BB&T Bank Review (2024)

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

This regional full-service bank lacks competitive deposit interest rates

By

Lee Huffman

BB&T Bank Review (1)

Full Bio

Lee Huffman is an expert on bank reviews with 18 years of experience as a financial planner and corporate finance manager. Lee has been writing about personal finance, credit cards, and travel rewards since 2012, with his work having appeared in outlets like Forbes, NerdWallet, and The Points Guy. He received his Bachelors in Business Management from Pepperdine University.

Learn about our editorial policies

Updated July 24, 2023

Reviewed by

Ebony Howard

BB&T Bank Review (2)

Reviewed byEbony Howard

Full Bio

Ebony Howard is a certified public accountant and a QuickBooks ProAdvisor tax expert. She has been in the accounting, audit, and tax profession for more than 13 years, working with individuals and a variety of companies in the health care, banking, and accounting industries.

Learn about our Financial Review Board

BB&T Bank Review (4)

BB&T Bank/Truist is one of the largest financial services companies in the U.S. It is headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., and operates more than 2,800 financial centers across 17 states and Washington, D.C.. It began as a small bank in 1872 and now has more than $230 billion in assets.

In 2019 BB&T merged with SunTrust, another southeastern regional bank. This merger of equals created the seventh largest commercial bank in the U.S. The banks have integrated and renamed themselves Truist Bank. This in-depth review can help you decide if its deposit accounts are right for you.

  • Pros & Cons
  • Company Overview

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Open a checking or savings account with $100 or less

  • Savings account with no minimum deposit or monthly fees

  • Flexible options with CDs

Cons

  • Uncompetitive interest rates on deposit accounts

  • Limited geographic footprint

Company Overview

  • Year Founded1872
  • Official Websitehttps://www.truist.com/
  • Banking Products OfferedSavings, checking, CDs, MMA, credit cards
  • Customer SupportPhone line: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST); Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon (EST): 1-800-226-5228

Table of Contents

BB&T Bank Review

  • Pros Explained

  • Cons Explained

  • Best for

  • Bank Offerings

  • Other Products

  • Customer Service

  • How to Bank

  • Final Verdict

  • Methodology

Pros Explained

  • Open a checking or savings account with $100 or less: Aside from the premium accounts, customers can open a checking or savings account with a required minimum deposit of $100 or less. This low minimum opening deposit makes it easier for customers to transition from their existing bank.
  • Savings account with no minimum deposit or monthly fees: In today’s low-interest-rate environment, it is important to be able to have a savings account without monthly fees offsetting the interest that you earn. The online-only eSavings account has no minimum balance requirements, and there is no minimum opening deposit.
  • Flexible options with CDs: Customers have several options when opening a certificate of deposit (CD). They can open a standard CD, use promotional pricing, take advantage of rate changes, or lock in guaranteed annual rate increases.

Cons Explained

  • Uncompetitive interest rates on deposit accounts: Although BB&T Bank offers tiered pricing on some of its deposit products, the interest rates that it offers are not competitive with other banks.
  • Limited geographic footprint: The bank is growing its presence through acquisition, but it does not have any branches west of Texas.

Who Is BB&T Bank Best for?

BB&T Bank should appeal to consumers living within the 17 states (and Washington, D.C.) where it has branches. It may be a good fit if you:

  • Live in one of those states
  • Want a full-service bank that offers loans, deposits, and investments
  • Are looking to open a checking or savings account with $100 or less
  • Want a checking account with a low monthly fee
  • Desire a savings account with no monthly fee
  • Want flexible options with your CDs

What Does BB&T Bank Offer?

As a large full-service regional bank, BB&T offers an extensive menu of accounts and services to its customers. For most deposit accounts customers can choose from several options that fit their needs and budget.

Checking Accounts

BB&T Bank customers have several options for their checking needs. These include two standard checking accounts, a student account, a senior account, and a premium account.

  • BB&T Fundamentals: This checking account is designed for people who are concerned about meeting balance or direct-deposit requirements. It requires a $50 minimum opening deposit and offers a flat monthly fee of $5.
  • Bright Banking: This checking account allows customers to waive the $12 monthly fee by keeping a $1,500 average balance or having direct deposits of $500 or more. There is a $50 minimum opening deposit.
  • Student Checking: Students can open a checking account with no minimum opening deposit and no monthly fees. Additionally, this account waives up to two non-BB&T ATM fees each statement cycle. Students can also open an eSavings account and have the monthly maintenance fee waived.

