National banks offer a wide variety of accounts and services, including wealth and investment management. Here's Kiplinger's pick of the best.
Are you looking for a better bank? You’re in the right place.
With the help of Curinos, a financial-data provider, we’ve analyzed accounts at 40 financial institutions, evaluating them based on criteria including fees, minimum balance requirements, yields and the availability of extra perks, such as free checks or financial planning services. (For more on how we judged the contenders, see the methodology below.)
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We used this information to find you the best national banks. These big brick-and-mortar institutions have branch networks in many states and offer a range of services, from basic checking and savings options to premium accounts with numerous benefits. A couple of the top banks even offer a free, no-strings checking account — an uncommon find among large institutions.
BMO Bank
Standout account: Smart Advantage Checking is free, with no monthly maintenance fee or required minimum balance.
Where it is: More than 1,000 branches across two dozen states, with many locations in the Midwest as well as the western U.S. (Rates and terms are for customers in Chicago.)
BMO’s most popular checking account, Smart Advantage Checking, charges no monthly fee, no matter your balance. For customers who can maintain a sizable balance, Relationship Checking is worth a look. You can avoid the $25 monthly fee if you keep a minimum $10,000 balance in the account or a combined $25,000 in eligible BMO deposit and investment accounts. All account holders qualify for perks including up to $25 reimbursed monthly for out-of-network ATM charges and free cashier’s checks, money orders and incoming wire transfers. Depending on your combined account balances, you may get other benefits, too. If you have $25,000 to $99,999 in quarterly combined balances, for example, you qualify for the Gold tier, which includes a rebate of $30 monthly on outgoing wire transfer fees.
BMO’s Savings Builder account is free, and during the first year you have it, BMO contributes an extra $5 for each month that you save $200 or more. The Growth Money Market account yields 2.94% if you have a Relationship Checking account and a balance of at least $250,000; BMO waives the $10 monthly fee if you have a $5,000 daily balance. Among BMO’s cert-ificates of deposit, the CD Specials recently offered the most attractive rates, including 3% on a 13-month maturity ($1,000 minimum deposit).
Fifth Third Bank
Standout accounts: Momentum Checking is free. The bank’s promotional CDs recently yielded as much as 4.35%.
Where it is: Nearly 1,100 branches in 11 states in the Midwest and South. (Rates and terms are for customers in Columbus, Ohio.)
Fifth Third’s Momentum Checking is a great option if you’re looking for a free, basic checking account. Preferred Checking lets you skip the $25 monthly fee if you have a combined deposit and investment balance of $100,000, and it has plenty of perks. They include reimbursement of surcharges for up to 10 monthly out-of-network ATM withdrawals; complimentary standard checks, notary services, cashier’s checks, money orders and incoming wire transfers; discounted rates on Fifth Third loans; personalized guidance from a team of investment professionals; free self-directed online trades in a brokerage account; and free or discounted identity theft protection services.
If you have a qualifying Fifth Third checking account, you won’t pay the $5 monthly fee on a Momentum Savings account. You can also skirt the monthly fee if you maintain a $500 monthly balance, or if you’re younger than 18 or enrolled in Fifth Third’s Military Banking, for current and former servicemembers. The Relationship Money Market has the same requirements to avoid the fee. But recently, both accounts yielded just 0.01%. The promotional CDs, however, have attractive yields, including 4.35% on a three-month maturity ($5,000 minimum deposit).
TD Bank
Standout account: With the Complete Checking account, you have several options to avoid the monthly fee; one is maintaining a daily balance of $500.
Where it is: More than 1,100 locations in 15 states on the East Coast as well as in Washington, D.C. (Rates and terms are for customers in Cherry Hill, N.J.).
TD Bank’s Complete Checking is a solid everyday account that lets you skip the $15 monthly service fee by meeting one of these monthly requirements: Make direct deposits of $500 or more, maintain a daily balance of $500 or more, or keep a $5,000 combined minimum daily balance in TD personal deposit accounts. It’s also a good starter account for young adults, charging no monthly fee to customers between the ages of 17 and 23. TD’s Beyond Checking account offers additional benefits; for more, see the section on banks and accounts for retirees.
The Simple Savings account has a $5 monthly fee, but you can bypass it if you maintain a $300 daily balance or link it to a Complete or Beyond checking account. The fee is also waived if you’re 18 or younger or 62 or older. With the Signature Savings account, you can skip the $15 monthly fee if you have a $10,000 daily balance or link it to a Beyond or Complete checking account. If you have a balance of at least $100,000 and link the account to another eligible TD checking account or loan, you get a 3% yield.
Methodology
With data from Curinos, a financial-data provider, as well as from financial institutions and other sources, we evaluated 13 national banks, 14 internet banks (including online accounts from brokerage firms) and 13 credit unions.
We reviewed checking accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts and certificates of deposit from each institution. We looked at interest rates; minimum deposit and balance requirements; monthly maintenance fees and the ease of waiving those fees; ATM benefits, such as waived or reimbursed fees for out-of-network withdrawals; free or discounted benefits, such as personal checks, cashier’s checks, paper statements and overdraft-protection transfers; overdraft fees and concessions, such as cushions; and online and mobile banking features, such as the availability of peer-to-peer payment services. Yields and other data listed in the article are as of early July.
Kiplinger's Best Banks
- Best Internet Banks
- Best Credit Unions
- Best Banks for High-Net-Worth Clients
- Best Banks for Retirees
- Best Banks for Travelers
Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.
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