Anstaff Bank Review [2024]: For Arkansas Residents

Anstaff Bank provides various financial products and services, but you can only find its locations in Arkansas. Since it’s such a location-specific bank, we can’t recommend Anstaff as a viable option for most people.

If you live in Arkansas, it’s hard to tell if the available products are any good since Anstaff doesn’t publish its annual percentage yield (APY) rates for most of its interest-bearing accounts.

Let’s explore our Anstaff Bank review to see what Anstaff has to offer compared to its competitors.

Key takeaways

Anstaff Bank overview

Anstaff Bank, formerly known as First National Bank, was founded in Arkansas in 1931. Over 90 years later, it continues serving customers in Arkansas with 13 in-person locations. Anstaff Bank has around 150 employees and about $800 million in assets.

Anstaff doesn’t have any real footprint outside of Arkansas, so opening an account with this bank likely only makes sense if you live in The Natural State. Compare this to the best checking accounts, which are typically available nationwide.

Anstaff Bank checking accounts

Checking account	Description	Minimum to open	Monthly maintenance fee
Traditional Checking	Basic checking with unlimited transactions	$50	$0
Privileges Checking	Account with two free stop payments per year, cell phone protection, and $10,000 accidental death insurance	$100	$6
Interest Checking	Interest-bearing account if your minimum daily balance is $1,000 or more	$100	$10 ($0 with a $1,000 minimum daily balance)
Advantage Plus Checking	Interest-bearing account with ten free money orders per month and a free box of checks per year (must be 55 or older)	$100	$0
Rewards Checking	Interest-bearing account with unlimited transactions and ATM fee refunds	$100	$0

We think the Traditional Checking account makes sense if you want a simple account for handling daily expenses. It doesn’t have many additional benefits, but you get unlimited transactions, and there aren’t any minimum balance requirements after the $50 minimum opening deposit.

If checks and money orders are important to you and you’re at least 55, the Advantage Plus Checking seems like a no-brainer. It also has the added benefit of earning interest on your stored funds.

Our favorite all-around option is Rewards Checking because it earns interest, doesn’t have minimum balance requirements after the opening $100 deposit, and you get all ATM fees refunded up to $20.

If you don’t want to deal with monthly maintenance fees, avoid the Privileges Checking and Interest Checking options.

Anstaff Bank savings accounts

Savings account	Description	Minimum to open	Monthly maintenance fee
Traditional Savings	Basic savings with interest that compounds quarterly	$100	$3 ($0 with a $100 minimum balance or if you’re under 18)
Money Market Savings	Money market account with interest based on balance tiers	$2,500	$10 ($0 with a $2,500 minimum balance)
Penny Pig Savings	Account with prize incentives (must be 10 or younger)	$1	$0
Christmas Club	Account with interest that compounds for an annual term	$1	$0

The Traditional Savings account is the go-to option if you want a secure place to store your money. But it’s unclear whether this account has a good APY because Anstaff doesn’t list its interest rates for most of its accounts.

We don’t think the Money Market Savings account is a great deal because you need to deposit at least $2,500 and keep that same amount as a minimum balance if you want to avoid a monthly service charge. There are plenty of other options available with less strict minimum balance requirements. Learn more in our list of the best money market accounts.

We like how the Penny Pig Savings account provides an option that could get kids interested in saving money.

Anstaff doesn’t list interest rates for the Christmas Club account and charges $5 per withdrawal ahead of the holiday season. So while it could help you keep money aside with a maturity date around the holiday season, your money might grow more in a high-yield savings account.

Additional Anstaff Bank products

Anstaff also offers CDs, IRAs, health savings accounts, credit cards, debit cards, loans, and business financial products.

Certificates of deposit (CDs)

• You must deposit at least $500 to open a CD with Anstaff.
• Available CDs range in term from 90 days to five years.
• There are penalties for withdrawals made before the full terms of CDs.
• Anstaff doesn’t list its CD rates.

