A subsidiary of Meridian Credit Union, Motus Bank features a suite of financial products, including mortgages, personal loans, investment solutions, and savings and checking accounts. As a full-service digital bank, it will soon introduce banking services tailored to the needs of business customers. Motusbank is a Canadian federally chartered bank that opened doors in 2018 and is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It is also a member institution of the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The idea behind the new bank is to offer customers across Canada the opportunity to access all services and products and to manage accounts online. In fact, virtually everything can be done by phone, mobile app, and online. The new bank is customer-oriented and offers checking and savings accounts with no monthly fees.
Meridian Credit Union
As Canada’s third largest credit union, Meridian offers personal and business financial products and online banking services. Individual customers are offered a selection of checking accounts, including U.S. dollar, senior, electronic, and limitless. Meridian also features youth, advantage, and high-interest savings accounts. There is an array of credit cards to choose from, with cash back, U.S., travel, and Visa benefits. Lines of credit, personal loans, and fixed and variable rate mortgages are also available. Travel insurance and mortgage protection are also offered as well as investment solutions such as registered retirement income funds and tax-free savings accounts. Business customers also benefit from a wealth of financial products, including business U.S. dollar checking and small business checking accounts. In addition to cashback credit cards, customers are offered business lines of credit, loans, and mortgages, and equipment financing and leasing. Meridian also features cash management and investment solutions and business planning assistance.
Competitors
Unlike financial institutions that have shareholders and pay profits, motusbank has members and the main goal is to offer personalized service, competitive rates and pricing, and the option to access all products online, including mortgages, investment solutions, lines of credit, and more.
Why Choose motusbank
This new full-service digital bank features a selection of investment, borrowing, and savings solutions with competitive rates. Given that Motus has no physical branches and associated overhead costs, customers enjoy affordable interest rates on mortgages and personal loans. Another benefit is the fact that decisions on applications for loans, mortgages, and other products are made quickly.
Personal Loans and Other Borrowing Solutions
Personal loans come with low interest rates that can be as low as 5.15 percent, and members can borrow up to $35,000. Secured lines of credit feature even lower interest rates (3.75 percent) to help customers secure financing for major purchases. It is quick and easy to apply, and customers only need to provide their social insurance number and information such as housing and family status and employment type. They are also asked about the amount required and the loan purpose, i.e. vacation, investment, home repairs, debt consolidation, or recreational vehicle, boat, or vehicle purchase. Motusbank also features fixed and variable rate mortgages with affordable interest rates that can be as low as 2.90 percent. 5-year fixed rate mortgages come with an interest rate of 3.09 percent. In comparison, Scotiabank offers an interest rate of 5.34 percent on the same type of mortgage, and the Bank of Montreal offers 3.54 percent. Secured home equity lines of credit also feature a low rate of just 3.75 percent. CIBC, for example, offers a rate of 3.95 percent on secured credit lines.
Savings and Checking Accounts
Motusbank also features a selection of checking and savings accounts, including RRSP, TFSA, and high interest savings accounts. Customers who choose to open high interest savings accounts can enjoy a rate of 2.25 percent. Savings accounts offer multiple benefits such as the option to make unlimited withdrawals and purchases, free-of-charge access to ATMs, no banking fees, no minimum balance requirements, and no monthly account charges. Motusbank also features checking accounts with no monthly fees, and customers enjoy unlimited Interac e-transfers. There are plenty of reasons to choose this type of account over products offered by other banks. The account has no minimum balance requirement and allows for unlimited bill payments and debit purchases. Another benefit is that every dollar earns 0.50 percent interest. Customers are free to make mobile check deposits and are offered 25 checks free of charge. Those who are travelling to the U.S. can access cash through the Cirrus or Accel ATM networks.
Investment Products
Motusbank also features investment solutions such as 5-year RRSP guaranteed investment certificates, 18-month TFSA GICs, and 18-month GICs. The 5-year RRSP GIC, for example, comes with a competitive interest rate of 3.25 percent, which makes it a good addition to a balanced investment portfolio. In comparison, CIBC offers non-redeemable 5-year RRSP GICs with an interest rate of 1.25 percent. Opening an account is quick and easy, and customers are asked to provide details such as personal information, term and length, and renewal option, i.e. reinvest in the same term or payout to the account. The bank features additional benefits such as tax free options, choice of non-registered and registered plans, and a low minimum investment of just $100. Terms vary from 1 month to 5 years.
Online Banking and Features
The online banking platform of motusbank offers convenient features to access and monitor investment accounts and view e-statements. Customers are free to download deposit forms and transactions and filter and sort accounts. Notifications, alerts, and secure messaging are also available. Depositing checks is also quick and easy and can be done from the customer’s phone. There is also an option to set up mobile alerts. The mobile app offers convenient features that allow customers to transfer money, make bill payments, and check account balances, including savings and checking accounts and tax free savings accounts. Mobile Bill Pay is a convenient feature that allows users to make bill payments and access more than 10,000 payees. The app can be used on Android and iOS devices.
The Money Mover service featured by motusbank offers customers the option to transfer large amounts of up to $10,000 daily and is free to use. Money is transferred within 3 business days. Users are also free to set up recurring and future transfers through the mobile app or online. Motusbank also features Interac payments to transfer amounts of up to $3,000 a day, and money is deposited immediately. Customers can make an unlimited number of transactions up to $10,000 a month.
The bank’s contact centre offers assistance to members and can be reached by dialing its international or toll free number. While the bank is fully digital, the fact that it is customer-centric means that the emphasis is on customer service. Motusbank also places an emphasis on safety and security, and all deposits are insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Finally, the new bank also offers advice and practical information across a host of different topics related to borrowing, investing, and saving. The goal is to help customers learn more about dealing with debt, planning for retirement, preparing financially for a new child, and choosing the best investment solution. Other topics include home improvement loans, choosing between variable and fixed rate mortgages, down payments. The bank also features handy online tools such as mortgage prepayment calculator, savings calculator, retirement planning calculator, and loan and line of credit calculator. These online tools help customers figure out what size of mortgage to apply for, whether their monthly payments are affordable, and other important issues.
