Safest Banks In The U.S. Of April 2024

JPMorgan Chase, the financial institution that owns Chase Bank, topped our experts’ list because it’s designated as the world’s most systemically important bank on the 2023 G-SIB list. This designation means it has the highest loss absorbency requirements of any bank, providing more protection against financial crisis. Chase is also the largest bank in the U.S. in terms of asset size.

Chase customers have access to many security features, including multi-factor authentication, virtual card numbers, account alerts and debit card locking, for increased digital safety.

Read more in our Chase Bank Review.

You must have a linked Chase personal checking account to qualify for relationship rates on Chase CDs. CD ladders are only available for customers with linked Chase Private Client Checking accounts.

Bank of America is just one place below JPMorgan Chase on both the 2023 G-SIBs list and the Federal Reserve’s list of the largest U.S. banks, which is why it was chosen in our research as one of the safest banks. The bank’s security features also helped it score highly.

While Bank of America is only one of two banks on our list that doesn’t offer virtual card numbers for online spending, it makes up for it with other safety features like unusual account activity alerts, multi-factor authentication and debit card locking to prevent unauthorized transactions if your card is lost or stolen.

Read more in our Bank of America Review.

Bank of America charges a $10 overdraft fee per item, up to two times daily. The bank’s lone savings account, Bank of America Advantage Savings, requires a $100 minimum deposit to open and carries an $8 monthly fee, which is waived with a minimum daily balance of $500 or more, an eligible linked Bank of America checking account, enrollment in Preferred Rewards or for anyone under the age of 25.

Bank of America has two business checking accounts (Business Advantage Fundamentals and Business Advantage Relationship Banking), a Business Advantage Savings account and three types of business CDs (Featured CDs, Fixed Term CDs and Flexible CDs). The bank’s business checking and savings accounts all charge monthly maintenance fees that can be waived by maintaining a high balance or, sometimes, becoming a Preferred Rewards for Business member.

Our researchers picked Wells Fargo because it offers 24/7 customer service on top of being a global systemically important bank and the third largest bank in the U.S. Having 24/7 access to customer service by phone or online makes it easy to report and respond to suspicious or fraudulent activity immediately.

Wells Fargo doesn’t offer virtual cards for digital shopping, but it keeps accounts safe with security features like multi-factor authentication and activity alerts.

Read more in our Wells Fargo Review.

Wells Fargo charges a $2.50 fee on out-of-network ATM transactions on select bank accounts. Wells Fargo Prime Checking and Wells Fargo Premier Checking accounts do not carry out-of-network ATM fees and come with varying degrees of reimbursement for fees charged on out-of-network ATM transactions by operators.

The Wells Fargo Way2Save® Savings account earns a low 0.01% APY on all balances. The Wells Fargo CDs (Certificates of Deposit) earn competitive rates based on your account balance and require a $2,500 minimum opening deposit. Wells Fargo often offers promotional CDs that pay higher rates, especially for Relationship customers, but may require a larger opening deposit.

Citibank makes our experts’ list thanks to its host of security measures designed to keep your accounts and personal information protected. In addition to its owner Citigroup being on the list of G-SIBs and among the top five largest U.S. banks, Citibank offers multi-factor authentication, account alerts and virtual card numbers. The bank also provides round-the-clock customer support and Citi Quick Lock, a debit card-locking security feature.

Read more in our Citibank Review.

Citibank offers fee-free ATM access at more than 65,000 ATMs at Citibank branches and through the Allpoint and MoneyPass ATM networks. The bank waives monthly service fees on its checking accounts for three months after account opening, for individuals with Citi Relationship status, and in months when you receive at least $250 in qualifying direct deposits. Similarly, Citibank waives monthly fees on its savings account for three months after account opening and on an ongoing basis for Relationship Tier customers, with an average monthly balance of at least $500 and for customers with a Citi checking account.

Citibank offers three types of certificates of deposit—fixed-rate CDs, no-penalty CDs and step-up CDs.

Although it’s not as large as the other banks on our list, and its U.S. offerings are limited, Barclays stood out in our analysis because of its overall security and because its online savings and CD accounts earn competitive savings rates. Barclays is considered a global systemically important bank, meaning it meets certain standards that protect it from failure, and customers can get support 24/7 by phone or online. The bank employs safety measures like account alerts and virtual card numbers to keep your accounts protected.

Read more in our Barclays US Savings Review.

Barclays only offers a savings account and CDs. Barclays Online Savings earns a competitive APY and has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Barclays Certificates of Deposit come in six terms ranging from one to five years. All of its CD terms currently earn high yields. There is no minimum balance requirement to open a CD through Barclays.