Brick-and-mortar banks offer a range of products and services that most online banks still can't match, but the top banks go even further by offering the best bank rates and in-person customer service. GOBankingRates' annual Best Banks study identified the 10 best banks in America for 2017, surveying data from the 72 largest, national brick-and-mortar banks by asset size, according to the FDIC, and evaluating them on the following criteria:
Yields, fees or other terms on checking, savings and one-year certificates of deposit
Products offered
Accessibility
BauerFinancial Star Rating indicating overall financial strength
Compare bank accounts and banking services that the best banks offer, then assess whether you're getting what you need from your current bank. You might find that it's time to try a new bank.
See: TD Bank Is the Best Bank of 2017
The 10 Best Banks of 2017
Here are the 10 best national banks in the country, offering some of the best bank interest rates and accounts available:
TD Bank
Citibank
Wells Fargo
Bank of America
Chase Bank
U.S. Bank
PNC Bank
HSBC Bank USA
Branch Banking and Trust Company
Regions Bank
Bank
Checking Fee
Savings APY
12-Month CD APY (%)
Products Offered
Branch Locations
24/7 Customer Service
TD Bank
$5.99
0.05%
0.25%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
1,300
No
Citibank
$12
0.01%
0.15%
Checking, savings, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
5,000
Yes
Wells Fargo Bank
$10
0.01%
0.05%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
6,000
Yes
Bank of America
$12
0.01%
0.05%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
5,000
No
Chase Bank
$12
0.01%
0.01%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services
5,300
Yes
U.S. Bank
$6.95
0.01%
0.10%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
3,122
No
PNC Bank
$7
0.01%
0.04%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
2,600
No
HSBC Bank USA
$3
0.01%
0.95%
Checking, savings, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
4,400
Yes
Branch Banking and Trust Company
$5
0.03%
0.10%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
2,200
Yes
Regions Bank
$8
0.01%
0.10%
Checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services, insurance
1,772
No
Best: TD Bank
Why: TD Bank offers 24/7 customer service, and you can bank online or on the go with your mobile device. At TD Bank, you can find the most common types of bank accounts and more: checking, savings, money market accounts, credit cards, home equity loans and lines of credit, prepaid cards, mortgages, and personal loans. All these offerings are part of what make TD Bank the best bank in America.
Review: TD Bank is serious about customer service. It offers extended branch hours during the week, is open on weekends, and is even open on some holidays, such as Columbus Day, Veterans Day and Presidents' Day. It's competitive APYs, mobile app and comprehensive products and services make it a best bank to bank with in general. It also has one of the lowest checking account fees at $5.99. Together, these factors put it above its competition in the study.
How to join: You can open an account online or at a branch.
Banks That Rounded Out the Top 10
The finalists for the Best National Bank award include some 2016 finalists for the same category. Learn what makes these banks outstanding year after year.
Citibank
Why: Citibank offers a range of products, 24/7 customer service, a mobile app, some of the best bank rates, and remote check deposit. Citibank also has 5,000 branch locations.
Review: An array of banking products along with competitive rates and a selection of financial tools puts Citibank in the top 10. You can bank online or via your mobile device, including by text. Freebies like online bank statements, account linking, debit card and account alerts come with a Citibank account. One of the most appealing features of Citibank is its accessibility: It has about 5,000 branch locations and more than 65,000 ATMs. It was edged out by TD Bank because Citibank's checking account fee is double TD's fee.
How to join: You can open an account online or at any branch location.
Wells Fargo
Why: Wells Fargo Bank charges a $10 monthly checking fee, but it offers many products, including auto loans and insurance, and it provides customers with many branch locations and 24/7 customer service.
Review: You can work around that $10 monthly checking account fee -- one way to do that is to set up direct deposit or make 10 posted debit card purchases or payments per fee period. Wells Fargo offers checking accounts with interest and even premium checking accounts that earn you rewards. With approximately 6,000 branch locations nationwide, it's hard to beat this kind of convenience.
How to join: You can open an account online or at a branch.
Bank of America
Why: Bank of America offers a full line of banking products along with a regular checking account and interest checking account, both of which have fees.
Review: Bank of America's checking fees are high, but you can avoid them if you meet certain requirements. You can access your money at approximately 5,000 brick-and-mortar locations in the U.S. You also have access to mobile banking, and you get a secure debit chip card when you open an account. The bank offers a full array of financial products, including checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, investment services and insurance.
