Citibank vs. Valley Direct
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 12, 2025
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Summary of Citibank vs. Valley Direct
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Citibank | Valley Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 3.35% Citi Accelerate Savings | 4.10% High-Yield Savings Account |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $1,000 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0.01 | $0.01 |
| Note | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. |
Citibank
Strengths
- Citi Accelerate Savings offers a competitive APY of 3.35%, slightly up from 3.40% last month.
- Citi Accelerate Savings has no minimum deposit requirement.
- Citi Accelerate Savings has a high App Store rating of 4.9.
Potential Drawbacks
- Citi Accelerate Savings has a low BBB rating of D- and is not accredited.
- Citi Accelerate Savings charges a maintenance fee of $4.50 unless balance exceeds $500.
- Citi Accelerate Savings is only available online.
Valley Direct
Strengths
- Valley Direct's High-Yield Savings Account offers a high APY of 4.10%, unchanged from last month.
- Valley Direct has a strong BBB rating of A+.
- Valley Direct has no maintenance fees on its savings account.
Potential Drawbacks
- Valley Direct requires a minimum deposit of $1,000 to open the High-Yield Savings Account.
- Valley Direct's App Store rating is slightly lower at 4.8.
- Services are limited to Valley branch locations after account opening.
Summary: Valley Direct offers a higher APY of 4.10% with no maintenance fees, but requires a $1,000 minimum deposit. In contrast, Citibank's Citi Accelerate Savings has a lower APY of 3.35% and charges a maintenance fee unless a balance of $500 is maintained. Citibank has a better App Store rating but a significantly lower BBB rating of D-.
→ 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 Valley Direct's 4.10% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.
→ Valley Direct yields $75 more than Citibank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Citibank pays $335, while Valley Direct pays $410 - an APY advantage for Valley Direct.
→ In addition, Citibank also offers 0.03% APY for the Citi® Savings Account account.
Calculate Savings Growth for Citibank vs Valley Direct
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 OverviewValley Direct - High-Yield Savings Account
Top APY: 4.10%
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
Effective APY: 4.10% (based on your deposit and contributions)
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, Citibank's total earnings would be $480.6 lower than Valley Direct's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Citibank's vs Valley Direct's Savings Accounts
| Citibank | Valley Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Citi Accelerate Savings | Citi® Savings Account | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| APY | 3.35% (as of 11/12/2025) | 0.03% (as of 11/12/2025) | 4.10% (as of 11/12/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $4.50. Waived for average monthly balances > $500 | $4.50. Waived for average monthly balances > $500 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | 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. | 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 | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | D- | A+ | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)
| Citibank | Valley Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Citi® Savings Account | Citi Accelerate Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| Latest APY | 0.03 % | 3.35 % | 4.10 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | 0.0 | -4.8 | 1.6 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.00 | 0.52 | 0.73 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 289 | 9 | 48 | |
| High (-9 m) | 0.03 % | 3.80 % | 4.40 % | |
| Low (-9 m) | 0.03 % | 3.35 % | 3.75 % | |
| Draw-down from High | 0.0 % | -11.8 % | -6.8 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.000 | 0.039 | 0.044 | |
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.