Lisa Gerstner
About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.
The survey results, which we’re sharing here in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, offer valuable insight into which providers shine when it comes to your everyday interactions and experiences with them. Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps. For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.
By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: National Banks
These large institutions have a presence in many states and offer branches where you can conduct transactions. We assessed readers’ overall satisfaction with their bank, their opinion of its customer service, and the likelihood they would recommend the bank to others.
OVERALL WINNER: Chase Bank
Outstanding for:
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
- Customer service
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
Chase is the largest bank in the U.S., with more than 4,700 branches across 48 states and Washington, D.C. One reader says, “Chase is very convenient and offers all the latest technology and products. While I do most of my banking via Chase's app, it is nice to have the convenience of a branch when needed.”
The bank offers numerous checking accounts, from the basic Chase Total Checking to the premium Sapphire Banking and Private Client accounts, which require high balance minimums to avoid a monthly fee but come with plenty of perks, such as reimbursement of out-of-network ATM fees nationwide and other fee waivers.
The bank also has a set of accounts for children and young adults: First Banking for kids ages 6-12, High School Checking for teens ages 13-17, and College Checking for students ages 17-24. Rates on certificates of deposit from Chase were recently as high as 4% with a balance of at least $100,000.
TD Bank
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
TD Bank has more than 1,100 locations in 15 states, primarily on the East Coast, and Washington, D.C.
Readers appreciate its customer service, with one noting, “Customer service is always excellent and willing to address any issue to resolution.” Checking accounts, which require varying balance minimums to avoid a monthly fee, include Complete Checking, Beyond Checking and Essential Banking, which is free for teens ages 13 to 17.
With TD Signature Savings, earn a rate of up to 3.25% if you link your savings account to another eligible TD account and deposit at least $100,000.
M&T Bank
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Most recommended
With hundreds of branches across a dozen states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions (and Washington, D.C.), M&T Bank stands out to readers for its customer experience. “Extended operating hours are convenient,” as one survey respondent commented.
Notably, the EZChoice checking account has no monthly fee or direct deposit requirements. Other checking accounts have monthly fees which are waived if you meet deposit or balance thresholds. Checking account holders qualify for the highest rates on CDs: on a six-month CD, for example, you could recently earn 3.8%.
U.S. Bank
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Overall satisfaction
U.S. Bank has more than 2,000 branches, spread across 26 states.
With the Bank Smartly checking account, users receive automated budgeting tools, fee waivers on out-of-network ATM transactions and fee discounts on lines of credit.
The Bank Smartly Savings account recently offered a yield of up to 3.5% for those who have the Bank Smartly checking account and a combined balance of at least $100,000 in qualifying accounts with the bank. Among CDs, the bank recently offered one with a five-month term earning a 3.75% yield ($1,000 minimum deposit).
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards Categories
- Readers' Choice Full-Service Brokers
- Readers' Choice Wealth Management
- Readers' Choice Cash Back Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice Hotel Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice Internet Banks
- Readers' Choice Auto Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Homeowners Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Annuity Providers
- Readers' Choice Tax Software
- Readers' Choice Peer-to-Peer Payment Services
-
The Hidden Cost That's Ruining Vacation Home DreamsAre rising HOA fees derailing your second home dreams? Annual dues, insurance premiums, and taxes are rising, boosting total ownership costs. Here's what you can do.
-
If You're Ignoring Private Markets, You're Missing Most of the ActionPrivate markets are becoming increasingly essential for all investors, not just institutions, and they are now more easily accessible thanks to innovative investment structures.
-
My First $1 Million: Retired International Finance Director, 68, AtlantaEver wonder how someone who's made a million dollars or more did it? Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series uncovers the answers.
-
Student Loan Delinquencies Are Hurting Credit Scores — Even for Parents and GrandparentsMillions of borrowers are falling behind on student loan payments, triggering steep credit score drops. If you or your family carry student debt, here's what you need to know now.
-
Costco Offers Executive Members A New Shopping PerkCostco executive members can shop in store one hour earlier, starting on June 30.
-
Is Your Home Disaster-Ready? An Insurance Expert's Guide to Preparing for Storms and FiresHomeowners can take these steps to protect their properties from hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and hail, while also potentially reducing their insurance costs.
-
Beyond 401(k)s: How Millennials Are Ditching Gen X Retirement Strategies. Will It Pay Off?Sorry, Gen X, when it comes to saving for retirement, the younger generation views it differently.
-
A Financial Adviser's Defense of Annuities: They're Just MisunderstoodAnnuities can offer retirement income stability and security against market volatility, though some do have drawbacks. The key is to understand their features before buying.
-
How My Dad Taught Me the Compounding Returns of FatherhoodAs Father's Day approaches, I remember how my father's small acts of love and generosity added up over time and influenced my relationships with my own children, proving that the best investments can grow across generations.
-
Stood Up by a Radio Show: But Was It a Breach of Contract?A conscientious financial planner reschedules his clients after being invited onto a talk show and ends up losing one of them at a cost of $5,000. What does the radio show owe him, if anything?
