Best Banks in Oklahoma: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Top 6 Choices

Oklahoma is one of the best states to call home. We’ve found the best banks in Oklahoma for your personal or small business banking needs…

Updated October 2023
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Fact checked by John Wayman

Best banks in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is known for its proud, protracted agrarian tradition. Hence, ranching and farming are practices that dominate large parts of the rural communities here.

Similarly, gasoline and oil extraction has become more and more important to these areas. In fact, these industries dominate two of the largest cities in the area, Oklahoma Metropolis and Tulsa.

The combination of these historic communities and industries has paved the way for one of the nation’s most state-level banking cultures. Hence, when it comes to banking in the state, you have tons of options to choose from.

Whether you’re looking for something on a name basis or even something bigger, then you can find all this and more with the help of this guide.

There are a number of large monetary institutions that are transforming the state into an all-encompassing area.

With this in mind, in this guide, we have outlined all the best banks in Oklahoma for you to choose from.

Let’s get going.

Facts about Oklahoma banking system

1. BOK Financial

BOK Financial can be seen operating across eight different states, all under seven different brand names. That said, its headquarters are located in Oklahoma which is known as The Bank of Oklahoma (BOK stands for Bank of Oklahoma).

In the state, there are over 50 branches. However, they are more concentrated in the major cities, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

If you live near BOK Financial, this could be a good option for you since it provides a range of financial services. Not only does it have a standard savings account but a checking account, money market accounts (MMAs), and certificates of deposits (CDs), too.

Despite most major banks containing these accounts, the rates that come with them are generally lower. However, BOK Financial provides its customers with decent rates.

Beyond general banking, you can also find investing services, providing you with wealth management and loan services. Plus, there are financial advisors to help you too.

2. Ally Bank

Ally Bank provides both online and mobile banking. In addition, it has some of the best saving rates around. Headlining a range of account options is the Online Savings Account which has an APY approaching what you can get in a money market account. 

The best part? This rate compounds each day, allowing you to accumulate interest in your account as quickly as possible.

Likewise, another favorable feature is the accounts structure whereby customers don’t have to worry about any minimums deposits or monthly fees.

These savings accounts focus on long-term growth, however, when it comes to checking accounts, they pair well thanks to their transactional benefits.

Likewise, Ally’s Interest Checking Account provides customers with the opportunity to take advantage of both types. For instance, in addition to a small APY, you also have debit cards for cash withdrawals and purchases.

Additionally, all Ally customers can take advantage of over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs across the state for free. Likewise, they pay a reimbursement of up to $10 for fees accumulated from out-of-network ATMs, too.

One of the bank’s strongest suits is mobile banking. Here, all you have to do is download an app from either the Android or Apple app store – which both contain a combined average of 4.35 stars out of 5 – and get ready to bank.

With the mobile platform, you are able to find fee-free ATMs in your area, deposit checks remotely, view your account statements, send more to friends and family through Zelle, and much more.

3. CIT Bank

If you have $100 lying around, then you might consider keeping it as a deposit for opening a CIT Savings Builder account.

When looking at the banking industry, this is one of the top rates and isn’t hard to hold onto, either. All you have to do is ensure you’re depositing $100 a month into your account or keeping a balance of $25,000 to be applicable for this rate.

Those outside of these guidelines receive a much lower APY rate.

Looking to open a Savings Builder account? Below, we have outlined some of the savings services you’ll be provided with if you choose to open an account. These include:

  • Premier High-Yield Savings account
  • Money market account
  • 2-year to 5-year jumbo CDs
  • 6-month to 5-year term CDs
  • No-Penalty/ 11-Month CD
  • 1-year to 4-year “RampUp” CDs

On top of this, CIT Bank is keeping up with modern fashion, too. It is a branchless, online/ mobile financial institution.

For this description, it may sound like there are no physical CIT locations for customers to visit, and you’re right, it is completely online.

