Best Banks for High-Net-Worth Families
With their wealth-management and private-banking offerings, a lot of banks are courting clients with significant assets.
We looked for banks that don't require you to be a multimillionaire to take advantage of generous benefits for keeping a high deposit or investment balance.
Our top picks host a broad range of no-fee accounts and services, and they have wide networks of branches.
BEST: Citibank
With its Citigold package, Citibank rolls out the red carpet for those who keep a combined $200,000 or more in deposit, investment and retirement accounts with the bank.
Citigold customers have access to a banking relationship manager and a financial adviser, as well as to wealth-management seminars, outlook events on the markets and the economy, and private dining, sporting and concert events. Citigold perks include the option to open multiple free Citigold checking accounts (0.03% interest rate); unlimited refunds of out-of-network ATM fees; free standard checks, cashier’s checks and money orders; a free or discounted safe-deposit box; increased interest rates on savings accounts; discounts on mortgages and other loans; $4.95 online stock trades with Citi's investing services; and a waiver of the standard $75 annual fee on an investment account. Citigold members can also earn the highest level of ThankYou rewards points -- redeemable for travel, cash back and other items -- for having a monthly direct deposit and meeting other requirements.
Citigold is especially attractive for international travelers. You'll pay no foreign-exchange fee on debit card transactions, and you can make free transfers from your account to other Citibank accounts in certain countries.
RUNNER-UP: Bank of America
Bank of America has several tiers of wealth management and private banking services. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management is dedicated to those with assets of $250,000 to $10 million and comes with guidance from a financial adviser. U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management focuses on clients with $3 million or more in investable assets seeking advice on such issues as trust and estate planning and philanthropy.
But for those who keep as little as $20,000 in bank and investment accounts, BofA's Preferred Rewards program offers benefits. The most-generous perks go to those with a balance of $100,000 or more: unlimited ATM fee refunds; a 75% bonus on cash back or points earned with eligible bank credit cards; free checks; the ability to hold up to four checking and four savings accounts with no monthly fees; discounts on loans; a 20% rate boost on a money market deposit account; and up to 100 free stock trades monthly in a Merrill Edge investment account.
The Best Banks and Credit Unions for You, 2017
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These stellar banks and credit unions are making all the right moves to win satisfied customers:
Lisa has been the editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance since June 2023. Previously, she spent more than a decade reporting and writing for the magazine on a variety of topics, including credit, banking and retirement. She has shared her expertise as a guest on the Today Show, CNN, Fox, NPR, Cheddar and many other media outlets around the nation. Lisa graduated from Ball State University and received the school’s “Graduate of the Last Decade” award in 2014. A military spouse, she has moved around the U.S. and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons.
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