Customers using the bank’s ATM card can use any of its 2,400 ATMs without a fee. If you use another bank’s ATM, BB&T Bank will charge you $3 per transaction.

BB&T/Truist BANK CHECKING ACCOUNTS
ACCOUNT NAMEMINIMUM OPENING DEPOSITMONTHLY FEEANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD (APY)
Fundamentals Checking$50$5None
Bright Checking$50$12None
Student Checking$0$0None

Money Market Accounts

There is one money market account available from BB&T/Truist.

BB&T/Truist BANK MONEY MARKET ACCOUNTS
ACCOUNT NAMEMINIMUM OPENING DEPOSITMONTHLY FEEANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD (APY)
Truist One Money Market Account$50$120.01%

Savings Accounts

There are two savings accounts offered by BB&T.

BB&T/Truist BANK SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
ACCOUNT NAMEMINIMUM OPENING DEPOSITMONTHLY FEEANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD (APY)
Truist One Savings$50$50.01%
Truist Confidence Savings$25$0Not disclosed

CDs

There are four types of CDs to choose from at BB&T.

  • Personal CDs: These offer a guaranteed rate of return for up to five years.
  • Personal CD Specials: These are available for a limited time and the rates and terms vary.
  • Can’t Lose CDs: These protect customers whether rates rise or fall.
  • Stepped Rate CDs: These provide interest rates that are guaranteed to rise once a year, every year.

CDs renew automatically at maturity at the current rates. For terms less than 32 days, there is a one-day grace period to withdraw or change the term without penalty. All other CDs have a 10-calendar-day grace period.

The bank charges an early withdrawal penalty if you withdraw money before the CD matures. Penalties vary depending upon the length of the CD term.

BB&T/Truist BANK CD RATES
TermTierAPYMinimum Deposit
7 months$0–$9,9995.00%$1,000
7 months$10,000–$49,9995.00%$1,000
7 months$50,000–$99,9995.00%$1,000
7 months$100,000–$99,999,9995.00%$1,000
12 months$0–$9,9994.50%$1,000
12 months$10,000–$49,9994.50%$1,000
12 months$50,000–$99,9994.50%$1,000
12 months$100,000–$99,999,9994.50%$1,000

Other Financial Products Offered by BB&T Bank

As a large regional bank, BB&T Bank offers a variety of accounts and services to meet the needs of its customers:

  • Auto loans
  • Boat and recreational vehicle loans
  • Personal loans
  • Personal Lines of Credit
  • Purchase mortgages
  • Refinance mortgages
  • Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit (HELOCs)
  • Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
  • College savings accounts
  • Self-directed trading
  • Managed investment portfolios
  • Financial advisors
  • Insurance
  • Business loans

BB&T Bank Customer Service

Customer service is available by phone at 1-800-226-5228, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon EST. It is closed on Sundays.

There are more than 2,900 branches across 17 states (and Washington, D.C.) for you to speak with a banker in person. Branches are located along the East Coast and as far west as Texas.

Your account is available 24 hours a day online and through BB&T’s mobile app, which is available for both Apple (4.8 stars, 346,400 ratings) and Android (4.7 stars, 56,699 ratings) mobile devices. The app allows you to view transaction history, personalize your accounts, pay bills, deposit checks, and more. It even has a budget feature that tracks your spending against your goals.

General questions can be answered through BB&T Bank’s X (formerly Twitter) account. However, for security reasons, do not include your account number, Social Security number, or any other personally identifiable information.

How to Bank With BB&T Bank

You can open an account online, over the phone, or at a branch, of which there are more than 2,900 available in Washington, D.C., and the following states:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Maryland
  • Mississippi
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia

Final Verdict

BB&T Bank is a full-service regional bank well suited for customers who live near one of its branches. It has most of the account types that a customer would want, but its interest rates are not competitive with other banks. That being said, the bank does offer multiple checking account options to meet your needs and budget. It would do well as a primary bank for day-to-day needs.

Customers looking for high-yield savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs should look elsewhere. BB&T Bank does offer tiered pricing for higher deposit levels, but the interest rates are much lower than the alternatives.

Methodology

Investopedia is dedicated to providing consumers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of banks. We collected over 20 data points across more than 80 banks—including products available, interest rates, fees, and accessibility—to ensure that our content helps users make the right decision for their savings and banking needs.

Article Sources

Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy.

