2018 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS
Which are the 5 Best Jacksonville, Florida Credit Unions & Banks to Trust with Your Money?
Jacksonville, Florida may not get all the publicity of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, but it makes up for it in population. It’s the largest city in the state of Florida with a population of over 900,000.
People that live, work, and go to school there are naturally looking for the best bank in Jacksonville, Florida to trust with their savings, investments, and to give them great rates on home and auto loans.
Award Emblem: Top 5 Best Banks & Credit Unions in Jacksonville, FL
The first consideration when deciding to switch financial institutions is whether to choose from Jacksonville, Florida credit unions or go with a traditional bank in Jacksonville, FL.
Both types of organizations offer similar services, but there are some distinct differences between credit unions and banks in Jacksonville, Florida. We’ll cover those in our FAQ section below so you’ll know what you’re dealing with when researching them.
But first, let’s take a look at a summary of our top picks for the best credit union or best bank in Jacksonville, FL and see how each stacks up. You’ll also see which Jacksonville, Florida bank we’d recommend to avoid until they improve in a few areas.
Top 5 Best Jacksonville, Florida Credit Unions & Banks (& 1 to Avoid) | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Credit Union or Bank in Jacksonville, FL | Ratings |
| Ameris Bank | 5 |
| Community First Credit Union | 5 |
| Jax Federal Credit Union | 5 |
| VyStar Credit Union | 5 |
| Regions Bank | 3 |
| Jacksonville Savings Bank | 1 |
Table: Top 5 Credit Unions & Banks in Jacksonville, Florida (& 1 to Avoid) | Above list is sorted by rating
Jacksonville, FL Banks & Credit Unions FAQ | What’s the Difference Between Credit Unions & Banks?
For people that have always used banks, credit unions in Jacksonville, FL might be somewhat of a mystery. But over the years, credit unions have evolved and most of them offer identical account, investment, and loan services as banks do.
There are, however, a few key distinctions between Jacksonville, FL credit unions and banks that you’ll want to be aware of:
- Depositors are called “members” at credit unions and “customers” at banks.
- Credit unions are member owned, banks are privately or shareholder owned.
- Because credit unions in Jacksonville, FL are not-for-profit, they can often offer better interest rates on savings accounts and loans.
- Credit unions have member eligibility requirements typically tied to where you live, work or volunteer, while banks are open to the general public.
- Even the best banks in Jacksonville, FL don’t usually share resources with other banks, but credit unions often share locations in a CO-OP to increase convenience.
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AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top-rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top-rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Jacksonville, Florida Banks and Credit Unions (& 1 to Avoid)
Below, please find a detailed review of each financial firm on our list of top Jacksonville, Florida credit unions and banks. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these banks and credit unions in Jacksonville, Florida to score so highly in our selection ranking.
Click on any of the names below to go directly to the review section for that bank or credit union.
- Ameris Bank
- Community First Credit Union
- Jax Federal Credit Union
- VyStar Credit Union
- Regions Bank
- Jacksonville Savings Bank
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Ameris Bank Review
Ameris Bank was founded in 1971 in Moultrie, GA, which is just over 150 miles from Jacksonville. It’s one of the regional banks in Jacksonville, FL that serves four southeastern states. If you were a customer of The Jacksonville Bank, you’ll be familiar with them because Ameris acquired them a few years ago.
Below are the highlights that make Ameris Bank stand out on this 2018 Ranking of Best Jacksonville, Florida Banks and Credit Unions.
Ameris Bank Jacksonville, FL Services at a Glance:
- 13 branch locations in Jacksonville, FL & surrounding areas
- Personal & business banking
- Home mortgage or equity loans
- SBA financing
- Personal CDs & IRAs
- Better Business Bureau A+ rating
SBA Preferred Lender
If you’re starting your own business and need some capital, this is one of the best banks in Jacksonville, FL to consider. They’re a preferred lender with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and offer things like real estate loans, franchise lending, and fast loan processing for businesses.
Open a Checking Account Online
Want to open a new checking account at one of the Jacksonville, FL banks on our list, but can’t find the time to visit a branch? Ameris lets you open your account online from anywhere. An initial deposit of $100 is required, and you can choose from three different levels of checking accounts.
Rating Summary
We awarded Ameris Bank with a 5 rating as one of the best banks in Jacksonville, FL to trust with your money. They make it easy to bank with them from the comfort of your own home and have a visually appealing, easy to navigate website.
Being a SBA Preferred Lender means they are one of the top Jacksonville, FL banks for small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to get some capital to start or grow their company.
