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TD Bank and Wells Fargo are brick-and-mortar financial institutions with big branch and ATM networks.
To help you determine which banks suit you best, we’re comparing the institutions’ bank accounts. We’re also assessing each bank’s trustworthiness so you can learn more about their previous settlement history.
Compare TD Bank and Wells Fargo
TD Bank
Wells Fargo
Editor’s Rating
3.75/5
Standout feature
Easy to waive fees on checking account
Editor’s Rating
2.5/5
Standout feature
Several ways to waive monthly service fee on savings account
Save As You Go® feature transfers $1 into your Way2Save Savings Account from checking each time you swipe your debit card
$525 savings account bonus
$300 checking account bonus
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Monthly service fees
F rating from the Better Business Bureau and public settlements involving racial and disability discrimination
TD Bank vs. Wells Fargo Checking Account Comparisons
Below, we’ve compared the TD Bank Convenience Checking Account and Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Account. These accounts have similar fees and require an opening deposit of $25 or less.Â
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TD Bank Convenience Checking Account
Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Account
Minimum opening deposit
$0
$25
Monthly service fee
$15 or $0
$10 or $0
How to waive the monthly service fee
Meet one of the following requirements each month:
Have $100 or more in your account daily
Are between the ages of 17 and 23
Meet one of the following requirements each month:
Receive direct deposits of at least $500
Have $500 or more in your account daily
Link your account to a Wells Fargo ATM Card or Campus Debit Card
Are between the ages of 17 and 24
Sign-up bonus
$200
$300
Next steps
Learn more
Learn more
Your best option between these two banks may ultimately depend on whether it’s easier to waive monthly service fees at a particular bank and if you’re eligible for a sign-up cash bonus at either bank.Â
The TD Bank Convenience Checking Account and Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Account both waive monthly service fees for people between the ages of 17 and 23.
If you are over the age of 24, it may be easier to waive monthly service fees at TD Bank. The TD Bank Convenience Checking Account also has a much lower minimum balance requirement than Wells Fargo.Â
TD Bank offers a cash bonus if you’re a new customer and opening a checking account. To be eligible for the $200 bonus at TD Bank, you’ll need to receive $500 or more in direct deposits during the first 60 days.Â
Meanwhile, Wells Fargo has a $300 bonus for new customers. To earn the bonus, you must receive a total of $1,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your new checking account within 90 calendar days of account opening (offer ends June 27, 2023)
TD Bank and Wells Fargo savings account share similar features. Both accounts have low minimum opening deposits and pay low interest rates.
The requirements for waiving the $5 monthly service fee are also comparable. The only significant distinction is that the TD Simple Savings Account automatically waives the monthly service fee if you’re over the age of 62.Â
If you’re interested in getting a cash bonus on a savings account, however, you might like Well Fargo’s current promotion. Wells Fargo has a $525 cash bonus for new customers who open any qualifying Wells Fargo savings account by June 27, 2023 (CDs are not eligible, nor are savings accounts through Wells Fargo Private Banking). To be eligible for the bonus you must deposit at least $25,000 in new money within 30 days of opening the account, and maintain that account balance for at least 90 days of opening the account.Â
If you’d like to open a high-yield savings account or a bank account with strong budgeting features, consider looking over our best high-yield savings account guide.Â
Waive $5 monthly service fee by maintaining a $300 daily balance, OR setting up automatic savings options, OR be under age 24 and the primary account owner OR transferring $25 or more from a linked Wells Fargo checking account, or have 1 automatic transfer each business day within the fee period of $1 or more from a linked Wells Fargo checking account
Save As You Go® transfers $1 into your Way2Save Savings Account from checking each time you swipe your debit card
Interest compounded daily, paid monthly
FDIC insured
TD Bank vs. Wells Fargo CD ComparisonsÂ
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TD Bank Choice Promotional CD
Wells Fargo Standard Fixed Rate CD
Term lengths
3 months to 5 years
3 months to 1 year
Minimum opening deposit
$250
$2,500
APY
0.05% to 5.00%
0.50% to 2.51%
Early withdrawal penalties
3 months to 2 years interest
3 months interest for all CD terms
Types of CDs
Standard CDs, No-Penalty CDs, Step-Up CDs
Standard CDs
Wells Fargo has fewer CD terms than most brick-and-mortar banks. Usually, you’ll be able to choose from terms 6 months and 5 years. However, you can only open a 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year term at Wells Fargo.Â
At TD Bank, you may choose from a variety of standard CD terms. You’ll also be able to choose from special types of CDs like a no-penalty CD or a step-up CD. A no-penalty CD permits withdrawals from a CD without facing a penalty. A step-up CD increases its rate at a set date.