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs)

• You must deposit at least $25 to open an IRA with Anstaff.
• There’s no monthly maintenance fee.
• You can make unlimited deposits up to the annual limit defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Health savings accounts (HSAs)

• You must deposit at least $25 to open an HSA with Anstaff.
• There’s no monthly maintenance fee.
• You can choose between individual and family plans.
• You can receive a free debit card.
• These are interest-bearing accounts, but Anstaff doesn’t list its HSA rates.

Credit and debit cards

Anstaff offers both credit and debit cards. Anstaff credit cards have a $50 annual fee, variable credit limits, and online account access. Anstaff debit cards have worldwide ATM access and use the Visa card network.

Loans

Anstaff provides these types of loans:

• Auto
• Recreational vehicle
• Real estate
• Mortgage

Business financial products

Anstaff offers the following types of financial products for small business owners:

• Business checking accounts
• Business savings accounts
• Business money market accounts
• Business CDs
• Merchant services
• Business loans
• Business credit and debit cards

What we like about Anstaff Bank

• Various financial products: You can choose from both personal and business financial products, including checking and savings accounts, loans, and credit cards.
• Proven track record: Anstaff has been in business for over 90 years.
• In-person locations: There are 13 Anstaff offices located throughout Arkansas.
• Highly rated mobile apps: The Anstaff Mobile Banking app has a 4.9 rating out of 5 on the App Store and a 4.6 out of 5 rating on Google Play.

What Anstaff Bank could improve

• Small footprint: Anstaff is currently only located in Arkansas.
• APY rates availability: Anstaff doesn’t list APY rates for most of its interest-bearing accounts. That makes it difficult to quickly compare Anstaff accounts versus bank accounts from competitors. For clear APY rates, check out our list of the best savings accounts.

Who is Anstaff Bank best for?

Anstaff makes sense if you live in an area in Arkansas served by an Anstaff Bank office location. Since Anstaff locations are only found in this state, it doesn’t make much sense to use this bank if you live in a different state.

Anstaff has online banking if you want to manage your money or pay bills online, but you have to go to an in-person location to open an account.

Without listing the APY of most of its interest-bearing accounts, it’s hard to tell whether Anstaff Bank is worth using at all. That by itself might be a sign that Anstaff caters more to in-person interactions than online banking experiences.

How to open an account with Anstaff Bank

To open an account with Anstaff, you need to fill out an account inquiry form or visit an in-person branch. The online account inquiry form lets you express your interest in a personal checking, personal savings, business checking, or business savings account.

Here’s how to get started with the account inquiry form:

1. Navigate to the account inquiry page on the Anstaff Bank website.
2. Fill out your information, including your name, address, email address, and phone number.

3. Select the type(s) of accounts you’re interested in and submit your inquiry.

Keep in mind that filling out this form is an inquiry and doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be approved for an account with Anstaff. If you would rather speak to an Anstaff representative directly, visit a branch location or call 1-800-445-5745.

Alternatives to Anstaff Bank

Chase

J.P. Morgan Chase is the largest bank in the U.S. by assets. With this type of size and reach, you can expect high-class financial products and services, including checking and savings accounts that you can access from anywhere with online banking.

Visit Chase

…or read our full Chase Bank review.

SoFi

SoFi Checking and Savings¹ accounts provide competitive interest rates, offering up to 4.60% APY²³ with direct deposit. Plus, there are no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum deposit to open an account, and you can receive up to $2 million in FDIC insurance⁴.

Visit SoFi

…or read our full SoFi review.

FAQ about Anstaff Bank

Anstaff Bank review: bottom line

As a bank with locations only in Arkansas, we don’t recommend Anstaff for most people. And since Anstaff doesn’t provide much APY information for its accounts, we can’t definitively say whether it would be a good option for Arkansas residents to check out.

However, there are plenty of other excellent options available that don’t have similar location restrictions or vague product information. Check out our recommendations for the best banks.