. Interest must be paid out proportionally to be effective. Without this simple feature, the buckets are pointless.
This is one of the best amazing bank online, so far and I’m enjoying very well, I just started a few weeks ago, so far so good, I can’t complain.
I started with this account and found out it is easy to open other accounts, like a spending account and CD accounts. everything is self-explanatory so I can start a new account or move money around to exiting accounts 24/7 while I am sitting in my Lazy Boy.
I was pleasantry surprised by how easy it was to open the account and to manage my preferences.
I shopped around for a HYSA that had management capabilities. Although ALLY isn't the "highest" HYSA (as of 02/24), buckets and boosters helped to confirm my decision by giving me a clear way of categorizing my saving and goals. When making a yearly budget, instead of doing line items per expense or per month in a spreadsheet, I can now make buckets and accrue interest for something I was already doing the effort for tracking "the hard way". I really appreciate having an exceptionally easy way of visually tracking savings progress and goal management with buckets.
Savings Buckets are my favorite feature about Ally! I love not having to have multiple accounts to save for multiple goals. It’s like the envelope system but digital buckets! 10/10 recommend!
I started using the 'buckets' feature of my savings account about a year ago. I use it to separate the money my daughter gives me to set aside for her from the rest of the household funds. Sadly, my daughter has frequent money problems and withdraws from the "Bank of Mom" almost as often as she deposits. With the bucket, however, I'm better able to track that. I can also put a little bit in here and there to help her. I won't pay her bills or get her out of every jam she gets into, but I can be supportive and help when I have extra. We have fewer confrontations because the funds are cleanly separated. I'm hoping that as time passes and she matures, she will see for herself the value of saving money "just in case." I don't like to anticipate rainy days, but I like to be prepared. There could be a disaster, or there could be a huge celebration. No matter which, though, it's good to have money aside to cover it!
Ally Bank is fine if you don't have to call customer service or interact with a real person at Ally. There rates are decent, generally in the top 5 of online banking. Once your first account is open, it is easy to open new savings or add CD. Recommend avoiding calling customer service or any interaction with Ally staff, especially at the supervisor level. It is painful to the 10th degree. Management is no help at all.