American Express vs. Valley Direct
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: October 16, 2025
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Summary of American Express vs. Valley Direct
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | American Express | Valley Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 3.50% High Yield Savings Account | 4.10% High-Yield Savings Account |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $1000 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0 | $0.01 |
| Note | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. |
American Express
Strengths
- American Express offers a competitive APY of 3.50%.
- No minimum deposit or balance requirements for the High Yield Savings Account.
- Zero maintenance fees for all accounts.
Potential Drawbacks
- American Express has a BBB rating of F and is not accredited.
- Only available online with no physical branches.
- App Store rating is lower than Valley Direct at 4.9.
Valley Direct
Strengths
- Valley Direct has a higher APY of 4.10%, though it decreased from 4.30%.
- Accounts can be serviced at multiple branch locations in NJ, NY, FL, and AL.
- Higher App Store rating of 4.8 and Google Play rating of 4.5.
Potential Drawbacks
- Valley Direct requires a minimum deposit of $1,000 to open an account.
- The High-Yield Savings Account has a lower APY than 30 days ago.
- Not all customers are eligible due to promotional restrictions.
→ As of October 16, 2025 American Express offers an APY of 3.50% for its High Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to Valley Direct's 4.10% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.
→ Valley Direct yields $60 more than American Express on a $10,000 balance after one year. American Express pays $350, while Valley Direct pays $410 - an APY advantage for Valley Direct.
Calculate Savings Growth for American Express vs Valley Direct
American Express
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 OverviewValley Direct
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,499.4 (12.19%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (63.42%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.39%)
Your total balance
$20,499.40
Total balance: $20,499.4
Earnings: $2,499.4
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, American Express's total earnings would be $385.3 lower than Valley Direct's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare American Express' vs Valley Direct's Savings Accounts
| American Express | Valley Direct | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| APY | 3.50% (as of 10/16/2025) | 4.10% (as of 10/16/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | |
| Eligibility | United States | Only for new customers. Existing Valley Bank or Valley Direct customers may open a savings account with a somewhat lower rate. | |
| Note | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. | ||
| App Store Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Google Play Rating | 3.7/5 | 4.5/5 | |
| BBB Rating | F | A+ |
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)
| American Express | Valley Direct | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| Latest APY | 3.50 % | 4.10 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -3.7 | 3.6 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.34 | 0.78 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 85 | 20 | |
| High (-9 m) | 3.80 % | 4.40 % | |
| Low (-9 m) | 3.50 % | 3.75 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -7.9 % | -6.8 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.028 | 0.049 |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 9 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 (-9 m)
- Highest APY in the last 268 days.
- Low (-9 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 268 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 9-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.