Frequently Asked Questions

A Heartland Bank Performance Savings Account helps you earn more while enjoying flexible access to your money.

Other online banks offer high rates but then force you to accept high minimum balances and limited access to your money. Not Heartland Bank Direct.

With an opening balance of only $500, you'll start earning our high APY of 1.11% (See Legal Disclosures) with no service charges and convenient access to your money. 

Fill out an Online Application, and Heartland Bank Direct will verify your identity online. You may need to answer questions about your credit history, such as providers and dollar amounts of loans in your name.

During the application, you will identify an existing checking account from which you'll transfer money into your Performance Savings Account. If you choose to fund from that account electronically, Heartland Bank Direct will verify your access by making two small trial deposits, each under $1. Once these trial deposits arrive in your funding account, you enter their amounts on your Heartland Bank Direct application, and then you'll be on your way to earning more.

While there is a $500 minimum opening balance requirement, there are no fees on normal transactions or deposits and no charge if your account balance falls below $500 after opening.

If you mail us a check, we will deposit it immediately, but the funds may be held for up to ten business days.

If you fund your Performance Savings Account electronically, the amount will be credited within three business days. During that time, your external account may be debited for the amount of your deposit before you see a credit to your new Performance Savings Account.

To help you earn more and have flexible access to your money, you will "link" your Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account to any account at a U.S. bank that allows electronic transfers. You can move money between your Linked Account and your Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account 24/7 by logging into Online Banking and selecting Funds Transfer.

Once you enroll in our Funds Transfer service, you provide a routing/ABA number and an account number for each account you want to link up. For your security, we verify your access to accounts you wish to link to your Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account by making two small trial deposits, each at or under $1.00.

You then return to our Funds Transfer screen and enter the exact amount of each deposit. Once this is done, you'll be able to initiate transfers -- inbound or outbound -- with the click of a button.

Our Funds Transfer service lets you set up one-time-only as well as regular, automatic transfers. For example, many of our customers set up regular transfers into their Heartland Bank Direct accounts as part of an automatic savings plan.

Funds Transfer transactions are free (except if you overdraw your account; see our legal disclosuresfor more), and take between one and three business days to complete. A premium overnight service is available for $12 per transaction

So you can earn more on your money without giving up convenient access to it. Unlike Certificates of Deposit (CD's), which are subject to penalties for early withdrawal, the Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account allows you to transfer funds to and from your checking account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no penalty.

Additionally, by offering only the Performance Savings Account, Heartland Bank Direct passes administrative cost savings on to our customers with interest rates comparable to CD's.

No. As a Heartland Bank Direct customer you will enjoy one of the highest interest rates offered through direct banking regardless of your balance.

An APY measures how much return you can expect on money that is left alone in order to accrue interest. Interest on a Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account is compounded daily, so you're earning interest on your original deposit plus any previously earned interest. That compounded interest is the APY; an account that compounds daily will you get a slightly higher return than with just its stated interest rate.

There is no catch. Heartland Bank Direct understands that finding ways to earn more on your money can be complicated and confusing. The Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account has been designed to eliminate the confusion with no restrictions or hidden fees. Unlike other Internet banks, you are not required to make any direct deposits to your account or open a checking account. Simply earn more on your money. It really is that simple.

It's easy to apply online at Heartland Bank Direct. The application should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Funding your account will take 2 to 3 business days if you fund electronically, up to 10 business days if you mail in a check.

Before you start, have the following information handy:

1. Your Social Security Number or Personal Tax ID Number.
2. Your Driver's License or state-issued ID card issued. If you don't have either of these, we will ask you to mail us copies of other valid identification.
3. For electronic funding, you will need an account number and routing/ABA number for the account from which you want to draw your opening balance.
4. If applying for a joint account, you will need the Secondary Applicant's name, Social Security or Personal Tax ID Number, and Date of Birth.
5. If you are a U.S. resident but not a U.S. citizen, you will need your Resident Alien Card (Green Card) or complete passport information.

You can use this application for an individual or joint account. Once you have submitted your application, we'll e-mail you when your information has been processed, or if we need other information to complete the application.

Anyone who ...

• is at least 18 years of age,
• has a U.S. address,
• and has a U.S. Social Security Number or Personal Tax ID number,

can open a Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account.

