Barclays vs. Valley Direct
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 16, 2025
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Summary of Barclays vs. Valley Direct
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Barclays | Valley Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 4.10% Tiered Savings | 4.10% High-Yield Savings Account |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $1,000 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $250,000 | $0.01 |
| Note | The 4.10% APY is only available for balances over $250,000. For lower balances, the APY is 3.90%. | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. |
Barclays
Strengths
- Barclays offers a Tiered Savings account with an APY of 4.10% for balances over $250,000.
- Barclays has a higher App Store rating of 4.9 compared to Valley Direct's 4.8.
- Barclays has no maintenance fees on its accounts.
Potential Drawbacks
- Barclays requires a minimum balance of $250,000 to earn the highest APY.
- Barclays has no physical branches for in-person service.
Valley Direct
Strengths
- Valley Direct's High-Yield Savings Account has a competitive APY of 4.1% for all balances.
- Valley Direct allows servicing of accounts at multiple branch locations in NJ, NY, FL, and AL.
Potential Drawbacks
- Valley Direct's APY is promotional and restricted to new customers.
- Valley Direct has a lower Google Play rating of 4.5 compared to Barclays' 4.7.
→ As of November 16, 2025 Barclays offers an APY of 4.10% for its Tiered Savings account, with a minimum balance of $250,000, compared to Valley Direct's 4.10% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.
→ Valley Direct yields $20 more than Barclays on a $10,000 balance after one year. Barclays pays $390 (with an effective APY of 3.9%), while Valley Direct pays $410 - an APY advantage for Valley Direct.
→ In addition, Barclays also offers 3.70% APY for the Online Savings account.
Calculate Savings Growth for Barclays vs Valley Direct
Barclays - Tiered Savings
⚠️The higher APY only applies once your balance reaches $250,000.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,370.2 (11.64%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (63.82%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.55%)
Your total balance
$20,370.20
Total balance: $20,370.2
Earnings: $2,370.2
Bank OverviewValley Direct - High-Yield Savings Account
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, Barclays's total earnings would be $129.2 lower than Valley Direct's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Barclays' vs Valley Direct's Savings Accounts
| Barclays | Valley Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Online Savings | Tiered Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| APY | 3.70% (as of 11/16/2025) | 3.90% - 4.10% (as of 11/16/2025) | 4.10% (as of 11/16/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | Enough to earn $0.01 in interest | $250,000 | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | No | |
| Eligibility | United States | United States | Only for new customers. Existing Valley Bank or Valley Direct customers may open a savings account with a somewhat lower rate. | |
| Note | The 4.10% APY is only available for balances over $250,000. For lower balances, the APY is 3.90%. | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. | ||
| App Store Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.8/5 | ||
| Google Play Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.5/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 10 Months)
| Barclays | Valley Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Online Savings | Tiered Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| Latest APY | 3.70 % | 4.10 % | 4.10 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -2.7 | -4.5 | 1.8 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.50 | 0.60 | 0.70 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 159 | 151 | 51 | |
| High (-10 m) | 4.00 % | 4.50 % | 4.40 % | |
| Low (-10 m) | 3.70 % | 4.10 % | 3.75 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -7.5 % | -8.9 % | -6.8 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.023 | 0.035 | 0.046 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 10 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 (-10 m)
- Highest APY in the last 298 days.
- Low (-10 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 298 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 10-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.