CIT Bank vs. Synchrony Bank
CIT Bank's Platinum Savings pays 3.75% APY while Synchrony Bank's High Yield Savings pays 3.30% APY.
See how they compare on rate stability, mobile app ratings, and more below.
The Bottom Line
Who pays more interest on $10,000? CIT Bank pays $45 more than Synchrony Bank annually ($375 vs $330).
Choose CIT Bank if getting the best rate matters most, or you want Zelle for quick transfers.
| Metric | CIT BankPlatinum Savings Sep 14, 2026 | Synchrony BankHigh Yield Savings Sep 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| APY | 0.25% - 3.75% | 3.30% |
Earns in a year | $5,000+$188 $10,000+$375 $25,000+$938 | $5,000+$165 $10,000+$330 $25,000+$825 |
Min. Deposit | $100 | $0 |
Snapshot view. Rates subject to change. | ||
Terms | This is a tiered savings account, where the stated APY requires meeting the $5,000 balance requirement. Lower balances earn a lower APY. | - |
| Features | FDIC InsuredMod. MinimumGreat iOS AppGreat Android AppZelle® SupportedDaily CompoundingStable Rate | FDIC InsuredNo MinimumsGreat iOS AppGreat Android AppDaily CompoundingRate Changes Often |
Market Reality Check
Both of these institutions offer rates below the top 10 savings and money market accounts we track. Those institutions all pay at least 4.20% APY.
Comparison Analysis
Comparing CIT Bank vs. Synchrony Bank
Executive Summary
CIT Bank last changed on February 4, 2026, up 10 basis points. Synchrony Bank last changed on June 18, 2026, down 10 basis points. CIT Bank paid 2.95% on average on savings and money market deposits. Its savings account offers 3.75%. Synchrony Bank paid 3.35% on average on savings and money market deposits. Its savings account offers 3.30%. At a balance of $10,000, CIT Bank leads with a rate of 3.75%, while Synchrony Bank's rate is 3.30%. This difference of 45 basis points has been in place since at least January 21, 2026.
The analysis is based on current Banksparency database records
* This content is provided for informational purposes only; always verify details with the provider.
Why CIT Bank?
- Higher potential APY (3.65%-3.75% vs 3.30%)
- No checking account or direct deposit required
- Offers 2 different high-yield savings options
- Fast transfers via Zelle®
Why Synchrony Bank?
No distinct advantages found vs CIT Bank.
Key Feature Differences
Better Returns at $10,000
CIT BankCIT Bank's Platinum Savings earns more on smaller deposits (approx. $375 vs $330/yr).
Better Returns at $25,000
CIT BankCIT Bank's Platinum Savings pulls ahead with larger amounts (approx. $938 vs $825/yr).
Better for Simplicity
CIT BankCIT Bank's Savings Connect offers 3.65% APY with no bundling, direct deposit requirement or caps.
Shared Benefits
Over a 1-year period, CIT Bank's Platinum Savings pays $45 more interest on a $10,000 balance than Synchrony Bank's High Yield Savings.
*This calculation assumes current rates remain consistent for 1 year and does not include temporary bonuses.
Non-sponsored link to official site
Non-sponsored link to official site
Top Market Contenders
CIT Bank vs. Synchrony Bank Savings Calculator
You earn $45 more with CIT Bank than Synchrony Bank on a $10,000 initial deposit for 1 year*.
*This calculation assumes that APYs remain unchanged for 1 year, and takes into account known promo rate periods, but does not factor in bonuses. You can see how often these banks have changed their rates in the Compare Savings Rates Over Time section below.
CIT Bank
Platinum Savings
Savings Breakdown
- Interest Earned+$375.00(3.6%)
- Total Contributions$0
- Initial Deposit$10,000
Projected Balance
$10,375.00
Synchrony Bank
High Yield Savings
Savings Breakdown
- Interest Earned+$330.00(3.2%)
- Total Contributions$0
- Initial Deposit$10,000
Projected Balance
$10,330.00
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Still at a large branch bank?
A typical branch-bank savings rate is 0.05% APY. On a $10,000 balance, the gap to these two banks is at least $325 a year in interest.
Both CIT Bank and Synchrony Bank advertise far more than that typical branch-bank rate.
| Feature | CIT Bank | Synchrony Bank |
|---|---|---|
| APY | 3.75% Range: 0.25% - 3.75% Observed: 9/14/2026 Stable over 90 days | 3.30% Observed: 9/14/2026 0.10%90-day change |
| Product Name | Platinum Savings | High Yield Savings |
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Min. Balance for APY | $5,000 | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0 | $0 |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily |
| In-Branch Access | No | No |
| Account Type | Online Only | Online Only |
| Physical Branches | Not reported | 2 (FL, UT) |
| Direct Deposit Req. | None | None |
| Checking Bundle | No | No |
| Mobile Apps | ||
| FDIC or NCUA Insured | YesVerify FDIC | YesVerify FDIC |
| Zelle® Support | Available Supported for eChecking users post-First Citizens merger. | Not Supported |
| BBB Rating | A+ | Not Rated |
| Important Notes | This is a tiered savings account, where the stated APY requires meeting the $5,000 balance requirement. Lower balances earn a lower APY. | - |
| Next Steps | Visit SiteVerify at CIT Bank Non-sponsored link to official site | Visit SiteVerify at Synchrony Bank Non-sponsored link to official site |
What each bank pays on deposits
An advertised rate tells you what a new savings account earns today. It cannot tell you how the bank has priced the savings and money market deposits it already holds, over time. This section shows that. The figure is computed from the interest expense and deposit balances that every bank files with the FDIC in the same form. That is what makes it comparable across banks and across quarters.
