Citizens Access vs. Santander Bank
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: October 16, 2025
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Summary of Citizens Access™ vs. Santander Bank
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Citizens Access™ | Santander Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 3.50% Citizens Access® Savings | 0.01% Santander Savings |
| Minimum to Open | $0.01 | $25 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0.01 | $0 |
Citizens Access™
Strengths
- Citizens Access offers a competitive APY of 3.50%, unchanged from 30 days ago.
- Citizens Access has an A+ BBB rating, indicating high trustworthiness.
- No maintenance fees are charged for the Citizens Access savings account.
Potential Drawbacks
- Citizens Access has no physical branches, being an online-only bank.
Santander Bank
Strengths
- Santander Bank has physical branches primarily in the Northeast and Miami.
- Santander offers a savings account with a minimum deposit of only $25.
Potential Drawbacks
- Santander's APY is significantly lower at 0.01%, down from 0.03% last month.
- Santander Bank is not rated by the BBB and is not accredited.
- Santander charges a $1 monthly maintenance fee for its savings account.
→ As of October 16, 2025 Citizens Access™ offers an APY of 3.50% for its Citizens Access® Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.01, compared to Santander Bank's 0.01% APY for its Santander Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.
→ Citizens Access™ yields $349 more than Santander Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Citizens Access™ pays $350, while Santander Bank pays $1 - an APY advantage for Citizens Access™.
Calculate Savings Growth for Citizens Access™ vs Santander Bank
Citizens Access™
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,114.1 (10.51%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.63%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.86%)
Your total balance
$20,114.10
Total balance: $20,114.1
Earnings: $2,114.1
Bank OverviewSantander Bank
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 OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Citizens Access™'s total earnings would be $2,108.4 higher than Santander Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Citizens Access™'s vs Santander Bank's Savings Accounts
| Citizens Access™ | Santander Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Citizens Access® Savings | vs | Santander Savings |
| APY | 3.50% (as of 10/16/2025) | 0.01% (as of 10/16/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0.01 | $25 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0.01 | $0 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $1 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | |
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Google Play Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.1/5 | |
| BBB Rating | A+ | Not Rated |
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)
| Citizens Access™ | Santander Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Citizens Access® Savings | vs | Santander Savings |
| Latest APY | 3.50 % | 0.01 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -2.9 | -0.1 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.11 | 0.11 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 78 | 27 | |
| High (-9 m) | 3.70 % | 0.03 % | |
| Low (-9 m) | 3.50 % | 0.01 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -5.4 % | -66.7 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.025 | 0.219 |
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 262 days.
- Low (-9 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 262 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.