Solid interest rate compared to other brick-and-mortar banks
Cons
High early withdrawal penalties
Highlights
More Information
Terms range from 3 months to 5 years
Earn 0.05% to 1.00% APY, or 0.05% to 5.00% APY if qualify for a relationship bump rate when you also have an eligible checking account
Early withdrawal penalties: All interest earned for terms under 90 days; 3 months of interest on terms between 90 days and 1 year; 6 months of interest on terms between 1 year and 2 years; 9 months of interest on terms between 2 years and 3 years; 1 year of interest on terms between 3 years and 4 years; 18 months of interest on terms between 4 years and 5 years; 2 years of interest on terms 5 years or longer
Interest compounded and deposited monthly
FDIC insured
Additional Reading
Read our review
TD Bank vs. Wells Fargo Trustworthiness and BBB Rating
We include ratings from the Better Business Bureau to evaluate how a bank deals with customer issues.
Good BBB ratings do not guarantee a perfect relationship with a bank. You may want to talk to current customers or read online customer reviews to get a well-rounded perspective of a bank.
Wells Fargo received an F rating from the BBB because it hasn’t responded to a high volume of customer complaints and government action has been taken against the business. TD Bank has an A+ rating.
Both banks have been involved in recent public controversies.Â
The US Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection required TD Bank to pay $122 million in a settlement in 2020 that accused the bank of charging customers a Debit Card Advance service without their permission.
Wells Fargo has been involved in the following cases:
In December 2022, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau required Wells Fargo to pay more than $3.7 billion in a settlement that accused the bank of wrongfully charging fees that led thousands of customers to lose vehicles and homes. The settlement also accuses the bank of wrongfully charging overdraft fees on checking and savings accounts. Â
In 2021, the Office of the Comptroller of Currency issued a cease and desist order against Wells Fargo that stated the bank had an inefficient compliance risk management program.
In 2020, Wells Fargo paid billions in settlements for its employees creating authorized bank accounts to meet unrealistic sales goals.
Wells Fargo vs. TD Bank: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wells Fargo better, or TD Bank?
You might lean more toward TD Bank if you are searching for a checking account or CD.
You’ll be able to waive the $15 monthly service fee on the TD Bank Convenience Checking Account if you keep $100 or more in your account daily. Meanwhile, the Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Account requires you to keep a minimum of $300 in your account to waive its $10 monthly service fee.Â
TD Bank CDs have a lower minimum opening deposit than Wells Fargo CDs. You’ll also have a great variety of options.Â
It could be a toss-up between Wells Fargo and TD savings account because their accounts are similar.
Which has more branches, Wells Fargo or TD Bank?
Wells Fargo has more branches. TD Bank has 1,100 branches, while Wells Fargo has 4,900 locations.
Sophia Acevedo, CEPF
Banking Reporter
Sophia Acevedo is a banking reporter at Insider. She covers bank reviews, banking guides, and banking and savings articles for Personal Finance Insider. She is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF). Sophia joined Insider in July 2021 and is an alumna of California State University Fullerton where she studied journalism and minored in political science. She is based in Los Angeles. You can reach out to her on Twitter at @sophieacvdo or email sacevedo@insider.com. Read more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services >> Below are links to some of her most popular stories:
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Evelyn He
Compliance Associate
Evelyn He is a compliance associate at Insider who supports the Personal Finance Insider team. Personal Finance Insider is Insider’s personal finance section that incorporates affiliate and commerce partnerships into the news, insights, and advice about money that Insider readers already know and love. The compliance team’s mission is to provide readers with stories that are fact-checked and current, so they can make informed financial decisions. The team also works to minimize risk for partners by making sure language is clear, precise, and fully compliant with regulatory and partner marketing guidelines that align with the editorial team. Before joining Insider, she served in various legal and compliance roles in different industries, including the legal and pharmaceutical industries.   Evelyn obtained her M.S. degree in Marketing at Boston University in 2022. Prior to combining and consolidating her knowledge of law and business, she spent one year finishing 1L courses at Suffolk University Law School to further her legal knowledge. She has also completed MBA business law courses while working on her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her 14-year-old Shih Tzu named Money, and her 4-year-old Bichon named Tibber.
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