Overall, the great service provided by this smaller regional financial institution combined with the convenience of the personal and business banking products they offer earned them a spot as one of the best bank in Jacksonville, FL.
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Community First Credit Union Review
Interested in joining a credit union that serves NE Florida? Then Community First Credit Union Jacksonville is definitely worth considering. They’ve been serving the area for over 75 years and are headquartered in Jacksonville.
Below are the highlights that make Community First Credit Union Jacksonville, FL stand out on this 2018 Ranking of Best Jacksonville, Florida Banks and Credit Unions.
Community First Credit Union Services at a Glance:
- 8 branch locations in Jacksonville, FL & surrounding areas
- Personal & business banking
- Cash back Visa® cards
- Investment services
- Auto & home lending
- Better Business Bureau A- rating
Great CD Rates
Like the safety of investing in a certificate of deposit? Then this is one of the credit unions in Jacksonville, FL that can give you a great rate. They offer rates as high as 1.50% APR on a 16 month CD, minimum $100,000, or 1.40% for investing just $500.
Auto Loans with Deferred Payment
Community First Credit Union Jacksonville makes is easy to get a car when you really need one while also offering a little breathing room on the payments. They offer car loans with no payments for 90 days when you buy or refinance.
Rating Summary
We rated Community First Credit Union Jacksonville a 5 as one of the best credit unions in Jacksonville, Florida. They illustrate one of the best features of banking with a credit union, which is their flexibility to offer great rates both on loans and savings products.
This is a Jacksonville, FL credit union that has good reviews on multiple websites, which shows they make customer service a priority.
Community First Credit Union Jacksonville also makes it easy to join. You only need to live or work in Baker, Clay, St. Johns, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, or Flagler county, be related to a member, or join before retiring elsewhere.
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Jax Federal Credit Union Review
The next of the top credit unions in Jacksonville, Florida on our ranking is Jax Federal Credit Union. They call themselves the “Goldilocks of banking”, meaning they’re a perfect fit for many. They’ve been serving members since 1935.
Below are the highlights that make Jax Federal Credit Union stand out on AdvisoryHQ’s 2018 Ranking of Best Jacksonville, Florida Banks and Credit Unions.
Jax Federal Credit Union Services at a Glance:
- 6 branch locations in Jacksonville, FL & surrounding areas
- Online & mobile banking
- Over 5,000 shared branch locations in the U.S.
- Money markets, CDs, & IRAs
- Low lending rates
- Better Business Bureau A+ rating
Visa® Credit Card Choices
Whether you want to get a new credit card or a lower rate on a balance transfer, this is one of the credit unions in Jacksonville, FL that has some great options. They offer cards with rates as low as 8.90% APR and secured cards with credit limits starting at $500—to establish or re-establish credit
Member Rewards & Discounts
Jax Federal Credit Union belongs to the “Love My Credit Union Rewards” program, meaning you can get some great deals just for banking there. Some of the current offers include $100 cash reward at Sprint and $15 off on Turbo Tax Federal tax products.
Rating Summary
Happy customers and employees—according to rating sites like Glassdoor and Yelp—are one of the reasons that Jax Federal Credit Union earned a 5 rating as a top Jacksonville, FL credit union.
Besides having great credit, loan, and rewards programs that members can take advantage of, on their website they also include helpful financial advice. From holiday money saving tips to Black Friday budgeting, they’re one of the credit unions in Jacksonville, Florida that truly cares about their members’ finances.
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VyStar Credit Union Review
Another Jacksonville, Florida credit union to make our 2018 Ranking is VyStar Credit Union. They’ve been in business since 1952, when they operated under the name Jax Navy Federal, and they happen to be the 2nd largest mortgage lender in North Florida.
Below are the highlights that make VyStar Credit Union stand out on this 2018 Best Jacksonville, Florida Banks and Credit Unions Ranking.
VyStar Credit Union Services at a Glance:
- 18 branch locations in Jacksonville, FL & surrounding areas
- Home & personal loans
- Teen, student, & young adult accounts
- Online bill pay & money transfers
- Business banking services
- Better Business Bureau A+ rating
Checking & Savings Products for Everyone
Looking for one of the Jacksonville, Florida credit unions where you can start your child on the path to saving money from an early age? How about one that offers checking accounts tailored to seniors?
VyStar is one of the Jacksonville, FL credit unions that has all those account types and more, so you know that whether you’re 22 or 75, they’ve got your needs covered.
Financial Advice & Planning Resources
We all have needs that are different at various stages of life. VyStar is among the Jacksonville, Florida banks and credit unions that understand that. The Advice & Planning area of their website includes a brochure library, LifeStages connection to combat identity theft, and other tools to help you control and protect your hard earned money.
