Best banks in Florida for 2024

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Managing your finances and choosing the right bank can be daunting, especially in a state as big and diverse as Florida. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you and narrowed down the top picks for the best banks and credit unions in Florida.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the factors we considered when selecting our top choices for Florida banks, such as branch access, regional presence, customer service and product offerings. We’ll also provide an overview of each bank or credit union and highlight pros and cons. Whether you’re a Florida resident or planning to move to the Sunshine State, this guide will help you make an informed decision on where to bank.

Our picks for best banks and credit unions in Florida

Best branch access: Wells Fargo

Whether you’re at the tip of the state in Tallahassee or by the water in Miami, Wells Fargo probably has a branch nearby, as it maintains the most branches of any bank in Florida, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC).

Alongside wide branch access in the Sunshine State, Wells Fargo maintains branches in 39 other states and approximately 11,000 ATMs nationwide. All combined, Wells Fargo gives customers — whether at home or traveling — easy access to their cash and the bank’s services.

Wells Fargo offers the full range of consumer deposit accounts, which includes certificates of deposit (CDs), savings and checking accounts. To boot, the bank has several options for each account type, including several checking and savings accounts to choose from.

That noted, Wells Fargo doesn’t tend to offer the most competitive interest rates on the market. For example, while some of its promotional CDs come with competitive annual percentage yields (APYs), most of its savings accounts offer very low — if not rock-bottom — rates.

Best regional bank: PNC Bank

PNC Bank — our choice for the best regional bank in Florida — is a fairly large regional bank with more than 2,000 branches across the Northeast, South and Midwest. It’s the sixth largest bank in Florida based on the number of branches in the state.

As with the other banks on this list, PNC offers a full suite of deposit accounts, so whether you need a checking, savings or money market account, PNC will have an option for you.

PNC maintains a robust ATM network with more than 60,000 ATMs available nationwide, so even when you’re away from home or traveling outside PNC’s regional footprint, you’ll have fee-free access to your cash.

However, the yields on PNC’s savings products, like CDs and savings accounts, are hit or miss depending on which account you’re interested in or eligible for.

For example, PNC’s Virtual Wallet — which combines checking and savings services under one account — has a “Pro” option with a competitive yield, but it’s only available in select states. In contrast, its standard savings account comes with a rock-bottom yield. Likewise, only promotional CDs offer competitive yields at PNC while standard CDs come with very low rates.

Best Credit Union: Suncoast

Suncoast — the largest credit union in Florida and tenth largest in the nation — is our pick for the best credit union in the Sunshine state. Suncoast maintains nearly 80 branches in Florida, and membership is open to those who live, work or worship in select Florida counties.

Suncoast Credit Union offers a full host of deposit accounts, ranging all the way from CDs to money market accounts, allowing customers to consolidate their finances under one roof. Of particular note, the credit union offers a free interest-bearing checking account and it generally charges few fees, including no monthly maintenance fees on its deposit accounts.

These positives aside, Suncoast doesn’t offer the most competitive savings account among credit unions, especially compared with online institutions like Alliant Credit Union on the market. Moreover, while Suncoast Credit Union is the largest in Florida, its branches are mostly contained to the western side of the state, so it may not be the best pick for everyone. But its large ATM network of more than 30,000 ATMs nationwide at least partially makes up for this.

Best Customer Service: Fifth Third Bank

Our pick for the bank with the best customer service in Florida is Fifth Third Bank, which ranked first in Florida in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction study. Chase Bank was a close second, trailing just a couple of points shy of our pick.

The J.D. Power survey is a good barometer of customer satisfaction as it fields responses from more than 100,000 retail banking customers across different regions of the country. The study measures satisfaction across seven dimensions, including trust, account offerings, digital channels and resolving problems or complaints.

To boot, Fifth Third Bank mobile app users on iOS and Android are highly satisfied with the mobile app, as it receives high marks on both platforms. Collectively, a robust number of users — more than 500,000 — have reviewed the app.

Fifth Third Bank offers any bank account you may need, ranging from CDs to money market accounts, making it easy for you to consolidate your banking under one roof. And with more than 40,000 ATMs across the country and approximately 1,000 branches in 12 states, you’ll never be too far from fee-free access to your cash.

However, you’ll need to watch out for low APYs on standard CDs and the Fifth Third Momentum Savings account, in addition to hefty overdraft and monthly maintenance fees for some accounts.

How to choose the right bank for you

The right bank for you depends on your financial goals and priorities, with options ranging from traditional banks to online banks and credit unions. Here is a list of tips to consider when choosing a bank:

• Look for banks with low or no fees, especially for common charges like monthly maintenance fees, ATM fees and overdraft fees.
• When considering accounts to stash your savings, look for banks with competitive APYs.
• Consider the convenience of local branches and digital features, like mobile banking and the ability to lock your debit card.
• Read the fine print and understand the terms and conditions of your chosen bank, including potential promotional deals and federal insurance coverage.
• Research bank reviews and consider managing accounts at multiple banks or credit unions for a more tailored banking experience.

Methodology

To determine our picks for the best banks in Florida, the Bankrate editorial team utilized our existing bank reviews and other sources of data, including branch information from the FDIC. While writing these bank reviews, we analyze each bank’s physical footprint and deposit accounts, including certificates of deposit (CDs), checking, savings and money market accounts. In reviewing these accounts, we consider important factors such as account features and fees, digital experience, interest rates and access to funds. We utilized these existing bank reviews, among other sources, in the process for selecting the best banks for branch access, customer service, regional bank and credit union in Florida.