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The best banks for Georgia residents are banks that operate within the state and have accounts with low fees and good perks. We examined several local banks and credit unions in Georgia and found the best banks for people who live in Georgia.
For local institutions and regional banks, we focused on those declared minority depository institutions by the FDIC or NCUA. We considered online banks as well, but only for savings accounts.
We chose Capital One 360, Regions Bank, Delta Community Credit Union, and the Credit Union of Atlanta as our top picks for the best credit unions and banks in Georgia.
Selection Criteria for Best Banks in Georgia
We reviewed 10 banks and credit unions with branches in Georgia, along with online banks, to find the best banks in Georgia. These credit unions and banks in Georgia stand out because they have low bank fees and strong features. Learn more about our top picks below.
The Best Banks and Credit Unions in Georgia
- Capital One: Best bank in Georgia for opening a savings account and best online checking account
- Regions Bank: Best bank in Georgia for opening a checking account
- Delta Community Credit Union: Best credit union in Georgia
- Credit Union of Atlanta: Best credit union in Georgia, tied
All of the financial institutions on our list are protected by FDIC or NCUA insurance. Money is safe at a federally insured financial institution. When a financial institution is federally insured, up to $250,000 per depositor is secure in a bank account.
Compare the Best Financial Institutions in Georgia
no monthly service fee
3.80% (rate as of 12/06/24)
$0
N/A
- Competitive APY
- No opening deposit or minimum account balance
- No monthly service fee
- Easy to save for various goals
- 24/7 live chat
- Limited access to customer service by phone
Capital One is a strong bank overall. You'll earn competitive interest rates on online savings accounts and CDs.
Capital One 360 Performance Savings- Over 280 branches in NY, LA, TX, MD, VA, NJ, and Washington, DC
- Interest compounded daily, paid monthly
- FDIC insured
$8 or $11 monthly service fee
None
$50
- Free overdraft protection available
- Receive qualifying direct deposits up to 2 days early
- Possible to waive monthly service fee
- $50 minimum opening deposit
- $11 or $8 monthly service fee
- $3 out-of-network ATM fee
- $36 overdraft fee if overdrawn by more than $5
- 1,300 branch locations in 15 states
- 2,000 free ATMs
- $11 monthly service fee with paper statements, $8 monthly service fee with online statements
- To avoid the monthly service fee, keep at least $1,500 in your account monthly, make a $500 single direct deposit, OR a $1,000 combined direct deposit
- Free overdraft protection lets you link your checking account to a savings account
- Overdraft fee can be avoided by making a deposit before 8 p.m. Central Time the following business day
- FDIC insured
no monthly service fee
0.25%
$5
- $5 minimum opening deposit
- No monthly service fees
- Low interest rate
- Interest compounds monthly, not daily
- Credit union with 29 branches in Metro Atlanta, Georgia; 1 branch in Kentucky, Texas, and Utah
- Free shared branches and ATMs around the US in the CO-OP Shared Branch Network
- Membership depends on employer/association membership; or you can be a resident of certain counties in Georgia or have a family member who is already a member
- Interest compounded monthly, paid monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
no monthly service fee
0.05%
$25
- No monthly service fees
- $25 minimum opening deposit
- Low APY
- No dividends earned on balances under $100
- Only compounds dividends quarterly
- Minority-led credit union in Atlanta
- 5,000 shared branches around the US
- Membership eligibility: Work for one of many partner employers, including local government and religious organizations
- Must open Share Savings Account to become a member
- Dividends compounded quarterly, paid quarterly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
Best Financial Institutions in Georgia: FAQs
Truist Bank is likely the most common bank in Georgia because it has the most branches in the most cities.
Truist Bank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America are the largest banks in Georgia by branch number.
We chose Capital One 360 as the best bank in Georgia if you're looking to open a savings account and Regions Bank as the best bank in Georgia if you're interested in the best checking account.
There are many credit unions and banks in Georgia. Some banks and credit unions in Georgia that we recommend are Capital One 360, Regions Bank, Delta Community Credit Union, and Credit Union of Atlanta.
In order to open a bank account in Georgia, you'll probably have to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Further restrictions will depend on the bank or credit union you're opening an account with.
