The Alliance Bank of Arizona is a division of the Western Alliance Bank. Founded in 2003, Alliance Bank of Arizona offers a full array of lending, deposit, asset management, and online banking products and services.
Primarily designed to serve small business, commercial, and other corporate clients, it also offers many personal banking solutions including checking and savings deposit accounts, IRAs, CDs, and money market accounts.
Consumer and business customers appreciate the bank’s superior customer service and convenient local branch locations.
Alliance Bank of Arizona: Overview
As a part of Western Alliance Bank (WAB), the Alliance Bank of Arizona (ABA) is the largest, locally headquartered bank in the state of Arizona.
ABA is a member FDIC institution and has locations in and around Tucson, Flagstaff, and Phoenix. With over $65 billion in assets, it’s recognized as a local bank with significant national resources and capabilities.
Additionally, Alliance Bank boasts a diverse team of executives including six women among its senior leadership team.
Alliance Bank of Arizona Checking Accounts
Alliance Bank of Arizona offers a full spectrum of checking account options to meet the needs of business and consumer clients.
Personal Checking
This is a no-frills checking account that meets your daily money management and spending needs. A $100 minimum opening deposit is required and there is a monthly service fee of $5. ABA will waive that fee if you set up at least one monthly recurring direct deposit or maintain a minimum daily balance of $500.
The Personal Checking account comes with a MoneyPass ATM card or debit card, mobile and online banking, free eStatements, and optional overdraft protection to remove or limit NSFs.
Learn More:
Personal Interest Checking
Account holders can earn interest on their account balance with the Personal Interest Checking account. An initial deposit of at least $100 is required to open an account, and there is a $10 monthly maintenance fee. Alliance Bank will waive that fee for consumers aged 55 or older, or for maintaining a daily balance of at least $1,500.
Account balances of at least $0.01 will earn interest which is paid out at a tiered (yet undisclosed) rate. It also features a debit card or ATM card, mobile and online banking, free eStatements, optional overdraft protection, and the ability to order paper checks.
Learn More:
Business Checking Accounts
Alliance Bank of Arizona offers several different business account options, making it easy for a business to find the best fit based on size and needs.
- Business Checking: Requires a $100 opening deposit and allows for up to 200 free transactions per statement cycle. It comes with a $16 account maintenance fee, but the charge is waived for maintaining a minimum daily balance of $2,500.
- Business Interest Checking: A step up from Business Checking, your Business Interest Checking account will earn interest although the APY is not disclosed. Up to 200 free transactions are allowed per statement cycle. This account has a monthly maintenance fee (not published) but the bank will waive the fee for 501(c)(3) business organizations or meeting a $2,500 minimum daily balance.
- Business Advantage Checking: Requires a $100 initial deposit and offers up to 500 free transactions per statement cycle. The first $10,000 in monthly cash deposits are also free. An undisclosed monthly maintenance fee is waived if you maintain a combined accounts balance of $50,000 across all Alliance accounts.
- Analyzed Business Checking: Designed to meet more complex business needs including treasury management, AP reporting, cost optimization, and monthly business reporting.
Learn More:
Alliance Bank of Arizona Savings Accounts
Alliance Bank of Arizona offers two savings account options: consumer personal savings and business savings.
Personal Savings
This is a classic bank savings account, designed to encourage consumers of all means and of all ages to start saving. Interest is paid monthly, at rates undisclosed on the website. A $100 opening deposit is required, and the bank charges a $3 monthly service fee but will waive it for maintaining a daily balance of at least $25 for minor account holders under age 18.
Learn More:
Business Savings
A simple, straightforward account that makes it easy for businesses to save. It offers “competitive interest rates” not published on the website and up to 25 free monthly deposits. A minimum opening deposit of $1,00 is required. The account has a $10 monthly maintenance fee, but Alliance will waive it for minimum daily balances of at least $1,000.
Learn More:
Alliance Bank of Arizona CD Accounts
Alliance Bank of Arizona offers both consumer and business CD options.
Personal Certificates of Deposit
Alliance Bank offers personal certificates of deposit (CDs) that pay a guaranteed rate of return upon the CD’s maturity — a timeframe that can range from 30 days to five (5) years.
A $1,000 minimum deposit is required to purchase a personal CD. Early withdrawals may incur penalties, and the CD may be automatically renewed for the same terms if funds are not withdrawn when the CD matures.
Learn More:
Business Certificates of Deposit
Alliance Bank offers a range of Business Certificates of Deposit (CDs) that earn competitive, yet undisclosed, interest rates on terms ranging from 30 days to five (5) years.
Rates are based on the CD terms and amount invested. Some third-party sources suggest APY rates as high as 5.51% for a 12-month Business CD.
A $1,000 minimum opening deposit is required, and there are penalties for early withdrawal before the CD’s maturity. CDs may auto-renew, for the same time period, if funds are withdrawn upon their date of maturity.
Alliance Bank of Arizona MMA Accounts
Alliance Bank of Arizona offers money market accounts for consumers and businesses.
