Bank Of America vs. Valley Direct
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: October 16, 2025
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Summary of Bank of America vs. Valley Direct
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Bank of America | Valley Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 0.01% Advantage Savings | 4.10% High-Yield Savings Account |
| Minimum to Open | $100 | $1000 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0.01 | |
| Note | APY may vary by market. The monthly fee may be waived under some circumstances, such as if you maintain a minimum balance of $500, or are below the age of 25, etc. | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. |
Bank of America
Strengths
- Bank of America has a high App Store rating of 4.8.
- No direct deposit requirement for Advantage Savings account.
Potential Drawbacks
- Advantage Savings offers a low APY of 0.01%.
- Monthly maintenance fee of $8 may apply.
Valley Direct
Strengths
- Valley Direct offers a competitive APY of 4.1%, though down from 4.3% 30 days ago.
- No maintenance fees for the High-Yield Savings Account.
Potential Drawbacks
- Requires a minimum deposit of $1000 to open the High-Yield Savings Account.
- Not BBB Accredited despite an A+ rating.
→ As of October 16, 2025 Bank of America offers an APY of 0.01% for its Advantage Savings account, with a minimum balance of , compared to Valley Direct's 4.10% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.
→ Valley Direct yields $409 more than Bank of America on a $10,000 balance after one year. Bank of America pays $1, while Valley Direct pays $410 - an APY advantage for Valley Direct.
Calculate Savings Growth for Bank of America vs Valley Direct
Bank of America
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $5.7 (0.03%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (72.20%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (27.77%)
Your total balance
$18,005.70
Total balance: $18,005.7
Earnings: $5.7
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, Bank of America's total earnings would be $2,493.7 lower than Valley Direct's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Bank of America's vs Valley Direct's Savings Accounts
| Bank of America | Valley Direct | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Advantage Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| APY | 0.01% (as of 10/16/2025) | 4.10% (as of 10/16/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | No | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Monthly | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $1000 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | N/A | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $8 | $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 | APY may vary by market. The monthly fee may be waived under some circumstances, such as if you maintain a minimum balance of $500, or are below the age of 25, etc. | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. | |
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Google Play Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.5/5 | |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)
| Bank of America | Valley Direct | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Advantage Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| Latest APY | 0.01 % | 4.10 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | 0.0 | 3.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.00 | 0.80 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 260 | 20 | |
| High (-9 m) | 0.01 % | 4.40 % | |
| Low (-9 m) | 0.01 % | 3.75 % | |
| Draw-down from High | 0.0 % | -6.8 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.000 | 0.046 |
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 261 days.
- Low (-9 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 261 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.