How to join: You can open an account online or in a branch.
Related: 10 Best Online Banks of 2017
Chase Bank
Why: Chase Bank offers four different checking accounts, including one designed for students that features lower fees and a low, $25 minimum deposit to open.
Review: With a full range of products and tools that can help you manage your finances, Chase Bank makes it easy to bank by phone, online or at a branch. Chase has 5,200 branches and 16,000 ATMs across the U.S. All Chase accounts come with online banking and bill pay, mobile banking and a free debit card. This bank also has special financial services for military servicemen and veterans with a valid ID; if you qualify, you can enjoy a host of checking benefits, including no annual fee for a safe deposit box, no fee on money orders or cashier's checks, and no fee for the first four non-Chase ATM transactions.
How to join: You can open an account online or at a branch.
U.S. Bank
Why: With a lower-than-average checking fee of $6.95 and a full line of banking products, U.S. Bank offers customers many options in the form of checking and savings, including a safe debit account, which works like a checking account without the checks.
Review: U.S. Bank provides its customers with a debit card, no-fee transactions at U.S. Bank ATMs, mobile check deposit, bill pay and online banking. U.S. Bank has 3,122 branch locations, which is fewer than many others on this list, but you'll likely find one of its nearly 5,000 ATMs near you.
How to join: You can open an account online or at a branch.
PNC Bank
Why: PNC Bank offers a high 12-month CD APY and a host of money management tools to its customers. Bonus: PNC supports early education, sustainable building practices and community organizations.
Review: With PNC's Virtual Wallet, you can you manage your money easily with a calendar view of your transactions, the ability to track spending by category, and more. Although PNC has only 2,600 brick-and-mortar locations nationwide, it has more than 8,800 ATMs. With PNC's mobile banking, mobile apps and online banking, you can bank where and when you choose.
How to join: You can open an account online or at a branch.
HSBC Bank USA
Why: HSBC serves customers from offices and branches in cities across the U.S. It offers a full range of financial products and charges only $3 for its monthly checking fee, the lowest out of the top 10 banks.
Review: HSBC offers its customers a low checking fee of $3 and a 0.95% APY on a 12-month CD. The bank also offers four different checking accounts, 4,400 branches worldwide and 24/7 customer service.
How to join: You can open an account by visiting a branch.
Branch Banking and Trust Company
Why: Branch Banking and Trust Company offers five different checking and seven different savings account options. Checking account holders receive debit cards, direct deposit, online and mobile access, free bill pay, and mobile check deposit. The checking account has a low $5 monthly account fee.
Review: With branches in 15 states and Washington, D.C., Branch Banking and Trust Company makes banking convenient for its customers by offering online and mobile banking, plus an array of personal financial management tools. The low, $5 monthly maintenance fee on its Fundamentals Checking account does not require you to keep a minimum balance. BB&T has more than 2,000 branches and 3,100 ATMs.
How to join: You can open an account at a branch, by phone or online.
Regions Bank
Why: Regions Bank offers checking customers free access to online banking with bill pay, secure mobile banking, multiple overdraft protection options and a Visa check card. With five available accounts, there's something for everyone, including seniors and students.
Review: The bank offers a full range of products, variety of personal banking solutions, and 24/7 customer service. Its website guides you through the first step of managing your finances by asking you a series of questions to match you with the right account for you according to your answers. Regions Bank is one of the smaller financial institutions on this list, having 1,600 branches and 2,000 ATMs, but its checking account fee is a relatively low $8, and it's 0.10% APY CD rate is higher that rates offered by larger banks in the top 10.
How to join: You can open an account online or at a branch.
Learn: Why Banks Require a Minimum Balance
Methodology: To determine its Best National Brick-and-Mortar Banks category ranking, GOBankingRates examined the top 72 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.
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 was compiled via the GOBankingRates interest rate database and verified against the individual institutions' websites between Oct. 11 and Oct. 26, 2016. Rates, terms and conditions are subject to change at the discretion of the individual financial institutions.
GOBankingRates is a personal finance and consumer interest rate website owned by ConsumerTrack, Inc., an online marketing company serving top-tier banks, credit unions, and other financial services organizations. Some banks mentioned in the Best Banks of 2017 survey 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.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Best National Banks of 2017