Personal Money Market Account
This account offers you a great way to spend and save money. A balance of $100 is required to open an account, and daily balances of at least $0.01 will earn interest. A tiered rate is paid out based on your account’s daily balance.
There is a monthly service fee of $10 for this account, however, Alliance will waive the fee for maintaining a daily balance of at least $2,500.
The account also comes with check-writing capabilities, online banking, and bill pay.
Learn More:
Business Money Market Account
Alliance’s business MMA offers a flexible way for your account balance to earn interest in a tiered structure. A $1,000 opening deposit is required. The account comes with check-writing capabilities, however, there are free transaction limitations. The first 25 account deposits each month are free.
Learn More:
Additional Products
- Consumer home mortgages and home equity loans
- Specialized mortgages for commercial businesses
- IRAs and retirement planning services
- Personal loans secured and unsecured
- Small business loans
- Commercial loans and business lines of credit
- Business credit cards
- Merchant services
- Global market services
- Treasury management solutions
- Payroll support
- Settlement services
- Industry expertise/business consultative support
Features
- Limited branch availability: Nine locations in Greater Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson
- Convenient remote deposit: Remote or mobile deposit is offered for consumer and business customers
- Personalized online banking: View balance, make transfers, use bill pay, and manage account(s) remotely
- Mobile app: Supports business and consumer clients. Supports business features like Positive Pay, wires, ACH transfers, payroll, and administrative changes. Has a 4.2-star rating in Google Play and a 4.5-star rating in iTunes.
- Part of Western Alliance Bank (WAB): Belongs to WAB’s wide portfolio of brands in the Western U.S. region for increased financial strength and stability
- Treasury Management: Comprehensive business support that includes managing receivables, payables, information reporting, and liquidity management
- Global Market Services: Wide range of solutions, including foreign exchange services, trade finance products and services, and market expansion guidance
Pricing and Fees
Alliance Bank of Arizona does have a lengthy schedule of fees for its banking and financial services, as is common with many large banks and credit unions.
Here’s a look at some of the more noteworthy fees that this financial institution charges.
- Monthly Account Service Fees: A fee of $5 to $10 a month is charged for personal checking accounts. The fee is waived for meeting minimum daily balance requirements of $500 and $1,500 for the Personal Checking and Personal Interest checking accounts.
- Opening Balance Requirements: While not a fee per se, there is an opening deposit required to open a checking account. An initial deposit of at least $100 is required to open a Personal Checking or Personal Interest Checking account.
- NSF Fees: Alliance Bank will assess a $35 fee for every NSF item that is paid or returned. An NSF or insufficient funds fee is charged for any account transaction that overdraws your account balance into the negative. Other banks commonly have a cap on how many NSF fees they will charge per day (i.e., no more than X number of NSF fees). Alliance Bank has no cap on how many overdraft fees it will charge, but will not assess fees until your account is negative by at least $10.
- Excessive Overdraft (OD) Fees: If your account is overdrawn, an excessive OD fee will be charged for every day the account balance remains in the negative starting on the second (2nd) business day and the $10 daily fee will recur until the account balance has been brought positive. Weekends and bank holidays are excluded from the $10 fee.
- Dormant Activity Fees: There is a monthly $5 fee for dormant accounts — this refers to inactive deposit accounts with no debits or credits being made.
- Paper Statement Fees: For paper statements, there is a $10 to $15 fee per account. It’s $10 to receive a printout of your eStatements via mail, or $15 to receive the statements with printed check images.
- Excessive Withdrawal Fees: There is an excessive withdrawal fee charged to your account for every withdrawal made, in excess of six (6) per month. For savings accounts, the fee is $15. For money market accounts, the fee is $25.
- ATM Fees: No reimbursement for any out-of-network ATM fees, which may range from $2 to $4.
Getting Started
To open a deposit checking account or business account, sign up directly with Alliance Bank of Arizona at a branch location.
You’ll need your name, Social Security number, government identification, and initial funding amount. If you’re opening a business account, you’ll need other information including your business structure and tax EIN.
For a high-yield savings account and other savings instruments, you can open an account online in minutes. You’ll be prompted to provide your full name, Social Security Number, and email address, and set a password. You’ll also need to link an external account to fund your initial deposit.
Promotions
There are no current promotions or bonuses listed on the Alliance Bank of Arizona’s website at this time, and there is no history of any past consumer deals like cash bonuses for opening a new account. This is not uncommon among commercial banks.
See all the best bank promotions on offer now
Security
Western Alliance Bank is an FDIC Member bank, which means deposited funds are protected for up to $250,000 per account or up to $500,000 for jointly held accounts.
The bank has comprehensive security protocols in place to protect your data, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, double-authentication, and 128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) data encryption.
Customer Support
As a bank offering commercial and personal banking services, there are many ways to get in touch with the bank. If stopping by a brick-and-mortar location is not possible, here are some other outreach methods.
