Citibank vs. Forbright Bank
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 12, 2025
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Summary of Citibank vs. Forbright Bank
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Citibank | Forbright Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 3.35% Citi Accelerate Savings | 4.00% Growth Savings |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0.01 | $0 |
Citibank
Strengths
- Citi Accelerate Savings offers a competitive APY of 3.35%, though it decreased from 3.40% last month.
- Citi Accelerate Savings has no minimum deposit requirement.
Potential Drawbacks
- Citi Accelerate Savings has a low BBB rating of D- and is not BBB Accredited.
- Citi Accelerate Savings charges a maintenance fee of $4.50 unless maintaining a balance over $500.
Forbright Bank
Strengths
- Growth Savings offers a higher APY of 4.00%, unchanged over the past month.
- Forbright Bank has an excellent BBB rating of A+ and is BBB Accredited.
Potential Drawbacks
- Forbright Bank's Bright Savings requires a minimum balance of $250,000 for the highest APY.
- Forbright Bank's Sprout Savings has a lower APY cap at $9,999.
Summary: Forbright Bank's Growth Savings leads with a 4.00% APY, while Citibank's best option, Citi Accelerate Savings, offers 3.35%. Citibank has a poor BBB rating of D-, while Forbright Bank enjoys an A+ rating. Both banks have no maintenance fees on certain accounts, but Citibank imposes a fee unless a balance of $500 is maintained. Overall, Forbright Bank presents a more favorable profile for high-yield savings.
→ As of November 12, 2025 Citibank offers an APY of 3.35% for its Citi Accelerate Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.01, compared to Forbright Bank's 4.00% APY for its Growth Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.
→ Forbright Bank yields $65 more than Citibank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Citibank pays $335, while Forbright Bank pays $400 - an APY advantage for Forbright Bank.
→ In addition, Citibank also offers 0.03% APY for the Citi® Savings Account account, while Forbright Bank offers 3.65% APY for the Bright Savings account.
Calculate Savings Growth for Citibank vs Forbright Bank
All calculations are based on APY.
Citibank - Citi Accelerate Savings
Top APY: 3.35%
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,018.8 (10.08%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.94%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.98%)
Your total balance
$20,018.80
Effective APY: 3.35% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,018.8
Earnings: $2,018.8
Bank OverviewForbright Bank - Growth Savings
Top APY: 4.00%
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,434.7 (11.91%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (63.62%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.47%)
Your total balance
$20,434.70
Effective APY: 4.00% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,434.7
Earnings: $2,434.7
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Citibank's total earnings would be $415.9 lower than Forbright Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Citibank's vs Forbright Bank's Savings Accounts
| Citibank | Forbright Bank | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Citi Accelerate Savings | Citi® Savings Account | vs | Growth Savings | Bright Savings | Sprout Savings |
| APY | 3.35% (as of 11/12/2025) | 0.03% (as of 11/12/2025) | 4.00% (as of 11/12/2025) | 2.75% - 3.65% (as of 11/12/2025) | 0.80% - 3.65% (as of 11/12/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | $0 | $250 | $1 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0 | $250,000 | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $4.50. Waived for average monthly balances > $500 | $4.50. Waived for average monthly balances > $500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Eligibility | Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida (select parts), Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois (select parts), Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia (partial), Washington (partial), Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming. | California, Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Virginia (partial), Washington D.C., and select parts of Florida and Illinois. In addition, promotional rates may be available if requirements are met. | United States | This account must be opened in a Forbright branch (Washington, D.C. metro area) | This account is for children under 18 years old, where the account custodian is an existing customer. It must be opened in a Forbright branch (Washington, D.C. metro area) | |
| Note | This is a tiered savings account, where the highest rate is obtained by meeting a minimum balance of $250,000. A lower APY of 2.75% may be obtained with as little as $0.01 in balance. See bank for more details and all tiers. | This is a tiered savings account, where the highest rate is capped at a balance of $9,999. A lower APY of 0.80% is applied to balances above that. See bank for more details. | ||||
| App Store Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.8/5 | ||||
| Google Play Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.6/5 | ||||
| BBB Rating | D- | A+ | ||||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)
| Citibank | Forbright Bank | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Citi® Savings Account | Citi Accelerate Savings | vs | Sprout Savings | Bright Savings | Growth Savings |
| Latest APY | 0.03 % | 3.35 % | 3.65 % | 3.65 % | 4.00 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | 0.0 | -4.8 | -2.7 | -2.7 | -1.9 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.00 | 0.52 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 289 | 9 | 43 | 43 | 35 | |
| High (-9 m) | 0.03 % | 3.80 % | 3.90 % | 3.90 % | 4.25 % | |
| Low (-9 m) | 0.03 % | 3.35 % | 3.65 % | 3.65 % | 4.00 % | |
| Draw-down from High | 0.0 % | -11.8 % | -6.4 % | -6.4 % | -5.9 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.000 | 0.039 | 0.026 | 0.026 | 0.021 | |
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 289 days.
- Low (-9 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 289 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.