Georgia Bank Reviews
The best credit unions and banks in Georgia should offer strong interest rates, good banking perks, and ease of access to Georgian residents. It should also offer many different types of bank accounts, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs.
Here are the best credit unions and banks in Georgia as picked by Business Insider editors in 2025.
Best Bank for Opening a Savings Account
Capital One 360 is featured as one of our best online banks because its bank accounts do not require a minimum opening deposit or charge monthly service fees. In comparison, the biggest brick-and-mortar banks in Georgia pay low interest rates on savings accounts, so we chose an online high-yield savings account as our top pick in this category.
Capital One 360 Performance Savings stands out because it pays a competitive interest rate higher than what many traditional savings account and high-yield savings accounts offer right now.
Capital One 360 is also a great bank if you prioritize digital banking and strong mobile banking features. Capital One 360's mobile banking app was rated as having the highest satisfaction among national banks in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Banking Mobile App Satisfaction Study. Its ratings on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store are also high; both have a score of at least 4.5 with over one million third-party reviews each.
Capital One has branches throughout the U.S., but it doesn't have any branches in Georgia. There's a Capital One Cafe in Atlanta, where you can use self-service ATMs or speak with a Cafe Ambassador, but it doesn't offer the same services as branches. Ultimately, you'll have to be comfortable with online banking if you plan to use this account.
Best Bank for Opening a Checking Account
Regions Bank is a solid option for banking in Georgia if you prefer traditional banking to online banking.
The Regions Bank LifeGreen® Checking Account has a monthly bank maintenance fee, but you can waive the fee if you keep at least $1,500 in your account monthly, make a $500 single direct deposit, or have $1,000 combined in direct deposits. If you're comfortable with a waivable monthly fee, this might be a good account for you.
Regions also offers an interest-bearing checking account, but its maintenance fee is harder to waive and the interest rate isn't nearly as high as what you can find from the best high-yield checking accounts.
Regions Bank has a $36 overdraft fee, but it eliminated overdraft protection transfer fees. This means if you transfer money from a linked bank account to cover an overdraft, you won't have to pay a fee.
Best Credit Union
You might like Delta Community Credit Union if you want to use a credit union instead of a bank. The credit union has 29 branches in the Metro Atlanta area, and it's part of the CO-OP Shared Branch Network, which means you have access to 5,000 shared branches throughout the U.S.
Delta Community Credit Union has solid free checking and savings accounts with low minimum opening deposits. If you have the Delta Community Credit Union Personal Checking Account, you may enroll in a cash-back debit card rewards program, where you'll earn points on debit card purchases. You can use points on categories like cash back, travel, gift cards, concerts, and more. The credit union also has notable CDs with solid interest rates.
Delta Community Credit Union offers 24/7 customer service through its phone line. It can be difficult to find financial institutions offering 24/7 support due to costs and staffing issues, so if that's something you want in a bank, it might be a good choice for you.
Delta Community Credit Union lets you become a member if you or a family member meet one of the following requirements:
- You live or work in select Georgia counties
- You are a current or former employee of one of the businesses on this list
- You are a member of select associations
- You are a full-time employee of Delta Air Lines who is a non-U.S. citizen living in the Bahamas, Canada, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands
If you are a full-time employee of Delta Air Lines who is a non-U.S. Citizen and living in certain foreign countries, you are eligible to open only a savings account. If you don't meet any of these requirements, you might prefer a credit union anyone can join.
Delta Community Credit Union members will need to open the Delta Community Credit Union Personal Savings Account.
Delta Community Credit Union Review
Best Credit Union, Tied
The Credit Union of Atlanta is tied for the best credit union in Georgia. It's an excellent choice if you value community engagement over using national banks.
Credit Union of Atlanta is a Black-owned credit union. It's certified as a minority depository institution (MDI) by the National Credit Union Administration and a community development financial institution (CDFI) by the US Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
Credit Union of Atlanta has two branches in Atlanta, and it's part of the CO-OP Shared Branch network, which has around 5,000 shared branches around the U.S. It has free checking accounts and savings accounts with low minimum opening deposits.