As such, mobile apps and online banking sites lead the way. Between the Android and Apple app stores, the app has developed an average rating of 3.85 stars out of 5.

All from the comfort of your home, you’re able to complete in-house account transfers, initiate mobile check deposits, and peruse your account statements whenever and wherever using the mobile app.

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4. BancFirst

One of the largest banks in Oklahoma is BancFirst. In fact, they have more than 100 local branches in the state – that is more than any other bank. They cruise into our #4 spot in our best banks in Oklahoma list.

For those that live near a local branch, you may be considering opening up a savings account. This is for good reason, too, as the APY is much higher here than in most other banks. Likewise, when it comes to MMAs these can be seen as higher in some instances, too.

One of the best things about BancFirst is the fact that it doesn’t require any fees. If there are fees, these are either extremely minimal or you can waive them.

For instance, if you’re opening up a BancFirst Savings account, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee. However, this can be waived by maintaining a balance of $100 in your account.

This in combination with the free checking account and the high APYs and you have all your basic banked requirements accounted for.

With BancFirst, you can also receive multiple types of insurance, business accounts, and loans, too.

5. RCB Bank

When it comes to selecting the best account from RCB Bank, this would be the Interest Checking account which provides clients with a small APY.

However, there is a catch. Only accounts containing less than $15,000 are considered for this APY. All the rest earn a tiny APY.

After opening an account – which requires a $100 deposit – each month you have to make at least 10 deposits, perform at least one automatic withdrawal, or deposit and elect when it comes to receiving electronic statements.

Therefore, if you don’t use credit cards regularly, then this may not be the account for you. That said, it would be worth making at least 10 monthly purchases since it helps to increase your APY, too.

Likewise, you’re also provided with $10 ATM fee reimbursements for each reward cycle.

6. Arvest Bank

If you’re looking to open a standard savings account, then look no further than Arvest Bank – providing customers with low monthly fees.

Unlike some other banks, the fee is only $2 and can easily be waived by maintaining a balance of $100.

Moreover, if you couple your account using a free checking account, then your rate could be increased slightly.

For instance, this is prominent in the Free Blue Checking account that enables customers with a debit card, unlimited check writing, and a $400 overdraft protection, without requiring any monthly fees.

If you’re looking to invest in different ways, then Arvest Bank provides you with CDs containing competitive rates. That said, just make sure to ask your local branch about current CDs since representatives here will have the highest rates.

Despite Arvest Bank being local to Oklahoma, it contains more services than the other local banks here. Likewise, banks provide plenty of financial planning, credit cards, and insurance products.

In the U.S Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, conducted by J.D. Power, Arvest Bank attested as one of the best banks when it comes to consumer satisfaction ratings across the country.

Here, various factors are taken into consideration, including the frequency of branches in the area, the bank’s ability to handle complaints, the products available, and any fees.

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Ready to open a new bank account in Oklahoma?

There are a lot of different factors to consider when opening up a bank account. For instance, you may prefer something online, with in-branch services, or high-interest rates.

Likewise, for the highest convenience, you’ll want something near to your residence, too. Therefore, the residents of Oklahoma will benefit from a bank in the local area.

From CIT Bank and Ally Bank to RCB Bank and Bok Financial, hopefully, this guide has informed you of the best banks in Oklahoma. 

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.

Cathy Gresham

Cathy Gresham

Editor & Author

Cathy Gresham is a finance whiz. 

After earning her MBA from The Wharton School, she has worked in strategy at some of the world’s largest and most influential financial companies for 20+ years. Notably, she has worked for the biggest credit card issuers and networks and brings an insider’s perspective to how credit card products work behind the scenes.  

Cathy is passionate about personal finance and investing, and loves helping people learn about these complex topics. Her wit and humor make learning about money fun, and she’s always happy to share her knowledge with others.

Cathy enjoys spending time with her family and friends when she’s not crunching numbers or developing investment strategies. She’s also an avid runner, and can often be found pounding the pavement on her morning jog.