Best Banks and Credit Unions in the Northeast
Checking Account offers 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month (see website for details)
- No minimum opening deposit and no minimum balance
- Early Pay: early paycheck access up to 2 days early
- No. Fees. Period.
- FDIC insured
Savings Account with up to 4.60% APY* (read their website to see terms)
- Cash Bonus up to $300 with direct deposit set up (Terms apply)
- No monthly fees
- Up to 2-day-early paycheck
- Up to $2M of additional FDIC insurance through a network of participating banks
*Rate as of 10/24/2023
Get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit
- No minimum balance, no monthly fees and no overdraft fees
- Over 60,000 fee-free ATM locations
- Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC
Bigger than community banks but smaller than national banks, regional banks generally have an asset range of $10 billion to $100 billion. While some local banks are limited to just one community, a regional bank can operate branches across a few states and have a history in each community.
Here is our list of the best banks and credit unions in the Northeast for 2023-2024:
- Valley National Bank - Best Overall
- Capital One - Best Customer Satisfaction
- Apple Bank for Savings - Best Rates
- Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union - Best fees
- Citadel Credit Union - Best Rewards
Best Overall: Valley National Bank
Valley National Bank is our pick for the best bank overall because of its low fees, high interest rate on its All Access Savings account and above-average ranking in J.D. Power's customer satisfaction survey. New customers opening an All Access Rewards checking account will earn $20 per month for a full year if they have a direct deposit of at least $750 each statement cycle.
- 0.85% APY on All Access Savings account
- Low opening balances and fees
- High customer satisfaction ratings
- No APY on All Access Checking account
- Overdraft and insufficient funds fees are higher than other banks considered
Best Customer Satisfaction: Capital One
Capital One scored 691 points out of 1,000 in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, the highest ranking among the banks we considered. Customers who bank with Capital One will enjoy high APYs on deposit accounts, very few fees, an extensive ATM network and great customer service.
- High APY
- Few fees
- 70,000-ATM network
- 30 branch cafes
Best Rate: Apple Bank for Savings
Apple Bank's Simple Savings account is our pick for best interest rate, with a 3.5% APY paid on balances up to $49,999.99. Higher balances earn 4.15% APY. There is no opening or minimum balance requirement, no monthly service fees, and four out-of-network operator fees are reimbursed monthly. Plus, a debit card is included with the account.
- High APY on savings account
- Easy to open
- Low APY on other deposit accounts
Best Fees: Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union
Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union is our pick for best fees because it charges the fewest service charges among the institutions we considered. There are no monthly service fees, no insufficient funds fee, no incoming wire transfer fees and lower-than-usual outgoing wire fees. Plus, you’ll earn a decent 0.20% APY when you open a Checking Account and an even better 0.50% APY when you open a Savings Account.
- Few fees
- Opportunity to earn cash bonuses
- 70,000-ATM network
- No ATM card with Savings Account
Best Rewards: Citadel Credit Union
Citadel’s Cashback Rewards Checking account is our pick for the best rewards. New customers earn a $300 bonus when opening the account and then earn 1% cash back on purchases, up to $120 per year. Other perks include no Citadel fees on out-of-network ATMs, free overdraft transfers and no charge for stop payments.
- Earns cash back
- Sign-up bonus
- Few fees
- No APY on rewards checking account
- Requirements to waive the $10 monthly service fee can be steep
How we chose the Best Banks of 2023-2024
To determine our list of Best Banks for 2023-2024, Money staff evaluated 273 of the largest retail banks, credit unions, regional and state banks, ranked by assets, and 20 of the most popular online banks. We then compared opening balance requirements, interest paid, fees and features to determine our top picks. You can read our full methodology here.
More from Money
Back to Best Banks of 2023-2024
Best Banks for Members of the Military of 2023-2024