The best national banks of 2020

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Below you’ll find our picks for the best national banks in each region of the US: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. We’ve also listed our choice for the best nationwide national bank (for travelers and people who frequently move), and our selection for the best online bank.

Each of these banks is insured by the FDIC, makes it easy to access your money, has a good app, and provides a variety of products.

Our expert panel for this guide

We consulted banking and financial planning experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the best national banks for your needs. You can read their insights at the bottom of this post.

We’re focusing on what will make a national bank most useful, including customer service, fees, rates, and more.

Branch and ATM locations: TD Bank has over 1,300 branch locations across 16 states, and there are roughly 1,900 ATMs.

Why it stands out: Many branch locations are open seven days per week, which is great if you struggle to make it to the bank during the workday. TD Bank also ranked first in JD Power’s 2019 US National Banking Satisfaction Study.

What to look out for: ATM fees. TD Bank’s ATM fees aren’t necessarily higher than other banks’ fees, but its fine print may affect which checking account you choose to open. Just be aware that the TD Bank Beyond Checking Account is the only TD Bank checking account that doesn’t charge a fee when you non-TD Bank ATMs — and in order for TD Bank to reimburse fees charged by out-of-network ATM operators, your balance must be at least $2,500.

Visit the TD Bank website »

Branch and ATM locations: Regions has 1,392 branch locations in 15 states, and around 2,200 ATMs.

Why it stands out: Regions offers a variety of bank accounts, so you can likely find one that fits your needs. The LifeGreen® Savings account doesn’t charge monthly fees, and it pays an annual cash bonus.

What to look out for: Although Regions has a plethora of locations across the Southeast, there are no branches in Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington DC. People in those areas looking for a national bank could consider alternatives such as Chase, PNC Bank, or BB&T.

Visit the Regions website »

Branch and ATM locations: US Bank has around 3,000 branch locations in 26 states, and roughly 5,000 ATMs.

Why it stands out: If you want to open a CD with a national bank, US Bank is a solid choice. The bank provides more types of CDs than most big banks, including Step Up CDs that increase your rate every seven months, and Trade Up CDs that increase your rate once during the term if US Bank rates go up.

What to look out for: Monthly fees. Although it’s possible to waive monthly maintenance fees, US Bank makes it a little harder than many competing national banks. There are also currently no branch locations in Michigan. Residents of Michigan might consider national banks such as Chase, Bank of America, or PNC Bank.

Visit the US Bank website »

Branch and ATM locations: Bank of America has over 4,200 branch locations in 37 states, and 16,000 ATMs.

Why it stands out: Although Bank of America has fewer branch locations than Wells Fargo, it does have more ATMs — in fact, Bank of America is tied with Chase for the most ATMs by a national brick-and-mortar bank. It also has branches in more states than…