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Forbright Bank Review 2025

Updated January 31, 2025
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At a glance

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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
4.5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score

CDs

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0 /5

Checking

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6 /5

Savings

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9 /5
4.4
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
Customer Score
See all 47 consumer reviews Arrow Right Icon
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Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.60
%
APY
As of 5/28/2025
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
Checking Account
0.50
%
APY
As of 5/28/2025
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Checking Account
0.00
%
APY
As of 5/28/2025
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon

Overall

Forbright Bank offers a full range of personal bank accounts as well as credit cards and loans. While CDs and the Growth Savings account can be opened online, all other deposit accounts need to be opened at a branch.

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.

Forbright Bank banking products

Forbright Growth Savings account

4.9
/5
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
4.25%
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Access to funds:
Good
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5

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.

Rate history for Forbright's Savings account

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

Forbright Bank
APY
National average APY

Display historical averages

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Time. Data ranges from 2024-05-01 04:00:00 to 2025-05-20 00:00:00.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Data ranges from 0.56 to 5.3.
End of interactive chart.
How do we get this data?

Forbright Bank certificates of deposit (CDs)

4.0
/5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
4.00%
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
Minimum deposit:
$1,000.00
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
Range of term lengths:
1 yr – 5 yrs
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
3/5
Early withdrawal penalty:
Good
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
Offer no-penalty or bump-up CDs:
No
Rating: 0 stars out of 5
0/5
Offer IRA CDs:
Yes
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5

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.

Rate history for Forbright's CD accounts

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
National average APY

Display historical averages

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Time. Data ranges from 2024-05-01 04:00:00 to 2025-05-20 00:00:00.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Data ranges from 1.73 to 5.25.
End of interactive chart.
Caret Down Icon
How do we get this data?

Forbright Bright Checking account

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

Compare different account types offered by Forbright. Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown were updated between May 21, 2025 and May 27, 2025.

Selected bank
Forbright Bank savings account
Forbright Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9
Most comparable
Ally Bank savings account
Ally Bank Logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
Read review
Search for or select a bank:
Caret Down Icon
American Express National Bank savings account
American Express National Bank logo
Member FDIC
Bankrate score
4.4
Read review
APY
4.25% 3.60% 3.60%
Minimum balance for APY
$0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Estimated earnings
$2,125 $1,800 $1,800
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. American Express National Bank offers a competitive yield on its High Yield Savings Account. The account doesn’t require a minimum opening deposit. The account also doesn’t have a monthly service fee or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
  • 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.
  • American Express features 24/7 customer support.
  • The bank lets you make automatic deposits into your savings account.
  • 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.
  • Some online banks offer a higher yield.

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

Physical presence. Forbright Bank operates four full-service branches in Maryland and Virginia. Forbright has a handful of accounts that must be opened online, including the Bright Checking account.

Customer support. Customer service for branch banking can be reached over the phone Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Growth Savings customer service is available weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET. 

Digital experience. The bank offers a basic mobile app through which Android and Apple users can check balances, deposit checks, pay bills and transfer money between accounts. While user reviews for the mobile app are generally positive, keep in mind that not many users have rated the app.

Caret Down Icon
Forbright mobile app account login
Forbright mobile app menu tab

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 47 reviews

Forbright Bank has 47 reviews

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

4.4 Star Icon
47 ratings
Score breakdown
5 stars
43%
4 stars
53%
3 stars
4%
2 stars
0%
1 star
0%
Score by category
Overall Rating 4.4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4.2 / 5
Amount of fees 4.4 / 5
Customer support 4.4 / 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
Caret Down Icon
Anonymous account holder
March 26, 2025
Overall great services the mobile app is super easy to navigate, and having a fast response time when it comes to money is a must therefore, it is a very convenient app and bank to use.
Score by category
Amount of fees 3 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 2 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) No
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account No
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 26, 2025
The user interface is very simple and easy to understand. If you need customer support or any help, someone is there to help you.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) Yes
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account Yes
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 26, 2025
Good overall service and great customer care when it comes to deposit features.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) Yes
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account Yes
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 26, 2025
Great experience. They offer high interest rates.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) Yes
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account No
Checking Account No
Anonymous account holder
March 25, 2025
Great experience. They help me with everything that I need. Customer service is amazing and always one phone call away.
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) Yes
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account Yes
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 7, 2025
Their retirement savings options are diverse
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) No
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account Yes
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 7, 2025
Very nice and easy bank communication is great when I need help with my banking.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 2 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 1 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) No
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account No
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 7, 2025
I’ve had an amazing experience banking with them and they take care of their customers.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 4 / 5
Website / Mobile app 5 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) Yes
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account Yes
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 7, 2025
Forbright Bank offers a range of deposit products, including high-yield Yes - Savingss and CDs, which are competitive with online banks. I appreciate the bank’s commitment to sustainability and green financing. However, as a relatively newer institution, its product offerings are not as extensive as larger banks.
Score by category
Amount of fees 4 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 5 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) No
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account Yes
Checking Account Yes
Anonymous account holder
March 7, 2025
Their instant transaction update help me track spending
Score by category
Amount of fees 5 / 5
Competitiveness of APY 4 / 5
Customer support 5 / 5
Website / Mobile app 4 / 5
Accounts held by this user
Certificate of Deposit (CD) Yes
Money Market Account (MMA) No
Savings Account Yes
Checking Account No