Best Banks in Georgia: Discover the Top 8 Banks in Georgia for Your Money

We’ve considered customer service, products and services, technology, rates, and more to determine the Best Banks in Georgia

Updated April 2024
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Fact checked by Cathy Gresham

Picture of a bank overlayed with an image of the state of Georgia

Whether you’re planning to settle down in Georgia or you’re just looking to find a bank to use during a short stay there, the options are seemingly endless, especially since there are over 200 operational banks in Georgia, so it can be quite hard to know which bank that you should use!

To help you slice through the many options, we’ve compiled this list of some of the best banks, which will be more than a good enough starting point for your bank search.

So, if you want a breakdown of 8 of the best banks in Georgia, then you need to read through this list, as we provide you with a short overview, as well as the pros and cons of each bank.

Our criteria for picking the best banks in Georgia

When it comes to picking the right bank for you in Georgia, it can be difficult to know what to look out for. Ultimately, you’ll need to explore a number of different criteria to see what is right for you.

Some of the main criteria you need to consider include things such as:

  • Whether the suite of products and services offered will meet your needs
  • Rates offered on both the deposit and lending side
  • How robust their technology stack is, including online banking, but especially mobile banking
  • The reputation and safety of the bank, including its reputation for customer service

With all of these in mind, you will have a solid starting framework for selecting your next banking partner.

Basic stats about commercial banks in Georgia

1. Chase Bank

There are a few things that are absolutely essential when it comes to picking the right bank, and thankfully Chase is one of those banks that provide those, with plenty of free-to-use ATMs found throughout the state as well as a number of convenient locations that you can leverage too.

However, for those days when you don’t have the time to visit the bank, you can make use of their robust mobile app to do all of your banking. 

Banking with Chase also provides a number of helpful financial products, such as mortgages, personal loans, investment help, and credit cards. As the largest bank in the world, they have everything you need from a basic checking account to private wealth services, all the way up to world-class investment banking. 

Chase Bank is great because of their offer of investing help services, mobile deposits that are made before 11 PM (EST) are typically available the next day, as well as lowered relationship rates for certain products if you have a mortgage with them.

2. Navy Federal Credit Union

If you or a family member is affiliated with the armed forces, then you should definitely consider Navy Federal Credit Union as an option when it comes to choosing a bank to use in Georgia. This is a great option for people stationed on Fort Benning, Fort Stewart, or Kings Bay Navy Base. 

The lack of physical branches is made up for with the immense NFCU app, which covers absolutely everything you need, including bill paying, credit card applications, and general account management.

There’s even 24/7 customer service support too, so you should never have to worry about getting help from a professional. 

NFCU is highly regarded amongst its users as there are very rarely any maintenance fees for accounts, and (like most credit unions) you can even qualify for dividends on your account’s bank balance too (this is similar to interest paid for regular bank deposit accounts). 

With NFCU, you can benefit from the lack of minimum balance required, the choice of up to four free checking accounts per user, and being able to claim up to $120 back on the use of out-of-network ATMs.

3. Bank Of America

As a nationwide bank, Bank of America has everything you could imagine a major bank would, with everything from checking, loans, and savings accounts all available, and it’s particularly beneficial for those who plan on keeping large amounts in their combined accounts due to the tiered account system. It is certainly one of the best banks in Georgia, and really one of the best banks in the country and possibly the world. 

For those with a balance consistently of at least $20,000, you then qualify for the preferred rewards membership scheme, allowing you access to benefits and perks that are otherwise be unavailable.

Those who have over $20,000 are then able to access Gold level, while those with over $50,000 can access the Platinum level. Those who have six figures can access the Platinum Honors level, and anyone with $1 million or over is granted access to the Diamond tier.

Each of these tiers provides differing benefits, with things such as lower rates on mortgages and loans, more rewards from credit card spending, as well as reduced fees from ATM usage.

Other benefits of Bank of America include:

  • Multi-tiered checking accounts
  • Both the fees for checking and savings accounts are able to be waived
  • Self-investment is able for a low fee

4. Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is an excellent option for anyone looking for a bank in Georgia, especially since its 200 branches in 89 cities make it the second-largest bank in Georgia. It seems to have mostly recovered from its reputational problems and bad practices of prior years, with more safeguards for retail customers in place. 

But if you can’t make it to one of its physical locations, then you can always use the mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Whether it’s making mobile deposits or scheduling in-person ones, toggling credit cards on and off, or even setting up account alerts, the app is extremely comprehensive.

The account options are plentiful too and even include the option to exchange currencies, but you might need to preorder the currency in advance depending on the branch.