Rating Summary
VyStar is another credit union in Jacksonville, FL that earned itself a 5 rating. One of the reasons is that they have easy to qualify for membership requirements. You only need to live or work in one of 22 Florida counties to join.
A best Jacksonville, Florida bank or credit union will also know that people have different financial needs, so they don’t take a cookie cutter approach to their accounts. They have several different checking and savings options designed to fit many different people.
Reputation is also a reason this Jacksonville, FL credit union earned a top score. They get great marks and reviews for their service and rates.
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Regions Bank Review
For those that would like to bank with a larger, national bank, Regions Bank may be the Jacksonville, Florida bank you’re looking for. They’re one of the country’s largest providers of consumer and commercial banking services, and offer over 1,500 offices throughout the U.S.
Below are the highlights that make Regions Bank stand out on this 2018 Ranking of Best Jacksonville, Florida Banks and Credit Unions.
Regions Bank Services at a Glance:
- 12 locations in Jacksonville, FL & surrounding areas
- Savings & investment products
- Online & mobile banking
- Property, vehicle, & life insurance
- Personal, small business, & commercial banking
- Better Business Bureau A+ rating
Insurance to Meet Everyone’s Needs
Whether you’re looking for business insurance, individual insurance, or employee benefits, this is of the banks in Jacksonville, Florida that can meet your needs–and not by connecting you with a different company. They have their own Regions Insurance team that can tailor an insurance product to meet your needs.
Digital Banking
Regions Bank is built for providing excellent digital banking flexibility. Their Regions My GreenInsights is a smart tool that allows you to chart your budgeting and spending. It also comes in handy if you want to set up payoff goals for your loan(s), making them one of the best banks in Jacksonville, FL if you love to track and chart your finances.
Rating Summary
We rated Regions Bank a high 3 on our list of Top Banks in Jacksonville, Florida. The only thing holding them back from a higher rating are some mixed reviews online, some of which note high minimum balance requirements on CDs and low savings account interest rates.
If you’re looking for a larger Jacksonville, FL credit union or bank so you can keep your account if you move to another city, then Regions is definitely a great option. They’ve got a commitment to customer service and provide the digital tools to help chart your financial future.
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Jacksonville Savings Bank Review
This town has some excellent options for the best banks in Jacksonville, FL, however we did run across one that you may want to avoid. Jacksonville Savings Bank doesn’t quite have all the same things going for it as some other Jacksonville, Florida banks and credit unions on our list.
Below are some of the improvements we feel would help Jacksonville Savings Bank move up on this 2018 Ranking of Best Credit Unions and Banks in Jacksonville, FL.
Clear Up Some Identity Confusion
When you first visit the website of this Jacksonville, Florida bank, there is immediately some confusion. At the top of the site, in addition to Jacksonville Savings Bank, there are three other bank names listed. We recommend that they start building their own identity to help future customers know who they’re banking with.
Add Jacksonville, FL Locations
If you truly want to serve a city, three locations are a little lacking. This is of the Jacksonville, FL banks that had the fewest locations than any other–both those that made our best banks in Jacksonville, FL ranking and others in the Jacksonville area.
Rating Summary
Jacksonville Savings Bank is rated a 1 as one of the banks in Jacksonville, Florida to avoid until they improve upon a few things that would make banking there more attractive.
Adding a few more branch locations in the Jacksonville area is one thing that would go a long way toward causing us to revisit their standing in our Ranking of Best Banks and Credit Unions in Jacksonville, FL in the future.
One other suggestion is that they either combine all the banks in their masthead into one newly named entity, or give Jacksonville Savings Bank their own website and branding to avoid confusion.
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Conclusion – Top 5 Credit Unions & Banks in Jacksonville, Florida
Even though Jacksonville may not be the flashiest city in Florida, they more than make up for it in population and the number of excellent financial institutions. If you look for a Jacksonville, Florida bank or credit union, you’ve got lots of good options with A+ Better Business Bureau ratings.
With the easy qualification for many of the Jacksonville, Florida credit unions, you can have your pick of both for-profit or not-for-profit entities to access for a loan, credit card, or a new savings account.
Our advice is to know exactly what’s the most important for your day-to-day and future financial planning. Knowing what you’re looking for from your financial institution of preference, will help you narrow down your options when choosing one of the best credit unions and best banks in Jacksonville, FL.
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- https://pixabay.com/en/jacksonville-florida-bay-harbor-77804/
- https://pixabay.com/en/dames-point-bridge-jacksonville-1768738/
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