American Express vs Ufb Direct
High-Yield Savings Accounts Comparison
Last Updated: August 1, 2025
We earn a commission if you open an account through some links on this page.
Summary of American Express vs. UFB Direct
As of August 1, 2025 American Express offers an APY of 3.50% for its High Yield Savings Account account, compared to UFB Direct's 4.21% APY for its UFB Checking and Savings Bundle account.
UFB Direct yields $71 more than American Express on a $10,000 balance after one year. American Express pays $350, while UFB Direct pays $421 - an APY advantage for UFB Direct.
In addition, UFB Direct also offers 4.01% APY for the UFB Portfolio Savings account.
American Express
Strengths
- American Express offers a High Yield Savings Account with a competitive APY of 3.50%.
- No minimum deposit or balance required for American Express's savings account.
- Maintenance fees are nonexistent for American Express's High Yield Savings Account.
Potential Drawbacks
- American Express has a BBB rating of F and is not BBB Accredited.
- The current APY of 3.50% decreased from 3.60% over the last 30 days.
- American Express does not offer any branches for in-person banking.
UFB Direct
Strengths
- UFB Direct offers a higher APY of 4.21% with conditions met.
- UFB Direct has a BBB rating of A+ and is BBB Accredited.
- UFB Direct's Portfolio Savings has no minimum deposit or balance requirements.
Potential Drawbacks
- UFB Direct requires a minimum deposit of $5,000 for its checking and savings bundle.
- Direct deposit is required to achieve the highest APY with UFB Direct.
- UFB Direct has no physical branches available for customers.
Summary: American Express provides a solid APY of 3.50% for its High Yield Savings Account but has a poor BBB rating. In contrast, UFB Direct offers a more attractive APY of 4.21%, albeit with direct deposit requirements and a higher minimum deposit for its bundle. UFB Direct also boasts a strong A+ BBB rating, highlighting its trustworthiness. Both banks operate online-only with no branches.
Compare American Express' vs UFB Direct's Savings Accounts
| American Express | UFB Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | UFB Portfolio Savings | UFB Checking and Savings Bundle |
| APY | 3.50% (as of 8/1/2025) | 4.01% (as of 8/1/2025) | 4.01% - 4.21% (as of 8/1/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | $5000 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $0 | $10,000 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | Yes | |
| Note | The regular savings or money market APY may be boosted up to 4.21% by direct deposits, minimum balance of $10,000 and making 10 approved debit card transactions per statement cycle. See bank for full details. | |||
| Sponsored Link | LEARN MORE at UFB Direct, Member FDIC | LEARN MORE at UFB Direct, Member FDIC | ||
| App Store Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.8/5 | ||
| Google Play Rating | 3.8/5 | 4.8/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | F | A+ | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 6 Months)
| American Express | UFB Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | UFB Checking and Savings Bundle | UFB Portfolio Savings |
| Latest APY | 3.50 % | 4.21 % | 4.01 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -4.0 | -0.0 | -0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.47 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 11 | 169 | 192 | |
| High (-6 m) | 3.80 % | 4.21 % | 4.01 % | |
| Low (-6 m) | 3.50 % | 4.21 % | 4.01 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -7.9 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.022 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 6 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 (-6 m)
- Highest APY in the last 193 days.
- Low (-6 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 193 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 6-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.
Calculate Savings Growth for American Express vs UFB Direct
All calculations are based on APY.
American Express
APY: 3.50%
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
Effective APY: 3.50% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,114.1
Earnings: $2,114.1
Bank OverviewUFB Direct
APY: 4.21%
⚠️The higher APY only applies once your balance reaches $10,000.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,541.6 (12.37%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (63.29%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.34%)
Your total balance
$20,541.60
Effective APY: 4.17% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,541.6
Earnings: $2,541.6
With a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, American Express's total earnings would be $427.5 lower than UFB Direct's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
More Comparisons
Compare American Express' APY of 3.50% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Best APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| American Express vs Ally Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| American Express vs Axos Bank | 4.46% | $0 |
| American Express vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| American Express vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| American Express vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| American Express vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| American Express vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| American Express vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| American Express vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| American Express vs Fitness Bank | 4.85% | $100 |
| American Express vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| American Express vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| American Express vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| American Express vs Synchrony Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| American Express vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |
| American Express vs Wells Fargo | 2.51% | $25 |
Compare UFB Direct's APY of 4.21% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Best APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| UFB Direct vs Ally Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| UFB Direct vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| UFB Direct vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Fitness Bank | 4.85% | $100 |
| UFB Direct vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| UFB Direct vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Synchrony Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Wells Fargo | 2.51% | $25 |