We truly applaud Chase on providing their customers with such an intuitive, resourceful website interface. If you're looking for information on finance, on one of their many checking accounts or account details, you won't have a problem here.

The application process can be a bit more time-consuming here, as you must first sign up as a Chase member in order to access online banking. But, once you've gathered and entered important information, you will be on your way to setting up an account.

• FREE Online Banking and Bill Pay
• FREE Account Alerts sent by phone or e-mail to help you avoid fees
• FREE Chase Debit Card with Zero Liability protection

Star Reviews thinks Chase is excellent once you've become an account holder and utilize their online banking functions. They make your account summary page easy-to-navigate, offering you tons of resources. Customers with select checking accounts must pay $4.95 per month to access online bill payment services, so keep this in mind if you'd prefer a free service. Customer support via email was good, but telephone support was incoherent on our first run and borderline rude on our second. Not what we expected from Chase. They receive 5.0 Stars!

It would be a crime if we didn't research the HSBC website, and we're glad we did! This financial empire is no small player in the finance game, and their intuitive and well-put-together website interface reflects this.

While there may be a lot of resources here for corporate financing and investor relations, don't let this intimidate you! Their online banking is user-friendly and they have numerous account options available. While you must first be an HSBC customer to sign up for Internet banking, the entire process shouldn't take you too long (it took us about 20 minutes to sign up).

• 1.35% APY on Savings Account - one of the highest savings rates in the country
• No monthly fees or minium balance requirements
• Paperless Online Payment Account

Star Reviews doesn't discriminate, simply because HSBC is a household name, it doesn't mean we hand them a good rating for nothing. They offer a lot here, such as easy account viewing, online bill pay, mortgages and home equity and business banking. Online banking is free, though, individual accounts such as money market accounts have specific fees attached to them. Their FAQs weren't as detailed as we would have liked, but customer support via telephone was quite friendly and accommodating (once we dodged the automated system). Email support responded back to us sufficiently in two-days-time, which wasn't lightning quick, but still acceptable. They deserve 5.0 Stars!

When we first surfed onto the Wachovia online banking site, we liked what we saw! There wasn't a plethora of links or flashing graphics, which definitely made us happy. Instead, we were presented with a simple, intuitive layout.

Wachovia offers what the rest of their competitors offer in online banking-you've got your online checking and savings accounts, bill pay, retirement access, credit cards and things of that sort.

• Wachovia is now a part of Wells Fargo
• Way2Save - FREE automatic savings program - transfers $1 from your checking account to a savings account with every check card purchase or online bill pay
• Mobile banking services that let you bank from your cell phone

Star Reviews appreciates how big-name Wachovia kept their online banking simple and user-friendly. Page load times were good and didn't leave us checking our watches every time we clicked on a new link. While some of the vast amounts of information could have been spread out better, at least it was there for us to see (quite refreshing when compared to other online banking sites). Telephone support via a toll-free number was helpful and efficient in their assistance. If you wish to email customer support, you must first be an account holder, so take that into consideration. Overall, we liked their service and award them with 4.5 Stars!

We'll be honest with you. We expected alot more from the Citibank online banking website. They are, after all, a financial giant that has been around since 1812. Yes, 1812.

When we first landed on the Citibank website, we loved how simple and user-friendly the site feel was. Boy, did they surprise us! We quickly realized how challenging it was to sign up or find any information on specific accounts we were interested in, with fees and other fine-print material available once you've made your way through the application process. For a team that likes things straight up, this threw us off a bit.

• Citi Mobile for Smartphones allows you to pay your bills, check balances, and find ATMs from your Cell Phone
• Online Bank Statements - less paper and more convenience
• ThankYou Rewards Network - no fee rewards program

Star Reviews appreciates the relatively low rates here, such as the $3 monthly maintenance fee on EZ Checking accounts without direct deposit. There is also SafeWeb fraud protection implemented, so you can breathe a sigh of relief that your information is secure. Customer support via email was good, as was by telephone, although our live rep was a bit vague when answering our fee-related questions on Citibank accounts. The 'Help' section links took us to unrelated answers to our questions, leaving us in a maze of account-fee confusion. Overall, we felt Citibank deserved 4.0 Stars!