Cit Bank vs. Santander Bank

High-Yield Savings Account Comparison

By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: October 21, 2025

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Summary of CIT Bank vs. Santander Bank

Key Metrics at a Glance

FeatureCIT BankSantander Bank
Top Savings APY

3.85%

Platinum Savings

0.01%

Santander Savings

Minimum to Open$100$25
Minimum Balance for Top APY$5,000$0

CIT Bank

Strengths

  • CIT Bank's Platinum Savings offers a competitive APY of 3.85%.
  • CIT Bank has no maintenance fees for its accounts.
  • CIT Bank has a higher App Store rating of 4.8.

Potential Drawbacks

  • CIT Bank has no physical branches for in-person banking.
  • CIT Bank's Platinum Savings requires a minimum balance of $5,000.

Santander Bank

Strengths

  • Santander Bank has physical branches primarily in the Northeast and Miami.
  • Santander Bank's Santander Savings account has a low minimum deposit of $25.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Santander Bank's savings account offers a low APY of 0.01%.
  • Santander Bank has a maintenance fee of $1 for its savings account.
  • Santander Bank is not rated by the BBB.
Summary: CIT Bank offers a significantly higher APY of 3.85% on its Platinum Savings account compared to Santander Bank's 0.01%. While CIT Bank has no maintenance fees, it requires a higher minimum balance. In contrast, Santander Bank provides physical branches and a lower minimum deposit requirement, but its account has associated fees and lower ratings. Both banks have strong App Store ratings, with CIT Bank leading slightly.

→ As of October 21, 2025 CIT Bank offers an APY of 3.85% for its Platinum Savings account, with a minimum balance of $5,000, compared to Santander Bank's 0.01% APY for its Santander Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.

CIT Bank yields $384 more than Santander Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. CIT Bank pays $385, while Santander Bank pays $1 - an APY advantage for CIT Bank.

→ In addition, CIT Bank also offers 3.75% APY for the Savings Connect account.

Calculate Savings Growth for CIT Bank vs Santander Bank

All calculations are based on APY.

CIT Bank - Platinum Savings

Top APY: 3.85%

Total savings breakdown:

  • Interest earned: $2,338 (11.50%)
  • Total contributions: $13,000 (63.92%)
  • Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.58%)

Your total balance

$20,338.00

Effective APY: 3.85% (based on your deposit and contributions)

Total balance: $20,338

Earnings: $2,338

Bank Overview

Santander Bank - Santander Savings

Top APY: 0.01%

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

Effective APY: 0.01% (based on your deposit and contributions)

Total balance: $18,005.7

Earnings: $5.7

Bank Overview

With a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, CIT Bank's total earnings would be $2,332.3 higher than Santander Bank's total earnings.

The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.

Compare CIT Bank's vs Santander Bank's Savings Accounts

CIT BankSantander Bank
ProductPlatinum SavingsSavings ConnectvsSantander Savings
APY
0.25% - 3.85% (as of 10/21/2025)3.75% (as of 10/21/2025)0.01% (as of 10/21/2025)
Bundled Account
NoNoNo
FDIC-insured
YesYesYes
Online OnlyYesYesNo
Compound Frequency
DailyDailyDaily
Minimum Deposit$100$100$25
Minimum Balance for APY$5,000$0$0
Maintenance Fee$0$0$1
Direct Deposit Required
NoNoNo
App Store Rating4.8/54.8/5
Google Play Rating4.3/54.1/5
BBB RatingA-Not Rated

Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)

CIT BankSantander Bank
ProductSavings ConnectPlatinum SavingsvsSantander Savings
Latest APY3.75 %3.85 %0.01 %
TrendSidewaysSidewaysSideways
Slope (bps/mo)-2.6-4.9-0.1
Rate Changes / Mo0.220.440.11
Days Since Last Change282832
High (-9 m)4.00 %4.35 %0.03 %
Low (-9 m)3.75 %3.85 %0.01 %
Draw-down from High-6.3 %-11.5 %-66.7 %
Volatility (CV)0.0200.0350.232
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 272 days.
Low (-9 m)
Lowest APY in the last 272 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.

More Comparisons

Compare CIT Bank's APY of 3.85% with other banks
Compare Santander Bank's APY of 0.01% with other banks