Personal Banking Support
- Phone: 1 (888) 271-0610 Mondays to Fridays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST, Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. PST
- Email: personalonlinesupport@westernalliancebank.com
- Webform: Fill out an online contact form to connect with a banker
Business Banking Support
- Phone: 1 (888) 995-2265 Mondays to Fridays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST, Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. PST
- Email: businessonlinesupport@westernalliancebank.com
- Webform: Fill out an online contact form to connect with a banker
Customers can also send correspondence to the bank’s headquarters at 1 East Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Online chat messaging is not offered.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Flexible range of business checking account options with five (5) low-fee account options and easy ways to waive any maintenance fees
- Industry expertise for business client guidance, including expert guidance for global expansion, business growth, and asset management
- Payroll and other helpful business banking services, including the Skylight Options Payroll Card program
- Competitive APYs with high-yield savings and CDs are offered through the Raisin platform
- Wide network of fee-free ATMs, including including MoneyPass, PLUS, or STAR ATMs or any ATMs with an Interlink symbol
Cons:
- Business accounts must be opened in person at one of its nine (9) branch locations in AZ
- Limited personal accounts for consumers and their families; primarily a business or commercial bank Few personal banking options and no youth or children’s savings accounts.
- Many rates and APYs are not published online; the bank shares that it offers “competitive” rates but does not list figures and prompts consumers to contact the bank directly
- Limited customer service hours; support available during weekdays and half-days on Saturday
Alternatives
Beyond the Alliance Bank of Arizona, here are three other good options to consider.
Bank of America (BOA)
A large, stable multi-national Bank, Bank of America offers a huge range of banking options for consumers and businesses of all sizes. For added convenience, it offers over 100 locations throughout Arizona and customer support seven (7) days a week.
It’s a bit more consumer-friendly. BOA’s overdraft fees are less severe (only $10 compared to Alliance Bank’s $35 NSF charge) and it offers bank accounts designed for students and kids.
Learn More at Bank of America↗
National Bank of Arizona (NBAZ)
Another locally based bank, National Bank of Arizona offers a range of bank deposit accounts and financial products that fit most consumers’ everyday needs.
Interest rates are rather low for its savings products, but it offers no-frills spending and savings accounts with friendly, personalized service. Additionally, NBAZ customers can use Zelle for free to send and receive money.
Tucson Federal Credit Union (TFCU)
The TFCU is based in Tucson but open to anyone who lives, works, volunteers, studies, or worships in Pima County — and this includes immediate family members too.
While TFCU has only half a dozen locations, customers can use the online banking and the mobile app for added convenience. Customers also benefit from lower banking fees and higher interest and APYs for CDs and other savings products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most common FAQs that consumers have about the Alliance Bank of Arizona.
What Banks Are Owned by Western Alliance Bank?
Western Alliance Bancorporation owns and operates several subsidiaries and regional banks.
- Commercial banks: Alliance Association Bank, Bridge Bank
- Retail banks: Alliance Bank of Arizona, Bank of Nevada, First Independent Bank, Torrey Pines Bank
- Mortgage lender: AmeriHome Mortgage
Is Western Alliance Bank Safe?
Yes, Western Alliance Bank (WAB) is a safe bank in terms of financial strength, company reputation (overall positive reviews), and responsible management of customer assets and personal data. WAB, and by extension the Alliance Bank of Arizona, is a member FDIC institution which means consumer investments are protected up to $250,000 per account type or up to $500,000 for joint accounts.
How Strong is Western Alliance Bank?
Western Alliance Bank, as the primary subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation, has more than $65 billion in assets and is ranked by Forbes and the American Banker as one of the U.S.’s top-performing banks of 2023.
What States Have Western Alliance Bank?
Through its portfolio of six (6) banks and AmeriHome Mortgage, Western Alliance Bank has a physical presence in:
- Arizona
- California
- Nevada
- Texas
- Utah
It also has limited-service locations in Colorado, New York State, and Washington State.
Is the Alliance Bank of Arizona Best for Your Needs?
For a no-frills, online checking account and a high-yield personal savings account, Alliance Bank of Arizona could be a good fit — especially if you live in Arizona and might need to occasionally drop in at a physical store location.
For consumers outside of Arizona or families who want a one-stop shop, including youth checking account options, you may need to search elsewhere.
For commercial and business banking needs, the Alliance Bank of Arizona should be a strong contender. Alliance offers some very valuable business banking products including business credit cards, commercial loans, and industry expertise for personalized guidance and market growth.
Our Methodology
The BankBonus team has analyzed dozens of banks to provide our readers with thoroughly informed and accurate reviews. We evaluate digital financial platforms, online banks, regional banks, and national banks across several metrics.
Our assessment of each bank factors in these considerations:
- Product lineup: We review the types of accounts, loans, and services offered by each bank, as well as the number of accounts.
- Fees and pricing: We also consider each institution’s fees, including monthly maintenance fees and other 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 banks’ customer service channels, hours of availability, and third-party reviews.
No comments yet. Add your own