  1. Truist. "Certificates of Deposit (CDs) Disclosure Information."

  2. Apple.com. "U by BB&T."

  3. Google.com. "U by BB&T."

  4. Twitter.com. "@BBT."

BB&T Bank Review (2024)

FAQs

BB&T Bank Review? ›

BB&T Bank is a full-service regional bank well suited for customers who live near one of its branches. It has most of the account types that a customer would want, but its interest rates are not competitive with other banks.

Is BB&T a trustworthy bank? ›

Truist, formerly BB&T, is a good choice for individuals looking for a bank that offers in-person and online banking in areas where Truist does business. None of its deposit accounts offer competitive interest rates, but the bank provides a full assortment of accounts that serve a wide range of customer needs.

What are the disadvantages of Truist Bank? ›

The pros of banking with Truist Bank include affordable mortgage options, checking accounts with no overdraft fees, and a vast branch and ATM network. The cons of banking with Truist Bank include low savings account interest rates and common bank fees associated with most bank accounts.

Is Truist Bank safe from collapse? ›

Is Truist Bank safe from collapse? Truist Bank was rated as "stable" by S&P, Moody's, Fitch, and DBRS Morningstar, meaning it's likely safe from collapse.

What happened with BB&T bank? ›

In 2019, BB&T announced its intentions to merge with Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks to form Truist Financial, which retains BB&T's stock price history and operates under BB&T's charter. The BB&T Financial Center, the former headquarters of BB&T.

Is my money safe in Truist Bank? ›

Truist Bank is also a member of the FDIC, which insures up to $250,000 per account type, per depositor.

Who is the safest online bank? ›

Our top three picks for the best online banks are SoFi Bank, Discover Bank and Ally Bank. To help you choose, we at the MarketWatch Guides team reviewed 154 banks and credit unions, 43 of which are online financial institutions.

Does Truist Bank have a good reputation? ›

Today, Truist Bank is among the top 10 largest banks in the U.S. Truist has a good basic checking account but its savings rates are generally low.

Is Truist Bank a stable bank? ›

The trend for all ratings is Stable. The Intrinsic Assessment (IA) for the Bank is AA, while its Support Assessment remains SA1.

How does Truist rank in banking? ›

#8 Truist Bank

Now, Truist's headquarters is in Charlotte, N.C., and the bank offers personal banking, business banking and commercial banking for large businesses.

Is Truist financially strong? ›

Truist Financial has the Financial Strength Rank of 4.

Is your money safe if a bank collapses? ›

If you ensure that the balance on your account is always below the sums protected by the Government guarantee, then you will get all your money back if your bank fails.

Are any banks at risk of collapse? ›

More than 60 of the largest banks in the country are at increased risk of failure due to their commercial real estate (CRE) exposures, according to a data analysis from a finance expert at Florida Atlantic University.

Who owns BB&T? ›

Who is the owner of BB&T? BB&T merged with SunTrust to create Truist Financial in 2019. The deal was announced in February 2019 and was called a "merger of equals," although BB&T was the official acquirer -- meaning that SunTrust investors received shares of BB&T stock after the deal was finalized.

What is the new name of BB&T bank? ›

On June 12, BB&T and SunTrust announced that the merged company would be called Truist Financial Corporation. This name resulted from research that included hiring Interbrand, seeking opinions of employees of both banks, and focus groups.

Is BB&T a big bank? ›

BB&T and SunTrust, which were ranked the 11th and 12th largest banks by assets, respectively, as of Sept. 30, 2019, now form a top-10 bank. Those two banks have around 275 years of combined history. Read Bankrate's review of Truist Bank.

Which bank is most trustworthy? ›

Following one of the most successful years in United's long history, United Bank has been named the Most Trustworthy Bank in America by Newsweek for 2023. Across 23 industries evaluated, United joined the list of the “Most Trustworthy Companies in America,” earning the No.

Is Truist and BB&T the same bank? ›

Truist Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company was formed in December 2019 as the result of the merger of BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust Company) and SunTrust Banks.

Is Truist Bank a legitimate bank? ›

Myriam is a personal finance writer based in Brooklyn, New York. The foundation of her financial knowledge comes from developing financial plans for over 100 clients. Overall, Truist earns 3.7 out of 5 stars, with its checking accounts standing out for no overdraft fees and easily waivable account maintenance fees.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Tyson Zemlak

Last Updated:

Views: 6690

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tyson Zemlak

Birthday: 1992-03-17

Address: Apt. 662 96191 Quigley Dam, Kubview, MA 42013

Phone: +441678032891

Job: Community-Services Orchestrator

Hobby: Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Metalworking, Fashion, Vehicle restoration, Shopping, Photography

Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.