PNC vs. Chase vs. Bank of America | Ranking, Reviews, and Comparison

Overview: PNC vs Chase vs. Bank of America | Ranking, Reviews, and Comparison

When it comes to your finances in the bank, everybody wants to make sure their money is in the safest place possible.

Beyond the concern of money safety, people also want to know that they are in a bank that benefits them the most.

That’s why we want to take a look at three of the biggest banks in the United States: PNC vs Chase vs Bank of America.

We want to help you figure out which is the right bank for you.

Choosing a bank can be a difficult decision. The truth is that there are so many similarities and only a few differences between all these institutions. But we all know those few differences, like fees or interest rates, can actually make a huge difference in your financial journey.

So if you are asking yourself questions like:

• How high are PNC fees verses the other banks?
• Does Chase have low fees?
• Is Bank of America safe?
• Where do I put my money?

Or any other questions about these major banks, we have you covered with the rankings, reviews, and comparisons you need.

About PNC: What You Need to Know

Undoubtedly, the biggest draw to Bank of America is its vast number of locations. One online reviewer discusses moving over all of her finances to Bank of America. She writes, “There are many locations, great user-friendly apps, and good customer service.”

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PNC vs Chase vs Bank of America: Similarities

Before we start getting into the differences by looking at rankings, comparisons, or ratings, it is important to take a look at the similarities of these three banks. All three banks offer many common services. For example, all three provide these five basic banking functions:

• Checking Accounts
• Savings Accounts
• Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
• Credit Cards
• Debit Cards

Aside from these basic consumer functions, all three banks provide the following:

• Mortgages
• Refinancing
• Auto Loans
• Business Banking
• Retirement Accounts
• Financial Advice

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures PNC, Chase, and Bank of America. They all provide internet and mobile banking options and have ATM access.

Breaking Down the Comparisons

To get a better idea of which bank may be best for you, let’s take a look at two-by-two comparisons. We can see how Chase vs PNC fares. Then we can look at Chase vs Bank of America. Then we will finish up with the differences between Bank of America and PNC.

By taking a look at the pros and cons of two banks at a time, we can begin to form a better picture of the ways these banks differ.

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PNC vs Chase: Pros and Cons

When it comes to making the decision of PNC vs Chase, you have many factors to consider. PNC fees play a major factor in determining which bank is better for your money. Considered higher than many competitors, PNC fees may make you choose Chase instead.

For example, Chase’s monthly fee for their total checking program is only $12. PNC’s “performance select” checking account has a $25 fee. Both require a $5,000 balance to avoid those fees.

When it comes to savings, both offer regular savings accounts at a 0.01% rate and 0.01% annual percentage yield (APY). If you want to take advantage of deluxe savings accounts with higher interest, you must have over $10,000 at PNC. At Chase, you can use their “Chase Plus Savings” with any amount of money. Higher fees apply to both banks.

When it comes to choosing Chase vs PNC, the average household may not find many differences other than a number of locations (Chase wins there!). However, you may be concerned about PNC fees being higher, and you may want to apply for more premium savings account through Chase.

Chase vs Bank of America: Pros and Cons

In most aspects, Chase and Bank of America run similar services. They have identical minimum opening deposits. Their fees are nearly identical. But there is one large difference that can help make the Chase vs Bank of America decision.

One of the biggest pros of choosing Chase vs Bank of America comes down to their Certificate of Deposits (CDs). Both require a $1,000 minimum to open a CD. Bank of America has static percentage rates for each term (1, 3, or 5 years), but Chase has a tiered approach that can potentially earn you three times the interest.

For example, Bank of America offers 0.15% on all 5-year term balances. Chase, on the other hand, offers 0.35% for balances of 9,999.99 or less, 0.55% for balances of $10,000 to $99,999.99, and 0.6% for balances over $100,00. If you are putting substantial money in a CD, choosing Chase vs Bank of America is the way to go.

The one con of choosing Chase vs Bank of America is the fact that Chase has a presence in fewer states. If you travel around quite a bit, you may find this slightly inconvenient.

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PNC vs Bank of America: Pros and Cons

In both of the above comparisons, Chase comes out a bit ahead of both PNC and Bank of America. But what happens when you look at PNC Bank vs Bank of America?

Bank of America has slightly higher savings account monthly fee, but PNC has a higher checking account fee. The PNC credit card is more highly rated on Credio than the Bank of America credit card. This is likely due to PNC’s low annual percentage rate (APR) of only 9.99%.

The structure of APY through each bank’s CDs differs. To compare, we will look at a sum of less than $10,000 for 12 months. Through Bank of America, this will earn you a flat 0.05% APY. Through PNC, the APY is tiered. If your balance is less than $1,000, you will only earn 0.04%. However, every price point between $1,000 and $10,000 will earn you over double what you would earn at Bank of America.

The truth is, both banks are quite similar, but when it comes to Bank of America vs PNC, you may find a few extra advantages at PNC.

What Do the Reviews Say?

Online reviews can be a powerful tool in choosing which bank keeps the public most satisfied. When searching through review sites, many banks have less-than-stellar reviews. Keep in mind that most satisfied people rarely think to take the time to review a bank. Many people only turn to online reviews when something has gone wrong, so it can bring the averages way down.

• Credio: None of these banks get rave reviews here. Chase wins with reviews at 2.3 out of 5 stars. Bank of America comes next at 1.6 stars and PNC comes in last with 1.3 stars. While Chase clearly comes out ahead, according to Credio, in the decision between Bank of America vs PNC, Bank of America may still be the better option.

• Credit Karma: Through this online tool, choosing Chase vs PNC has a negligible difference since they share a rating of 2.1 out of 5 stars. Bank of America, on the other hand, only comes in at 1.7 stars. Despite all three banks’ dismal ratings, there are plenty of reviews from entirely satisfied customers, too.

• MyBankTracker: The website itself gives all three banks a B+ rating. The reviewers, however, seem to prefer Chase and PNC, giving them each two stars, over Bank America, which received only one star.

• Consumer Affairs: On this review website, each bank only averages one star.

The reviews, in general, show Chase to be most highly favored. Making the decision between PNC vs Bank of America, PNC may have a slight advantage.

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Which Bank Is Right for Me?

None of these banks is necessarily a bad choice since all are FDIC insured. So, we have looked at ratings, reviews, and comparisons of PNC vs Chase vs Bank of America. When it comes down to it, which one should you choose? Well, that answer comes down to what’s most important to you.

• If you are tech-minded and prefer high-end mobile apps, you may want to choose PNC. Learn more about PNC and their fee structures first, though.
• If you want to put your money in a certificate of deposit, you may want to try Chase.
• If you want a bank available in many states, Bank of America may be your go-to choice.

The best thing to do is to make a list of what is most important to you and your household. Each bank will give you some pros and cons. Match up those pros with your biggest desires, and you should be good to go.

If you do want to base your decisions on reviews and comparisons, you’d be better off narrowing your decision to PNC vs Chase. Bank of America may leave much to be desired.

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Image Sources:

• https://www.pexels.com/photo/full-frame-shot-of-eye-251287/
• https://pixabay.com/photos/bank-note-dollar-usd-us-dollar-941246/

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