American Express vs. Pnc
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 14, 2025
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Summary of American Express vs. PNC
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | American Express | PNC |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 3.50% High Yield Savings Account | 3.53% PNC High Yield Savings |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0 | $0 |
| Note | Eligibility restricted. |
American Express
Strengths
- American Express offers a competitive APY of 3.50%, unchanged from 30 days ago.
- No maintenance fees for the High Yield Savings Account.
- American Express has a high App Store rating of 4.9.
Potential Drawbacks
- American Express has an F BBB rating and is not BBB accredited.
- No branches available for in-person banking.
- Lower than PNC's previous APY of 3.85% for their high-yield savings.
PNC
Strengths
- PNC's High Yield Savings offers a competitive APY of 3.53%, though down from 3.85%.
- PNC has a strong A+ BBB rating, indicating better trustworthiness.
- PNC has a higher Google Play rating of 4.6.
Potential Drawbacks
- Eligibility for PNC's High Yield Savings is restricted.
- PNC's Standard Savings account offers a significantly lower APY of 0.03%.
- No branches available for in-person banking.
→ As of November 14, 2025 American Express offers an APY of 3.50% for its High Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to PNC's 3.53% APY for its PNC High Yield Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.
→ PNC yields $3 more than American Express on a $10,000 balance after one year. American Express pays $350, while PNC pays $353 - an APY advantage for PNC.
→ In addition, PNC also offers 0.03% APY for the Standard Savings account.
Calculate Savings Growth for American Express vs PNC
American Express - High Yield Savings Account
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,114.1 (10.51%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.63%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.86%)
Your total balance
$20,114.10
Total balance: $20,114.1
Earnings: $2,114.1
Bank OverviewPNC - PNC High Yield Savings
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,133.2 (10.60%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.57%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.83%)
Your total balance
$20,133.20
Total balance: $20,133.2
Earnings: $2,133.2
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, American Express's total earnings would be $19.1 lower than PNC's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare American Express' vs PNC's Savings Accounts
| American Express | PNC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | Standard Savings | PNC High Yield Savings |
| APY | 3.50% (as of 11/14/2025) | 0.03% (as of 11/14/2025) | 3.53% (as of 11/14/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | No | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Monthly | Monthly | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $1 | $0 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 / $5 (see bank for details) | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | No | |
| Eligibility | United States | United States | AK, AR, CT, HI, ID, IA, LA, ME, MN, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, ND, OK, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WY | |
| Note | APY may improve with a linked PNC account. Terms and conditions apply. | Eligibility restricted. | ||
| App Store Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.9/5 | ||
| Google Play Rating | 3.6/5 | 4.6/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | F | A+ | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 8 Months)
| American Express | PNC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | PNC High Yield Savings | Standard Savings |
| Latest APY | 3.50 % | 3.53 % | 0.03 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -3.0 | -1.9 | 0.2 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.23 | 0.35 | 0.12 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 115 | 1 | 197 | |
| High (-8 m) | 3.70 % | 3.95 % | 0.03 % | |
| Low (-8 m) | 3.50 % | 3.53 % | 0.01 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -5.4 % | -10.6 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.023 | 0.019 | 0.331 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 8 months (regression slope).
- Slope (bps/mo)
- Average monthly change; 10 bps = 0.10 pp.
- Rate Changes / Mo
- Typical number of APY moves per month.
- Days Since Last Change
- Recency of the latest APY adjustment.
- High (-8 m)
- Highest APY in the last 256 days.
- Low (-8 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 256 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 8-month peak.
- Volatility (CV)
- Coefficient of variation = stdev ÷ mean.
Why Track Savings-Account APYs?
- See how quickly a bank reacts to Fed moves or competition.
- Gauge “twitchiness” - frequent moves can annoy savers.
- Spot if you're buying near a peak (draw-down) or riding a rise.
- Slope (bps/mo) shows speed of change.
- Volatility (CV) scales jumps by average level.