Online banks are great for some, but you might prefer banking in person — many people do. In fact, 87 percent of consumers still want to be able to walk into a bank branch for human interaction, according to a 2016 survey by consulting firm Accenture. Once you know you want to go with a brick-and-mortar bank, it can be a tough decision choosing the best bank to bank with — and a drag to compare banks and read all those bank reviews. With so many factors to consider — rates, fees, products, perks, rewards — it’s easy to get overwhelmed reading about which bank offers what.
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To make it easier for you, GOBankingRates surveyed 82 national banks — excluding investment banks — by their FDIC-listed asset size and determined a winner. TD Bank won the top spot in the best national banks category in GOBankingRates’ Best Banks of 2018 ranking.
This is the second year TD Bank took the top spot among the best banks in America as the nation’s best brick-and-mortar bank. Find out why TD Bank beat out the competition and decide if it’s a good fit for you.
What Makes TD Bank the Best National Bank of 2018
TD Bank’s motto is “bank human,” and it lives up to it. With a full range of products and services to match any personal finance needs, more than 1,200 locations and early, late, weekend and holiday hours, you can access a branch at your convenience. You can also bank online, on your mobile device or over the phone, 24/7.
TD Bank is one of the country’s 10 largest banks and serves more than 9 million customers along the east coast and in Canada with retail, commercial and small business banking products and services. Keep reading to find more reasons why TD Bank came out on top.
TD Bank offers three checking accounts: TD Simple, TD Convenience and TD Premier. The Simple checking account comes with a low maintenance fee of $5.99 per month, has no minimum balance requirement and provides a free first order of checks.
Choose the TD Convenience account and have your $15 monthly maintenance fee waived for keeping a low minimum balance of $100. If you maintain a $2,500 balance in your TD Premier checking account you’ll have the $25 monthly maintenance fee waived and get your non-TD ATM fees reimbursed.
You can earn $150 online with a TD Convenience account if you receive direct deposits of $500 or more within 60 days of opening it — or earn $300 with a TD Premier account if you receive direct deposits of $2,500 or more. If you’re thinking of opening a new account, now might be a perfect time to open a TD checking account.
TD Bank Offers a Variety of Savings Products
When it comes to savings, TD Bank offers three types of bank accounts: TD Simple Savings, TD Preferred Savings and TD Growth Money Market. TD Simple Savings does not require a minimum opening deposit and comes with a $5 monthly fee you can get waived if you meet certain criteria. You’ll earn 0.05% APY on your balance — although this might not be among the best bank interest rates you’ll find for a savings account, its other features enable it to compete with other savings accounts at top banks.
TD’s Growth Money Market account comes with tiered interest rates, meaning you earn more as you save more. You can use bill pay with this account and write up to six checks a month, plus you’ll get a rate bump if you set up a recurring transfer from your TD checking account — and when your balance rises by $50 in one month.
You’ll earn 0.05% APY on your Growth Money Market account balance of up to $1,999.99 — and your rate goes up from there, depending on how much is in your account; for example, you’ll start earning 0.20% APY once your balance hits $10,000. To get the best interest rates, save more and watch your money grow — quickly.
The TD Preferred Savings account also features tiered interest rates and a rate bump when you link an eligible TD bank account to it. Keep a minimum daily balance of $2,500 or more, and you’ll get reimbursed for all non-TD ATM fees.
In addition to personal savings and checking accounts, TD Bank offers a variety of financial products that include credit cards, mortgage loans, auto loans, mortgage loans, insurance and investment services.
With its plethora of financial products and services — and its convenient, time-saving features like mobile and internet banking — TD Bank is hard to beat for the best overall banking experience, even if it doesn’t offer the best bank rates available. If you think a TD Bank account might fit your financial profile, apply today and start banking human.
Methodology:To determine its Best National Brick-and-Mortar Banks category ranking, GOBankingRates examined the top 82 national banks by asset size according to the FDIC, excluding non-active institutions, investment banks and any institutions that require customers to use investment services to access commercial bank accounts. An asset threshold of a minimum of $10 billion was used for the purposes of this category.
Criteria for ranking: GOBankingRates scored the banks from most to least favorable on the following factors: (1) checking account fee, (2) savings account annual percentage yield, (3) 12-month certificate of deposit APY and (4) BauerFinancial Star Rating for overall financial strength.Banks were then scored according to whether they offered each of the following services, all of which contributed to a single weighting: (5) auto loans, (6) mortgage loans, (7) credit cards, (8) investment services and (9) insurance services. Next, banks were scored according to accessibility factors: (10) overall geographic presence, (11) mobile banking and (12) 24/7 customer service with a live person. Banks were then ranked according to their total score and then by the specific number of states they have physical branches in.
Data for the Best Banks of 2018 was compiled from and verified against the individual institutions’ websites between Sept. 12 and Sept. 21, 2017. Rates, terms and conditions are subject to change at the discretion of the individual financial institutions.APY was based on the minimum deposit required to open the account. Some interest rates might be short-term or promotional offers only, and it is possible additional terms and conditions must be met in order to obtain the interest rates listed. Rates and availability might vary by region. Please verify terms and conditions before opening an account.
GOBankingRatesis a personal finance and consumer interest rate website owned byConsumerTrack, Inc.,an online marketing company serving top-tier banks, credit unions, and other financial services organizations. Some banks mentioned in the Best Banks of 2018 are clients of ConsumerTrack, Inc., which serves more than 100 national, local and online financial institutions. Rankings are completely objective, and no institution, client or otherwise, paid for inclusion or specific placement.
