Finding the Best Banks in Las Vegas
Las Vegas offers a solid mix of both big and regional banks. This allows residents to choose the bank that they feel most comfortable with, whether its a bank with thousands of locations in the country or a bank with more of a community feel. Each bank below offers a great variety of bank accounts, some with better rates than others.
Bank | APY | Min. Deposit | Highlights | |
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Ally Bank | 4.00% | $0 |
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Wells Fargo | 0.01% | $25 |
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Zions Bank | 0.10% | $50 |
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CIT Bank | 0.40% | $100 |
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WaFd Bank | 0.10% | $25 |
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Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
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Zions Bank | 0% | $50 |
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First Security Bank of Nevada | 0.15% | $2,500 |
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U.S. Bank | 0.00% | $25 |
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How We Determined the Best Banks in Las Vegas
To find the best banks in Las Vegas, SmartAsset’s experts started with the top 15 banks in the area by branch numbers. We looked at each bank’s personal account offerings, noting each account’s fees, minimum deposits and interest rates. Below, you’ll find the best banks in Las Vegas by various categories to find the one that works best for you.
Ally Bank: The Top Savings Account
Ally is a mobile- and web-centric bank that’s available to anyone throughout the U.S. Regardless of whether you want a checking account or savings account, Ally offers high-end interest rates. The Ally Online Savings Account gets a 4.00% APY, which the bank claims is 10x the national average. To put this rate into perspective, a starting balance of $10,000 would gain $1,698.59 in interest over a four-year span. On the other hand, the Spending Account earns an APY of up to 0.25% APY.
Ally has partnered with two services called Zelle® and Allpoint to make the lives of its customers easier. Zelle is a peer-to-peer money transfer program that lets you make quick payments to friends and family for free. Allpoint is a massive ATM network with more than 55,000 fee-free machines located around the world. If you must swipe your debit card at an out-of-network ATM, Ally will reimburse up to $10 in ATM charges per statement cycle.
Ally’s mobile app goes far beyond the bounds of just Zelle, though. In fact, account holders can also utilize perks like mobile check deposit, online/mobile transaction histories and account statements, automatic bill pay and more. This app is available for both Apple and Android users. More than 20,000 customers have reviewed the Ally app between these two competing app stores, with an average rating of 4.35 stars out of 5.
Best National Bank With Branches in Las Vegas: Wells Fargo
For Las Vegas residents who want the easiest access to a bank branch, Wells Fargo offers the best option. The bank has 74 branches in Las Vegas. Even when you don’t need a physical branch to bank, Wells Fargo has a thorough online and mobile banking experience.
Wells Fargo offers a great variety of personal bank accounts from a simple savings account to IRAs. This makes it perfect for customers who want to keep all bank accounts in one spot for easier management.
Best Regional Bank: Zions Bank
If you want to bank with a more local institution, Zions Bank operates in nine states in the West. With 30 branches in Las Vegas, the bank maintains a total of 500 financial centers and 600 ATMs.
Despite its limited physical presence, Zions Bank also offers a great range of bank accounts. You can open a savings account, certificates of deposit, money market accounts and checking accounts. Plus, the bank offers some pretty competitive interest rates on its accounts, especially its CD rates.
Best Savings Account Rate: CIT Bank Savings Builder Account
Savings accounts with desirable interest rates are often paired with exorbitant opening minimums, but not the Savings Builder account. In fact, CIT requires just a $100 deposit to get started. The top APY Savings Builder customers can attain is 1.00%, though a couple of conditions do apply. Only accounts that take in $100 or more in monthly deposits or maintain a balance of $25,000 and up will receive this rate. All other accounts earn interest at 0.40% clip.
Online/mobile banking is becoming increasingly important to customers, and CIT has branded itself in this light. Truth be told, CIT is a branchless bank that operates entirely through its online banking website and 3.85-star Apple and Android mobile apps. By using these, you can check your transaction histories and account statements 24/7 and transfer money between your CIT accounts. Mobile check deposit makes adding money to your account as simple as snapping a picture with your phone.
There are many ways to save, and CIT has options for those that want to expand beyond the bounds of the Savings Builder account. Feel free to pick and choose from a secondary savings account, a money market account and more than 15 term CDs, jumbo CDs, no-penalty CDs and CIT’s proprietary alternative, the “RampUp” CD.
Runner-up for Best Savings Account Rate: WaFd Bank Statement or Passbook Savings Accounts
Regional financial institution WaFd Bank offers Las Vegas residents the best savings account. Opening a Statement or Passbook Savings account gives you the best rate in relation to the account’s minimum balance and monthly fee requirements. You’ll need at least $25 to open the account, but at least $100 to earn interest and at least $200 to avoid the $4 monthly fee.
If you’re able to maintain at least the $100 balance, you can earn at a 0.10% APY. If you can avoid the fee, you should work toward that so your savings can stay intact.
Best Customer Service: Chase Bank
Chase offers some of the best bank customer service in the Southwest, according to a customer satisfaction survey. It scored especially high in facilities and account activities, landing it in a top spot for overall satisfaction. Plus, as one of the largest banks, Chase has almost 50 locations in Las Vegas alone, with thousands more locations in 25 other states.
You can open a few different personal accounts at Chase like savings, checking and CD accounts. Unfortunately, Chase doesn’t offer great rates so you shouldn’t expect any big savings when banking here. You’ll also want to be careful of ATM and monthly service fees.
Best Free Checking Account: Zions Bank Anytime Checking Account
The best free checking account for Las Vegas residents is the Zions Bank Anytime Checking account. There is no monthly fee to own the account. You don’t need to worry about meeting any balance or transaction requirements to waive a fee, but you’ll need at least $50 to open the account. This amount is substantially lower than many checking account minimums at other regional banks.
The account also includes standard overdraft protection transfers which can protect you from paying a high overdraft fee.
Best High-Yield Checking Account: First Security Bank of Nevada Prime Advantage Checking Account
Want more benefits from a checking account? Consider the interest-earning Prime Advantage Checking account from First Security Bank of Nevada. The account does require a pretty high minimum deposit of $2,500 to open. You’ll also need to maintain this balance to avoid a monthly service charge of $10.
The account earns at a 0.15% APY on all balances. The account also includes unlimited deposits, check-writing abilities and a free first order of standard checks.
Best for Students: U.S. Bank Student Checking
Whether you’re from Las Vegas or you’re simply attending school there, U.S. Bank has a student account for you. The bank operates the second-most branches in Las Vegas, totaling at 68 locations. You can find the bank in 25 other states, making it easier for students traveling to and from school and home.
The U.S. Bank Student Checking account requires only $25 to open. You won’t have to worry about a monthly service fee, although if you’re attached to keeping paper records, you’ll have to pay $2 for each paper statement. You can easily avoid that fee by signing up for eStatements. Plus, U.S. Bank will allow four free non-U.S. Bank ATM transactions per statement period.