If you have a child who's a middle-school or high-school student and you're interested in student banking for them, you might like the Credit Union of Atlanta's Youth Savings account. It's a savings account for kids aged 13-17 that doesn't charge monthly service fees.
To open an account at Credit Union of Atlanta, you must be eligible for membership. Credit Union of Atlanta membership is limited to employees of certain organizations, such as the city of Atlanta, Zoo Atlanta, and Atlanta public schools. You may find the full list of organizations here.
All members will also need to open the Credit Union of Atlanta Share Savings Account with $25.
Bank Trustworthiness and BBB Ratings
We use ratings from the Better Business Bureau to help show how banks in Georgia address customer issues and handle transparency. The BBB gives worse ratings to banks that don't answer customer complaints, don't resolve customer complaints, receive a high number of customer complaints, or have had recent government action taken against them, among other reasons.
Keep in mind a good BBB rating doesn't necessarily guarantee a smooth relationship with a financial institution. You may want to talk to current customers or read online customer reviews to see if a particular bank is right for you.
| Financial institution | BBB rating |
| Capital One 360 | A+ |
| Regions Bank | A |
| Delta Community Credit Union | A+ |
| Credit Union of Atlanta | A+ |
All the financial institutions on our list have an A+ rating from the BBB except Regions Bank.
Regions Bank received an A rating from the BBB because of government action taken against the bank.
Capital One and Regions Bank have both been involved in recent public controversies.
Capital One used to have an account called 360 Savings. In 2019, Capital One launched the new 360 Performance Savings Account, which paid a much higher interest rate. Many customers thought their old savings accounts would transition into this new one, but in reality, they had to open a new 360 Performance Savings Account to earn a higher rate. So some customers have been earning a significantly lower savings rate for years.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs' lawyers allege that Capital One didn't inform 360 Savings customers that these were two distinct accounts, or that 360 Performance Savings paid a higher rate. However, Capital One wants this case dismissed because it claims people had every opportunity to learn these facts on their own. This case is still ongoing.
In 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau required Regions Bank to pay a total of $191 million in a settlement that accused the bank of charging customers surprise overdraft fees after some ATM withdrawals or debit card purchases.
Why You Should Trust Us: Experts' Advice on Choosing the Best Financial Institution
We consulted banking and financial planning experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the best financial institution in Georgia for your needs.
A bank might be the right fit for you if it aligns with your priorities, says Sophia Acevedo, banking editor, Business Insider. If you can waive monthly service fees and earn the interest you want, that's a good sign the institution could work out.
You probably want to stick with your bank once you pick one, and Tania Brown, CFP® professional and vice president of coaching strategy at OfColor, says that means anticipating how your needs might change later in life. Does the bank have services you might want, like financial advisors?
It's also important that the bank is accessible, says Mykail James, CFEI. Maybe that means the ability to walk into branches; maybe that means the freedom to use your account while traveling. Roger Ma, CFP® professional and author of "Work Your Money, Not Your Life", also highlights the importance of accessibility, in terms of how difficult it is to get money in and out of your account, and to connect that account to any others you might have elsewhere.
Methodology: How Did We Choose the Best Banks in Georgia?
Business Insider's mission is to help smart people make the best decisions with their money. We understand that "best" is often subjective, so under each section, we outline the advantages and limitations of each account or institution. We spent hours comparing and contrasting the features and fine print of various products so you don't have to.
We reviewed the 10 biggest credit unions and banks in Georgia, plus any financial institutions featured in our guides on Black-owned and Hispanic American-owned banks and credit unions.
We compared bank account features and fees until we narrowed down our top picks. Our top picks stood out from other financial institutions for many reasons. Some offered a competitive interest rate on a savings account or had bank accounts with minimal bank fees.
For our best credit union and the best local bank, we selected financial institutions with easy membership requirements, low minimum opening deposits, and unique bank accounts.
We rate bank accounts on a scale from one to five stars. See our bank account rating methodology to learn more about how we rate bank accounts. We've recently updated our methodology so that a bank's interest rates and monthly service fees are given more weight than other aspects of bank accounts, such as minimum opening deposits. We understand that these areas can more heavily impact a person's overall banking experience.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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