Backup withholding is a tax procedure that generally applies only to non-resident aliens. If you are a non-resident alien, the Internal Revenue Service may require Heartland Bank Direct to withhold a specific percentage of interest paments on your Performance Savings Account.

Yes you can, and opening a joint account is just as easy as opening an individual account. The primary applicant should complete the application in full, and will need to include the co-applicant's Social Security Number. Once the primary application is done, the co-applicant can fill out his or her application at any time by selecting "Return to the Application" from the home page. Either applicant may fund the new account. We ask you to fill out your applications separately in order to keep everyone's identity secure.

Heartland Bank customers in the St. Louis and Denver metro areas can open Performance Savings Accounts and fund them either electronically or by check from an existing Heartland account -- or just as easily from a non-Heartland account. The only difference is that mailed-in checks on Heartland accounts are not subject to holds. Once your account is opened, you have the additional option of transferring money into your Performance Savings Account over Internet Banking.

Once your account has been opened and you've been cleared for online access, you will find a tab on your screen labeled "Secure Forms." Using one of these forms, you can designate a POD beneficiary by sending us their name, social security or taxpayer ID number, and date of birth. The contents of the form are encrypted, so your beneficiary's information is safe at all times.

Beneficiaries must verify their identities before any funds can be paid out as part of a POD designation. This can be done by having each beneficiary open an account with Heartland Bank Direct or by other means such as providing originals or notarized copies of government-issued identification.

Sorry, but our Performance Savings Accounts are only for consumers. Still a great rate, though!

Sorry, but no. Since Performance Savings Performance Savings Accounts are totally online, we have no way of verifying trust certifications.

Internet Banking makes it simple. You can transfer money into and out of your Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account through Heartland Bank Direct's Funds Transfer page. Specify an account you want to link to your Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account, and once we've verified your access, it's simple, secure, and totally electronic. You can move money in both directions within three business days from the day you initiate a transfer. You can even set up recurring deposits to earn more faster.

Many of our customers move money into their Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Accounts via direct deposit at work. If your employer supports direct deposit, simply submit your account number and Heartland Bank Direct's ABA/routing number (281073445) to set up the process.

Please note, though, that under Federal Regulation D, you can make only 6 outbound electronic transfers in a given month. Each transfer over that limit will trigger a $20 charge and may prompt us to close your account. See our Electronic Funds Disclosurefor more details.

Yes, you will receive an eStatement through your Heartland Bank Direct account at least once per quarter, or once for each month in which there is activity on your account. The statement will be delivered electronically in a format you can print for your records.

No. Heartland Bank Direct has designed the Performance Savings Account to allow individuals to earn more by giving you a high interest rate to store your money until you need it. While you can pay bills through Heartland Bank Direct's Funds Transfer service, you should continue to use your existing external accounts for cash withdrawals and debit-card purchases.

Unlike other Internet banks, we calculate interest on your Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account every day, which means you earn more with 1.11%. (See Legal Disclosures)

When Is Interest Deposited?

Interest is deposited monthly to your Heartland Bank Direct Performance Savings Account. And with your interest calculated daily, that can add up to earning even more.

If you decide to close your Heartland Bank Direct account before a monthly interest deposit, a check with your final interest payment will be mailed to the address on your account.

If you forget your password, just click on the "forgot your password" option on the Login page for simple instructions. You can also call Customer Support at 877-444-5148 or request a call-back by e-mailing support@heartlandbankdirect.com from the e-mail address registered on your account.

Your security and privacy are our number one priority. We use state-of-the-art encryption and enhanced login security to protect your information and your identity. Want to know more? Click here. We have a whole page devoted to online security.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures your deposits up to $100,000 per depositor, the maximum amount allowable by law.

To safeguard your personal information and account access, Heartland Bank Direct has implemented Multi-Factor Authentication to verify our customers' identities. When you open a Performance Savings Account, you will be asked to select a user name and password as well as answers to two questions that are familiar to you (for instance, the make of your first car or the name of your first elementary school).

You then have the choice to tell our system to remember the computer you're on for the next time you log in. If you don't want this option, or if you try to log in to your account from another unrecognized computer, you'll be prompted to answer the two questions you originally set up.