Wells Fargo users can benefit from waivable monthly fees, low opening deposit minimum, plenty of physical branches available, as well as the option of automatic savings transfers.

Bob Hope quote on banking

5. Wings Financial

Since Georgia has a particularly high number of airline employees, especially since Delta Airlines has its headquarters in Atlanta, Wings Financial is a great choice for any who works within the aviation industry.

Of course, the typical checking, savings, and retirement accounts are all available as you would expect, and there’s even the option of safe deposit boxes for members, one-on-one consultations with bankers, and currency exchange too.

Available to its customers are:

  • Rewards available for banking with Wings Financial
  • Fee-free cash withdrawals at over 80,000 ATMs
  • Automated investing.
  • And much more … certainly qualifying it as one of the best banks in Georiga

6. Fifth Third

With over 30 banks across 13 different cities, this bank is well regarded for its presence in Georgia, which is why it’s such a great potential option for someone looking for a good bank in the state.

All of the typical banking products are available including both checking and savings accounts, loans, CDs, insurance, and investment accounts, which can be accessed either from the mobile app or the physical locations.

There are also 50,000 partners ATMS available which are completely free to use too.

Other notable features include: Free basic checking account and the higher tier checking accounts and savings accounts can also qualify for waivable maintenance fees, and paychecks are delivered by direct deposit available two days earlier.

7. PNC

If you’re planning on living in a rural area while in Georgia, or simply don’t care about needing a branch locally, then a bank with a decent online presence is going to be needed, which is exactly where PNC shines, especially since they’re predominantly a digital bank.

Account holders begin with the virtual wallet, and are then able to configure their checking account from there. You can also add a savings account as a form of overdraft protection too.

There are also plenty of upgrades on the basic checking account available too, including the Performance Select, and the Performance Spend, which include plenty of additional features, such as money back on ATM fees.

Other notable features include a great digital presence, innovative checking account options, waivable monthly maintenance, and a 24-hour grace period for overdraft fees.

8. First Citizens

First Citizens is our final bank on this list, and is a popular choice amongst Georgia’s residents, especially since it offers free checking and savings account options for those who are Georgia residents, and there’s also a low minimum requirement for opening balances too.

The bank provides a full level of service to each of its customers, with all of the main financial products available, including both business and personal checking accounts, credit cards, savings, insurance, and loans.

There are also great interest rates for CDs, savings, and money market accounts too.

Other benefits of banking with First Citizens include a low minimum requirement in order to open a CD – only $500, checking accounts that are free and can be opened with just $50, unlimited withdrawals and transfers at First Citizens ATMs and branches for those with money market accounts, and over 50 locations throughout Georgia.

Parting thoughts on selecting a bank in Georgia

We know deciding upon a bank can be hard, so hopefully our list has helped to narrow down your options.

When choosing a bank, you need to consider all of your needs and preferences first, as this will help you to identify the banks that can cater to your specific needs.

From there, compare the current rates of each bank you’re considering, and read reviews of the banks online to understand how highly people rate their experiences.

If you need more advice, don’t be afraid to ask some of the people around you, friends and family will be able to help you find out what is going to be best for you.

If you can, try visiting the banks in person, and speak to a representative, who should be able to help you find the right account.

Remember, you can always open multiple accounts at different banks if you need to.

We hope this helps, good luck!

Sources

Editor's Note:

At Personal Finance Guru, we want to help you maximize your lifestyle through personal finance. You can trust the integrity of our independent financial advice. Our opinions are our own and have not been provided, reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any advertiser or financial product provider. To support and grow the site, however, we may receive compensation from the issuers of some products.

Author bio:

Cody Beecham

Cody Beecham

Founder/Owner/Editor/Author

Cody is the founder and owner of Personal Finance Guru. His day job is as a management consultant at one of the Top 3 firms (think Mckinsey, Bain), where he advises Fortune 500 C-suite clients on their most important and pressing business problems. He completed his business education at Harvard Business School. 

After seeing the lack of personal finance education for regular people, Cody started the website with the mission to provide everyone access to information that will help them achieve their financial goals.

Cody approaches personal finance from a maximalist perspective, shunning typical advice around simply not buying a cup of coffee instead of more effective methods like investing in yourself to quickly grow your income. 

He believes in saving money and investing for the future, but he also knows that you need to enjoy life today. That’s why Cody approaches money with a sense of humor and a positive attitude. He knows that if you’re not having fun while you’re growing your wealth, then what’s the point?

Cody approaches life with the same gusto that he brings to personal finance. He loves to travel and experience new cultures, and he is an avid reader and learner. He also enjoys playing sports (especially tennis) and spending time with his family and friends.