If you’re one of New Jersey’s 9+ million residents, you’ll be pleased to know it has many great banks available. Whether you prefer a large national or a smaller community bank, The Garden State has it all.
Choosing one provider over another comes down to your needs. Every person’s financial needs are unique and depend on their circumstances.
Some may be looking to open their first credit card to boost their credit score, while others may be interested in home equity loans or other financial products.
Check out the list of the best banks in New Jersey to learn more.
7 Best Banks in New Jersey
Here are the best banks in New Jersey you can open an account with today:
- Bank of America: Best for Physical Bank Presence
- Provident Bank: Best for Free Checking Accounts
- Santander Bank: Best for Easy Ways to Waive Monthly Fees
- PNC Bank: Best for Combined Checking & Savings Account
- TD Bank: Best for Extended Banking Hours
- Capital One: Best for Mobile Banking
- Wells Fargo Bank: Best for Checking Account Options
See New Jersey’s Best Bank Bonus Offers & Promotions
1. Bank of America 
Best For: Physical bank presence
If you prefer to bank with a large national bank with a presence across the U.S., Bank of America is an excellent option to consider.
Bank of America is the second-largest financial institution in the United States, with a presence across the U.S.
According to the bank’s branch locator, this bank has branches in all 50 states, with financial centers and ATMs in 200 locations in New Jersey. They offer personal and business banking products.
Accounts
The bank offers various financial products, from the more basic checking accounts and debit cards to certificates of deposit (CDs) and IRAs.
Bank of America is a member-FDIC, like all reputable banks — meaning your money is insured up to $250,000.
If you prefer mobile banking, the bank also has a mobile app allowing you to complete most banking tasks, from depositing checks to paying bills.
Bank of America also often has offers, promotions, and bonuses targeting new clients — so it’s worth checking them out.
Pros:
- A national bank with a range of products
- Many locations and ATMs in New Jersey
- Highly rated mobile app
Cons:
- APY rates are not as competitive
- Fees on most accounts
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2. Provident Bank 
Best For: Free checking accounts
Provident Bank is a local bank with 77 branches in New Jersey. They have been around for over 180 years, providing local communities with financial services and personal customer service.
The bank offers personal and business banking services, insurance, wealth management, and loans.
Accounts
The bank has many deposit accounts, including checking accounts, certificates of deposit, savings, and money market accounts.
One great thing about the Provident Bank checking accounts is they are free; there are no monthly maintenance fees, but you may have to opt into eStatements to waive the fee.
Provident Bank customers can also access a Financial Wellness center, providing users with educational materials on personal financial topics (like building an emergency savings fund or getting a mortgage).
Provident Bank also has overdraft protection, called Overdraft Privilege, which provides a discretionary payment of overdrafts on eligible accounts.
Pros:
- Financial resources available
- Personal customer service
- No monthly maintenance fee
Cons:
- Charges overdraft fees
- Charges early account closure fees if closed before six months
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3. Santander Bank 
Best For:Easy ways to waive monthly fee
If you’re looking for a bank with a community feel, Santander is an option.
The bank has 20+ branches and ATM locations in New Jersey and offers banking services for individuals and small businesses. Santander also has an extensive network of 2,000+ domestic ATMs in the U.S. Santander offers banking products for individuals, small businesses, and commercial financing.
Accounts
Santander has three checking accounts to consider, but the Simply Right checking account offers the easiest way to waive the monthly fee. The Select Checking account pays interest but requires a minimum $25,000 combined balance to waive the monthly fee.
In addition to checking accounts, Santander offers many savings options, including money market accounts that pay 0.05% interest and waived monthly fees if you have a Santander checking account.
The bank also has digital banking tools like online banking and mobile banking. The mobile app gets a good rating, especially for iOS devices.
Pros:
- Wide range of services available
- Easy to avoid checking account fees
- You can often get welcome bonuses
Cons:
- Low APY on savings
- Some accounts have high minimum balance requirements
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4. PNC Bank 
Best For: Combined checking and savings accounts
PNC Bank is a national bank established in 1845. The bank currently has over 2,300 branches in 29 states across the U.S., including New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. According to the bank’s branch locator, it has 186 branches and ATMs in New Jersey.
Accounts
PNC Bank offers competitive interest rates and a wide range of personal banking services, including checking and savings bank accounts, borrowing, investing, and wealth management services.
Their main product is the Virtual Wallet, which consists of three accounts, one spend, and two savings accounts. Virtual Wallet helps you save money for short and long-term goals, with its ‘Growth’ account paying higher APYs than the ‘Reserve’ account, which is for short-term budgeting.
PNC offers several checking and savings accounts, with Spend as the main one. This account has three tiers, which all come with Virtual Wallet — an online tool for managing the money in your checking, savings, or another account.
You can choose Virtual Wallet on its own for the most basic checking account, which has a $7 monthly fee that you can avoid if you meet the criteria ($500+ monthly direct deposit or $500+ monthly balance).
Virtual Wallet has digital tools to help you see exactly where your money is going, how much you have saved, and plan for the future. Virtual Wallet has some handy features like Low Cash Mode ($0 insufficient funds fee plus extra time to bring your balance up to zero).
