Valley Direct vs. Wells Fargo
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: October 16, 2025
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Summary of Valley Direct vs. Wells Fargo
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Valley Direct | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 4.10% High-Yield Savings Account | 2.51% Platinum Savings |
| Minimum to Open | $1000 | $25 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0.01 | $1,000,000 |
| Note | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. | This is a tiered savings account where rates vary based on the balance. The 2.51% 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. |
Valley Direct
Strengths
- Valley Direct offers a competitive APY of 4.10%, though it decreased from 4.30% in the last 30 days.
- No maintenance fees for the High-Yield Savings Account.
- Valley Direct has a strong BBB rating of A+.
Potential Drawbacks
- Valley Direct's High-Yield Savings Account requires a minimum deposit of $1,000.
- Accounts can only be serviced online or at select branches in four states.
- Valley Direct is not BBB accredited.
Wells Fargo
Strengths
- Wells Fargo provides extensive branch access across 36 states and D.C.
- Wells Fargo's Platinum Savings offers a tiered APY of 2.51% for balances over $1,000,000.
- Wells Fargo has a high App Store rating of 4.9.
Potential Drawbacks
- Wells Fargo has a poor BBB rating of F and is not accredited.
- The Platinum Savings account has a high minimum balance requirement of $1,000,000 for the best APY.
- Wells Fargo charges a maintenance fee of $12 unless certain balance conditions are met.
→ As of October 16, 2025 Valley Direct offers an APY of 4.10% for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01, compared to Wells Fargo's 2.51% APY for its Platinum Savings account, with a minimum balance of $1,000,000.
→ Valley Direct yields $405 more than Wells Fargo on a $10,000 balance after one year. Valley Direct pays $410, while Wells Fargo pays $5 (with an effective APY of 0.05%) - an APY advantage for Valley Direct.
→ In addition, Wells Fargo also offers 0.01% APY for the Way2Save Savings account.
Calculate Savings Growth for Valley Direct vs Wells Fargo
Valley Direct
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
Total balance: $20,499.4
Earnings: $2,499.4
Bank OverviewWells Fargo
⚠️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, Valley Direct's total earnings would be $2,470.8 higher than Wells Fargo's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Valley Direct's vs Wells Fargo's Savings Accounts
| Valley Direct | Wells Fargo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High-Yield Savings Account | vs | Way2Save Savings | Platinum Savings |
| APY | 4.10% (as of 10/16/2025) | 0.01% (as of 10/16/2025) | 0.05% - 2.51% (as of 10/16/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | Yes | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | No | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $25 | $25 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0.01 | $0 | $1,000,000 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $5. Waived under some circumstances. | $12. Waived with $3,500 minimum daily balance. | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | No | |
| Eligibility | Only for new customers. Existing Valley Bank or Valley Direct customers may open a savings account with a somewhat lower rate. | United States | United States | |
| Note | Promo. Eligibility restricted to new customers. | This is a tiered savings account where rates vary based on the balance. The 2.51% 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. | ||
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.9/5 | ||
| Google Play Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.8/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | A+ | F | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 3 Months)
| Valley Direct | Wells Fargo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High-Yield Savings Account | vs | Platinum Savings | Way2Save Savings |
| Latest APY | 4.10 % | 2.51 % | 0.01 % | |
| Trend | Falling | Falling | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -8.1 | -19.8 | -0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 20 | 0 | 94 | |
| High (-3 m) | 4.30 % | 2.51 % | 0.01 % | |
| Low (-3 m) | 4.05 % | 0.05 % | 0.01 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -4.7 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.023 | 0.214 | 0.000 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 3 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 (-3 m)
- Highest APY in the last 94 days.
- Low (-3 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 94 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 3-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.