What's a better bank than Wells Fargo?
Bank of America could be a better choice if you have a lower budget to open a CD account. It requires a minimum of just $1,000 to open a CD compared to $5,000 at Wells Fargo. For savings accounts, the minimum opening deposit is $100 at Bank of America versus $100 at Wells Fargo, so slightly higher.
With 3,000 more ATM locations than Wells Fargo, reduced fees and a wider variety of welcome bonuses, Chase is a better option for most customers. Chase is also the clear winner for military personnel, offering waived fees on checking accounts and ATM withdrawals for active-duty service members and veterans.
The main competitors of Wells Fargo are three of the other big four major U.S. banks—JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup. Combined, these four banks together hold between 40% to 45% of all bank deposits in the country and serve the majority of personal and commercial accounts in the United States.
The savings account option clearly favors Wells Fargo. Not only do they pay higher interest, but they also offer a bonus, which Chase does not. For CDs, it depends on the term and the amount you have to invest. For example, Wells Fargo's five-month special rate CD pays up to 4.51% APY.
| Bank | Forbes Advisor Rating | Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Bank | 5.0 | Learn More Read Our Full Review |
| Bank of America | 4.2 | |
| Wells Fargo Bank | 4.0 | Learn More Read Our Full Review |
| Citi® | 4.0 |
JPMorgan Chase, or Chase Bank, is the biggest bank in America with nearly $3.4 trillion in assets. It boasts a vast network of over 4,800 physical branches and more than 15,000 ATMs. With generous bonuses and promotions and a variety of products, Chase is a popular choice for consumers across the country.
Overview of Wells Fargo Bank: Pros and Cons
You'll often find higher fees with Wells Fargo than with some competing banks, although in some instances, the bank will waive those fees. Also, the interest rates on its deposit accounts generally aren't as competitive as you'll find with online banks and credit unions.
The main drawback we see with Wells Fargo are the low APYs on most accounts — if you're looking to earn money through interest, this is not the bank for you. Wells Fargo should also be avoided by people who struggle with overdraft fees. The standard overdraft fee is $35 at a max of three a day.
Banks such as Wells Fargo's The Private Bank require a $1 million account balance to open with them, but they offer a team-based approach for wealthy clients, meaning a whole team will be dedicated to their account.
Both banks cover a majority of states, though Wells Fargo has the edge over Bank of America when it comes to branch count. Both have multiple ways to contact customer service. Unless you need 24/7 access to customer service like Wells Fargo offers, the two banks are roughly on par with each other.
How safe is Wells Fargo Bank right now?
Wells Fargo, along with thousands of other financial institutions, is FDIC-insured. FDIC insurance limits cap at $250,000.
- Capital One 360 Checking: Best online checking account.
- Chase Total Checking®: Best for a large branch network.
- Axos Bank Rewards Checking: Best for online account options.
- Discover® Bank: Best for doing all of your banking at one place.
- Synchrony Bank: Best high-yield savings account.
Chase Bank is the largest bank in America and has operations across the country and around the world. While its deposit accounts pay mostly lackluster interest and charge more and higher fees than much of the competition, it's an excellent banking choice for consumers with very specific financial needs.
- First Republic Bank (FRC) . Above average liquidity risk and high capital risk.
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- Comerica (CMA) . ...
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- Zions Bancorporation (ZION) .
Which Bank Has the Most Complaints? In terms of sheer numbers, Bank of America tops the list with 128,404, which is the most complaints issued overall. However, when it comes to the most complaints per $1 billion deposited, Discover has the highest rate at 247.37 complaints.
- Ally Bank.
- Citizens Bank.
- Bank of the West.
- US Bank.
- SunTrust.
- Union Bank.
- Wells Fargo.
- HSBC.
| Rank | Bank name | Headquarters location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JPMorgan Chase | New York City |
| 2 | Bank of America | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 3 | Citigroup | New York City |
| 4 | Wells Fargo | San Francisco, California |
Money coach and certified financial planner Ohan Kayikchyan says it can make sense for a household to maintain four accounts: one checking account for monthly recurring bills and another for variable expenses, plus one savings account for emergency funds and a second for other savings goals.
Key Points. Wells Fargo is a public company, collectively owned by its shareholders. Wells Fargo has traded on the New York Stock Exchange since 1962. The largest institutional shareholders of Wells Fargo are Vanguard, BlackRock, and Fidelity.
Wells Fargo stands out from other banks if you prioritize an extensive branch and ATM network. Wells Fargo also has a variety of bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and loan types, so it may be worthwhile if you want to do all your banking with one financial institution.
Is Wells Fargo in trouble?
US eases restrictions on Wells Fargo after years of strict oversight following scandal. NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration eased some of the restrictions on banking giant Wells Fargo, saying the bank has sufficiently fixed its toxic culture after years of scandals.
Wells Fargo's fake accounts scandal surfaced in September 2016, revealing that employees at the San Francisco-based bank had opened millions of fraudulent accounts, often to meet sales goals.
With thousands of financial advisors leaving or retiring from Wells Fargo since the banking scandals of 2016, the bank has turned to its independent business model, where advisors pocket a larger percentage of revenue, as a way to hang onto its veterans.
Based on the latest financial disclosure, Wells Fargo has a Probability Of Bankruptcy of 9.0%. This is 81.97% lower than that of the Financial Services sector and 84.45% lower than that of the Banks - Global industry. The probability of bankruptcy for all Mexico stocks is 77.4% higher than that of the company.
About Wells Fargo
Today, Wells Fargo is a leading financial services company with approximately $1.9 trillion in assets. In the U.S., it serves one in three households and more than 10% of small businesses, and is a leading middle-market banking provider.