Pros:
- Good high-yield savings account
- Generous bonuses available to new clients
- Many branches available
Cons:
- The overdraft fee is pretty high ($36)
- Most accounts have monthly maintenance fees
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5. TD Bank 
Best For: Extended banking hours
TD Bank is a national bank with a presence in New Jersey. The bank has over 1,100 bank locations across 16 states in the U.S. and 286 branches/stores and ATMs in New Jersey. They often have extended hours, including Saturday and Sunday.
However, if you prefer to do your banking online or on your phone, you’ll be pleased to know that TD Bank has a highly-rated mobile app.
Accounts
TD Bank offers various personal and business banking services, from checking accounts to CDs and personal loans. TD Bank’s TD Signature Savings account offers competitive rates — but to earn the highest tier rate, you’ll need to deposit at least $10,000 to see the rate increase beyond 0.02%, and if you have $100,000 deposited, you’ll see rates of 4.00%.
TD Bank’s online banking offers most banking transactions, including money transfers with Zelle, bill pay, and more.
Pros:
- Highly rated mobile app
- Many branches in New Jersey
- Positive customer reviews
Cons:
- The overdraft fee is high ($35)
- Low overall rates on some accounts
Learn More:
6. Capital One 
Best For: Mobile banking
Capital One is another major FDIC-insured bank with hundreds of branches and ATMs across the U.S. The bank has 29 branches in New Jersey.
Capital One offers various personal and business banking products, including checking and savings accounts, business cards and banking solutions, and educational tools. They also have 70,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide.
Capital One is known for its credit cards, but it also offers competitive APYs on accounts like the Capital One Performance Saving Account, available in all states. The account has no fees and offers overdraft protection; no minimum balances are required to earn the full APY rate.
Pros:
- Competitive APY
- Wide range of products
- Large ATM network nationwide
Cons:
- Might incur out-of-network ATM fees
- No money market accounts
Learn More:
7. Wells Fargo 
Best For: Checking account selection
Wells Fargo is a national bank with hundreds of branches in New Jersey.
Wells Fargo has a global presence and operates in more than 35 countries, which is great if you’re looking for a bank with an international presence.
Accounts
Wells Fargo offers an extensive range of products, accounts, and services for individual customers and large and small businesses.
They have five checking account options, each with a $25 minimum opening deposit requirement and fees ranging from $5 to $35, which you can waive by meeting their requirements. They also offer a few savings and CDs with rates as high as 5% on some terms.
Pros:
- 24/7 customer support
- Low opening deposit for checking accounts
- Checking account includes bill pay, mobile deposits, and Zelle
Cons:
- Has monthly service fees
- High minimum balances
Learn More:
How To Choose The Best Banks In New Jersey
At BankBonus.com, we’re committed to providing consumers with the resources to select a bank or credit union. Here’s an overview of the steps we recommend our readers take to choose a bank:
- Understand different types of banks: You have access to traditional banks, online banks, credit unions, and neobanks. Understanding their differences is important and determining which type of institution aligns best with your preferences.
- Choose the right account: Checking, savings, money market, and certificate of deposit accounts are the most common types of bank accounts. Understand what each offers and choose a bank with the type of account(s) you need.
- Look for low-fee banks: Account fees can add up quickly. As you compare bank accounts, look for an account that doesn’t charge unavoidable monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees, and ATM fees.
- Consider branch and ATM access: If having access to branches matters to you, choose a bank with physical locations. Regardless, you should prioritize banks with a vast ATM network or reimburse ATM fees.
- Compare account features: Determine which features you’re looking for. A few common bank account features to consider are interest, cashback, mobile features, cash deposits, and minimum account balance requirements.
- Check out reviews and ratings: Picking a reputable bank is crucial. To understand a bank’s customer experience, you can read expert reviews and look to sources like TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau, and J.D. Power.
- Read the fine print: Don’t sign up for an account without understanding the terms and conditions. Ensure the account is FDIC or NCUA insured and understand its requirements, fees, and expiration dates for bank bonuses.
- Look at the bank’s additional products: If you want to manage your finances under one roof, look into each bank’s additional products. A lot of banks also offer credit cards, wealth management, investment accounts, and loans.
Read our full guide to choosing a bank here
Our Methodology
The BankBonus team has analyzed dozens of banks to provide our readers with thoroughly informed and accurate reviews.
We evaluated digital financial platforms, online banks, regional banks, and national banks with a presence in New Jersey.
Our assessment of each bank factors in these considerations:
- Product lineup: We review the types of accounts, loans, and services each bank offers, as well as the number of accounts.
- Fees and pricing: We also consider each institution’s fees, including monthly maintenance and service charges.
- Account features: To compare banks, we take a close look at the features, limits, and capabilities each one has to offer.
- Interest: Along with these features, we consider whether or not the bank offers interest-bearing accounts and compare their rates to industry averages.
- Brand reputation: The bank accounts we recommend have been carefully vetted to ensure they are legitimate, secure, and backed by FDIC insurance.
- User experience: Additionally, we consider the ease of use and availability of resources on each bank’s website and factor in reviews of the mobile app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- Branch and ATM access: To gauge convenience, we also look at each bank’s branch and ATM availability and consider their ATM reimbursement policies.
- Customer service: In our review process, we also explore their customer service channels, hours of availability, and third-party reviews.
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