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Forbright Bank Review 2025

Updated January 31, 2025
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At a glance

Best eco-friendly bank

Overview

Forbright Bank can be a convenient option if you prefer in-person banking and live in the areas of Maryland and Virginia where there are a few branches. Accounts that can be opened online include the Growth Savings account and certificates of deposit (CDs). For accounts that include ATM access, customers receive unlimited fee refunds for withdrawals from non-Forbright ATMs. Some accounts earn high yields and charge low-to-no monthly service fees.

Highlights:

High APY ATM Fee Refunds Free Checking
4.6
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
Info Icon

CDs

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4 /5

Checking

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6 /5

Savings

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0 /5
4.6
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
Customer Score
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See all 21 consumer reviews Arrow Right Icon
Sponsored offers
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These are sponsored offers rated highly by us for competitive rates, fees, and minimums.

Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.90
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 2/22/2025
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer:
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.70
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 2/22/2025
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: It only takes about 5 minutes to open a fee-free account.
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
4.50
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 2/22/2025
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: No fees. Easy deposits and quick withdrawals.

Overall

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    All Forbright CDs come with a solid yield.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The Growth Savings account offers a stellar yield.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The checking account charges no service fees and earns very high interest when balance requirements are met.

Cons

  • Forbright Bank only offers four full-service branches in two states.

  • CDs and one savings account can be opened online, but you’ll need to visit a branch to open any other deposit account.

Forbright Bank Logo

We want to know what you think about Forbright Bank

Do you have experience with Forbright Bank? Let us know your thoughts.

5.0
/5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
4.25%
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Access to funds:
Great
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    The Growth Savings account earns a top-notch annual percentage yield (APY), which you can earn on any balance.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There’s no minimum opening deposit requirement.

Cons

  • The Growth Savings account does not come with ATM access.

See how rates for this account have changed over time. Interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.

Forbright Bank
APY
APY
Info Icon
National average APY
How do we get this data?
Info Icon
4.4
/5
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
4.25%
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum deposit:
$1,000.00
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
Info Icon
Range of term lengths:
9 mos – 5 yrs
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
3/5
Info Icon
Early withdrawal penalty:
Good
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
Info Icon
Offer no-penalty or bump-up CDs:
No
Rating: 0 stars out of 5
0/5
Info Icon
Offer IRA CDs:
Yes
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    All Forbright CDs offer solid yields, with some being particularly competitive.

Cons

  • Only a handful of CD terms are available.

  • While relatively standard, Forbright’s minimum opening deposit requirement is much higher than other online banks require.

See how rates for this account have changed over time. Select the CD term length from the dropdown and interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.

Forbright Bank
APY
APY
Info Icon
National average APY
Caret Down Icon
How do we get this data?
Info Icon
4.6
/5
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    The Bright Checking account earns a highly competitive APY when you meet balance requirements.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The account’s minimum opening deposit requirement is low.

  • Checkmark Icon

    No monthly fees are charged.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Forbright refunds all surcharges from banks when non-Forbright ATMs are used.

Cons

  • You must visit a branch to open a Bright Checking account.

  • No interest is earned on balances of less than $2,500.

  • A balance of at least $250,000 is required to earn the highest yield.

How Forbright Bank compares to other banks

Selected bank
Forbright Bank savings account
Forbright Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info Icon
Most comparable
Ally Bank savings account
Ally Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
Info Icon
Read review
Search for or select a bank:
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Bankrate score
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Read review
APY
Info Icon
4.25% 3.70%
Minimum balance for APY
$0.00 $0.00
Estimated earnings
Info Icon
$2,125 $1,850
Forbright Bank’s Growth Savings account earns a highly competitive yield, without requiring a minimum opening deposit or charging monthly service fees. Ally Bank consistently offers a competitive yield on its Online Savings Account. The online bank doesn’t have the absolute highest yield, but it offers a competitive one and doesn’t have a minimum balance requirement or a monthly service fee. The bank offers mobile deposit, but you’ll need to transfer money to the Ally checking account or money market account if you want to access money in your savings from an ATM.
  • The Growth Savings account earns a top-notch APY.
  • The account doesn’t require any minimum opening deposit.
  • No monthly service fees are charged.
  • Ally Bank offers a competitive yield on its Online Savings Account.
  • Ally Bank has savings tools, such as Surprise Savings where Ally Bank looks at your linked checking account for savings opportunities.
    N/A
  • The account does not come with ATM access.
  • Ally Bank doesn’t offer ATM access directly from its savings account.
  • Some other online banks offer a higher yield than Ally Bank.
    N/A

Bank fees

Fee Charged?
Overdraft fee None
Non-sufficient funds fee None
Monthly maintenance fee None
Out-of-network ATM fee None
Excessive transaction fee None

Customer experience

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Review methodology

With so many financial institutions to choose from, it can be hard to know who to trust. Bankrate’s ever-growing list of bank and credit union reviews is updated regularly. Our editorial team analyzes and reviews each institution across deposit products such as savings accounts, checking accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market accounts (MMAs). Banks are rated by important factors such as offered interest rates, fees, minimum balance requirements, access to funds and more.

We assign a score to each type of account and its features, weigh them carefully based on importance to account holders and determine an overall score. Read our full review methodology.

Forbright Bank customer reviews

CTA Forbright Bank has 21 reviews

Forbright Bank has 21 reviews

Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Forbright Bank.

4.6 Star Icon
21 ratings
Info Icon
Score breakdown
5 stars
57%
4 stars
43%
3 stars
0%
2 stars
0%
1 star
0%
Score by category
Overall Rating 4.6 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4.1 / 5
Amount of fees 4.1 / 5
Customer support 4.1 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4.2 / 5
Verified Badge Icon Bankrate methodology disclosure

In July 2024, Bankrate collaborated with a third-party vendor to survey 1,200 bank account holders nationwide. Bankrate and our vendor collected and summarized account holder responses to five rating questions on a 5-point scale as well as open-ended reviews of the banking experience. Responses are based on individual account holder product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Reviewers received an incentive for their feedback. Their ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by the associated bank or credit union, nor do these responses reflect Bankrate's own expert review of these banking products.

Community Reviews

See what users like you are saying about Forbright Bank.
Search Icon
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Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
It has great customer service and support.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
It was so trustworthy. Innovative and great service.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Thought about the bank that I chose is grateful and also satisfactory and his job those opposed to. Is fast gray and convenient and on time.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Make sure you have your documentation together or it will mess it up. They are amazingly fast with their customer service but you have to stay on top of your personals.
Score by category
Amount of fees 1 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 1 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
They should know that the bank is the best. Direct deposit checking and saving.
Score by category
Amount of fees 1 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 1 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 3 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
They have great customer service. Always treated nice.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
It looks very unique and high quality. I like it very much.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 3 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Option to fund by mail. Empathetic and understanding.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 3 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
To be able to take my money out when I need it. It's safe and easy way to get my money.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Anonymous account holder
September 13, 2024
Receiving a high annual interest rate without monthly maintenance fees. The high interest rate of 5.50 is superb!.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 3 / 5