A minimum of $500 required to open an account. 4.25% APY on balances up to $25,000. 1.01% APY on portion of balance over $25,000. The monthly requirements are, ten check card purchases, one direct deposit or automatic withdrawl, and receive e-statements.
For more information go to https://www.midcarolinabankrewards.com/
This bank, though nationally-available, is well-known for ChexSystem rejection. The pros (if one gets approved) are $50K limit (rather than the usual $25K) and national availability. The cons are 15 debit transactions (typically 10-12), tough criteria for acceptance, unfriendly customer service, and ATM limitation.
Southern Bank gives you 5.01% APY when you open a checking account on them of up to $25,000. You will enjoy nationwide ATM fee refunds, free online banking, and free bill pay while your money is earning.
West Bank (Iowa) still holds a (4%, $30K limit) RCA, even though it is limited to Iowa Residents and one account per SSN. They recently upgrade their BillPay system, which seems to be checkfree-based. The 12 debit transactions need to be non-pin credit transactions. No-pin transactions are safer anyway.
Gain 1.50% APY for a savings account on Bank of Internet USA. Deposit a minimum of $100 and your money will start gaining interests. It is FDIC insured so there is no need to worry.