Ufb Direct vs. Wells Fargo
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 2, 2025
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Summary of UFB Direct vs. Wells Fargo
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | UFB Direct | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 3.71% UFB Checking and Savings Bundle | 0.05% Platinum Savings |
| Minimum to Open | $5000 | $25 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $10,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Note | The regular savings or money market APY may be boosted up to 3.71% by direct deposits, minimum balance of $10,000 and making 10 approved debit card transactions per statement cycle. See bank for full details. | This is a tiered savings account where rates vary based on the balance. The 0.05% APY is available for balances of $1,000,000 or more, and 0.05% APY up to $99,999.99. These APYs require the account is linked to a Wells Fargo Premier checking account. See bank for more tiers and details. |
UFB Direct
Strengths
- UFB Direct offers a high APY of 3.71%, down from 3.96% last month.
- UFB Direct has an A+ BBB rating and is BBB Accredited.
- UFB Direct's app ratings are strong: 4.8 on App Store and 4.5 on Google Play.
Potential Drawbacks
- UFB Direct requires a minimum balance of $10,000 for the highest APY.
- UFB Direct has no physical branches.
Wells Fargo
Strengths
- Wells Fargo has physical branches and ATMs in 36 states and Washington, D.C.
- Wells Fargo's app ratings are excellent: 4.9 on App Store and 4.8 on Google Play.
Potential Drawbacks
- Wells Fargo's highest APY is only 0.05%, down from 2.51% last month.
- Wells Fargo has a D- BBB rating and is not BBB Accredited.
- Wells Fargo charges a $12 maintenance fee unless certain conditions are met.
→ As of November 2, 2025 UFB Direct offers an APY of 3.71% for its UFB Checking and Savings Bundle account, with a minimum balance of $10,000, compared to Wells Fargo's 0.05% APY for its Platinum Savings account, with a minimum balance of $1,000,000.
→ UFB Direct yields $366 more than Wells Fargo on a $10,000 balance after one year. UFB Direct pays $371, while Wells Fargo pays $5 - an APY advantage for UFB Direct.
→ In addition, UFB Direct also offers 3.51% APY for the UFB Portfolio Savings account, while Wells Fargo offers 0.01% APY for the Way2Save Savings account.
Calculate Savings Growth for UFB Direct vs Wells Fargo
UFB Direct - UFB Checking and Savings Bundle
⚠️The higher APY only applies once your balance reaches $10,000.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,218.7 (10.97%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.30%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.73%)
Your total balance
$20,218.70
Total balance: $20,218.7
Earnings: $2,218.7
Wells Fargo - Platinum Savings
⚠️The higher APY only applies once your balance reaches $1,000,000.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $28.6 (0.16%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (72.11%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (27.73%)
Your total balance
$18,028.60
Total balance: $18,028.6
Earnings: $28.6
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, UFB Direct's total earnings would be $2,190.1 higher than Wells Fargo's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare UFB Direct's vs Wells Fargo's Savings Accounts
| UFB Direct | Wells Fargo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | UFB Portfolio Savings | UFB Checking and Savings Bundle | vs | Way2Save Savings | Platinum Savings |
| APY | 3.51% (as of 11/2/2025) | 3.51% - 3.71% (as of 11/2/2025) | 0.01% (as of 11/2/2025) | 0.05% - 0.05% (as of 11/2/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | Yes | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $5000 | $25 | $25 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $10,000 | $0 | $1,000,000 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 | $5. Waived under some circumstances. | $12. Waived with $3,500 minimum daily balance. | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | Yes | No | No | |
| Note | The regular savings or money market APY may be boosted up to 3.71% by direct deposits, minimum balance of $10,000 and making 10 approved debit card transactions per statement cycle. See bank for full details. | This is a tiered savings account where rates vary based on the balance. The 0.05% APY is available for balances of $1,000,000 or more, and 0.05% APY up to $99,999.99. These APYs require the account is linked to a Wells Fargo Premier checking account. See bank for more tiers and details. | |||
| Sponsored Link | LEARN MORE at UFB Direct, Member FDIC | LEARN MORE at UFB Direct, Member FDIC | |||
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.9/5 | |||
| Google Play Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.8/5 | |||
| BBB Rating | A+ | D- | |||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 4 Months)
| UFB Direct | Wells Fargo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | UFB Checking and Savings Bundle | UFB Portfolio Savings | vs | Platinum Savings | Way2Save Savings |
| Latest APY | 3.71 % | 3.51 % | 0.05 % | 0.01 % | |
| Trend | Falling | Falling | Falling | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -10.8 | -10.8 | -58.9 | 0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.82 | 0.82 | 0.82 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 3 | 3 | 16 | 109 | |
| High (-4 m) | 4.21 % | 4.01 % | 2.51 % | 0.01 % | |
| Low (-4 m) | 3.71 % | 3.51 % | 0.05 % | 0.01 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -11.9 % | -12.5 % | -98.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.034 | 0.036 | 0.460 | 0.000 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 4 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 (-4 m)
- Highest APY in the last 110 days.
- Low (-4 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 110 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 4-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.