Santander Bank vs Ufb Direct
High-Yield Savings Accounts Comparison
Last Updated: September 5, 2025
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Summary of Santander Bank vs. UFB Direct
As of September 5, 2025 Santander Bank offers an APY of 0.03% for its Santander Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to UFB Direct's 4.21% APY for its UFB Checking and Savings Bundle account, with a minimum balance of $10,000.
UFB Direct yields $418 more than Santander Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Santander Bank pays $3, while UFB Direct pays $421 - an APY advantage for UFB Direct.
In addition, UFB Direct also offers 4.01% APY for the UFB Portfolio Savings account.
Santander Bank
Strengths
- Santander Bank has a low minimum deposit requirement of $25 for its savings account.
- Santander Bank charges a low maintenance fee of $1 per month.
- Santander Bank offers a solid App Store rating of 4.8.
Potential Drawbacks
- Santander Bank's APY is only 0.03%, significantly lower than UFB Direct.
- Santander Bank is not BBB Accredited, rated A-.
- Santander Bank requires a maintenance fee despite a low APY.
UFB Direct
Strengths
- UFB Direct offers a high APY of 4.21% with direct deposit and minimum balance.
- UFB Direct is BBB Accredited with a top rating of A+.
- UFB Direct has an excellent Google Play rating of 4.7.
Potential Drawbacks
- UFB Direct requires a minimum deposit of $5,000 for its high-yield account.
- UFB Direct mandates a minimum balance of $10,000 to earn the highest APY.
- UFB Direct has no physical branches, operating online only.
Summary: Santander Bank offers a low minimum deposit and a low maintenance fee but has a significantly lower APY of 0.03% and lacks BBB accreditation. In contrast, UFB Direct provides a high APY of 4.21% with direct deposit but requires a higher minimum deposit and balance, alongside being fully online with no branches. UFB Direct also enjoys a better BBB rating and higher Google Play rating.
Compare Santander Bank's vs UFB Direct's Savings Accounts
| Santander Bank | UFB Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Santander Savings | vs | UFB Checking and Savings Bundle | UFB Portfolio Savings |
| APY | 0.03% (as of 9/5/2025) | 4.01% - 4.21% (as of 9/5/2025) | 4.01% (as of 9/5/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $25 | $5000 | $0 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $10,000 | $0 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $1 | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | Yes | No | |
| Note | The regular savings or money market APY may be boosted up to 4.21% by direct deposits, minimum balance of $10,000 and making 10 approved debit card transactions per statement cycle. See bank for full details. | |||
| Sponsored Link | LEARN MORE at UFB Direct, Member FDIC | LEARN MORE at UFB Direct, Member FDIC | ||
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | ||
| Google Play Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.7/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | A- | A+ | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 7 Months)
| Santander Bank | UFB Direct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Santander Savings | vs | UFB Checking and Savings Bundle | UFB Portfolio Savings |
| Latest APY | 0.03 % | 4.21 % | 4.01 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | 0.0 | -0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 226 | 203 | 226 | |
| High (-7 m) | 0.03 % | 4.21 % | 4.01 % | |
| Low (-7 m) | 0.03 % | 4.21 % | 4.01 % | |
| Draw-down from High | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 7 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 (-7 m)
- Highest APY in the last 226 days.
- Low (-7 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 226 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 7-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.
Calculate Savings Growth for Santander Bank vs UFB Direct
All calculations are based on APY.
Santander Bank
APY: 0.03%
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $17.2 (0.10%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (72.15%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (27.75%)
Your total balance
$18,017.20
Effective APY: 0.03% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $18,017.2
Earnings: $17.2
Bank OverviewUFB Direct
APY: 4.21%
⚠️The higher APY only applies once your balance reaches $10,000.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,541.6 (12.37%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (63.29%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.34%)
Your total balance
$20,541.60
Effective APY: 4.17% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,541.6
Earnings: $2,541.6
With a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Santander Bank's total earnings would be $2,524.4 lower than UFB Direct's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
More Comparisons
Compare Santander Bank's APY of 0.03% with other banks
Compare UFB Direct's APY of 4.21% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Competitor APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| UFB Direct vs Ally Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs American Express | 3.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| UFB Direct vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs BrioDirect | 4.30% | $5,000 |
| UFB Direct vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| UFB Direct vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Elevault | 4.60% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs EverBank | 4.30% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Fitness Bank | 4.75% | $100 |
| UFB Direct vs FVCbank | 4.35% | $500 |
| UFB Direct vs GO2bank | 4.50% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Neighbors Bank | 4.60% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Newtek Bank | 4.35% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Peak Bank | 4.35% | $100 |
| UFB Direct vs Pibank | 4.60% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| UFB Direct vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Synchrony Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs TIMBR | 4.40% | $1,000 |
| UFB Direct vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |
| UFB Direct vs Wells Fargo | 2.51% | $25 |
| UFB Direct vs Zynlo Bank | 4.35% | $10 |