CIT Bank
The two figures answer different questions, so they sit side by side and are not combined. The 3.75% needs a balance of at least $5,000. Below that, the account advertises 0.25%.
In Q2 2026, First-Citizens Bank&Trust Company paid a higher average rate on savings and money market deposits than 93% of banks that reported a figure (FDIC call report). The all-bank median was 1.45%.
Each figure is that bank's own charter-level average across its whole deposit book, so the two are shown one after the other and are not a ranking.
Synchrony Bank
The two figures answer different questions, so they sit side by side and are not combined.
In Q2 2026, Synchrony Bank paid a higher average rate on savings and money market deposits than 97% of banks that reported a figure (FDIC call report). The all-bank median was 1.45%.
How to read these figures
What the average covers. It is an average across the whole bank, taken from its own quarterly FDIC call report. It covers savings accounts and money market deposit accounts, personal and business, at every balance tier. It also covers accounts that were opened years ago and keep the rate of those years. The FDIC line does not separate consumer accounts.
The second figure. The scale row also shows the average across all interest-bearing deposits: savings, interest checking, money market accounts, CDs, personal and business. That figure covers the whole deposit book. The two are shown separately and are not combined.
What the advertised rate covers. It is the rate that this bank advertises now for a new savings account. Banksparency records it from the bank's website on the date shown beside it.
Why the two differ. They measure different things, so this page shows them side by side and keeps them apart. An advertised rate applies to one account, opened now, at today's price. The average also includes older savings balances at the rates of earlier years, money market balances that were priced in a different rate environment, and business accounts. An average below an advertised rate is the usual result of that arithmetic. On its own it is not evidence about the account that you would open.
What the average is useful for. The bank files the data itself, under reporting instructions that are the same for every filer, and the same computation runs for every bank on this site. That makes it comparable in a way that an advertisement is not. Two things on this page read it: the percentile, which shows where the quarter sits among all filers, and the chart, which shows the direction the figure has moved across quarters.
What the average cannot tell you. It cannot tell you the rate that you would earn. No single customer earns the average. For your rate, read the advertised rate above and the rate tables on this page, each with the date it was observed.
What to do next. Use the advertised rate to work out what a new account earns. Use the chart to see how the quarterly average has moved against the all-bank median. Then compare the advertised rate against the current rates on the savings-rate tables before you open an account.
Definitions: Call Report · Rate Paid on Deposits · Interest-Bearing Deposits · Front Book and Back Book · Deposit Rate Percentile
Average annualized rates paid on savings and money market deposits, and on all interest-bearing deposits, quarterly. The FDIC line for savings includes money market deposit accounts and business savings deposits and does not separate consumer accounts. Source: FDIC call report data, as reported; it may be amended. The percentile compares all FDIC filers, count-weighted. A missing quarter is suppressed, never interpolated. The percentile counts the banks that paid strictly less on savings and money market deposits, one vote per bank, among the banks that reported a figure for the quarter.
CD rates, term by term
CIT Bank lists CDs on Banksparency at 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months. Synchrony Bank lists CDs at 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months. Each row below is one term, with the best rate each bank advertises for it.
| Term | CIT Bank APY | Synchrony Bank APY | FDIC average (Aug 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 4.00% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.10% APYNo minimum | 1.71% |
| 3 months | Not listed here | 0.25% APYNo minimum | 1.14% |
| 6 months | 3.75% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.10% APYNo minimum | 1.41% |
| 9 months | Not listed here | 3.90% APYNo minimum | |
| 11 months | 3.90% APY$1,000 minimum | 0.25% APYNo minimum | 1.71%12-month average |
| 13 months | 3.25% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.10% APYNo minimum | 1.71%12-month average |
| 14 months | Not listed here | 4.15% APYNo minimum | |
| 15 months | Not listed here | 4.10% APYNo minimum | |
| 16 months | Not listed here | 4.30% APYNo minimum | |
| 18 months | 2.75% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.25% APYNo minimum | |
| 19 months | Not listed here | 4.25% APYNo minimum | |
| 24 months | 0.40% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.25% APYNo minimum | 1.57% |
| 36 months | 0.40% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.30% APYNo minimum | 1.34% |
| 48 months | 0.50% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.00% APYNo minimum | 1.27% |
| 60 months | 0.50% APY$1,000 minimum | 4.35% APYNo minimum | 1.36% |
Money market accounts
A money market account holds a savings balance and adds check or debit card access. The figure each bank advertises is its best APY across every active tier, so the sentence under it says which balance earns that rate.
CIT Bank
Money Market
1.55% APY
$100 minimum. As observed Sep 14, 2026.
Synchrony Bank
Money Market Account
2.00% APY
No minimum. As observed Sep 14, 2026.
The FDIC national money market average was 0.63% in Aug 2026.
Compare Savings Rates Over Time
Historical Performance
| Metric | CIT Bank | Synchrony Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum Savings | Savings Connect | High Yield Savings | |
Current APY | 3.75% | 3.65% | 3.30% |
Trend | Stable | Stable | Stable |
Speed of change | -0.03 | -0.03 | -0.05 |
Days Since Change | 298 | 298 | 88 |
12-Month High | 4.00% | 3.90% | 3.80% |
12-Month Low | 3.75% | 3.65% | 3.30% |
Changes per month | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.33 |
Steadiness | 0.017 | 0.017 | 0.028 |
How to read these metrics(Click to expand)
Trends and speed
- Trend: The general direction of the rate over the analyzed period. Useful for seeing whether a bank is raising its rate or letting it slip.
- Speed of change: How fast the rate moves. A high positive number means they raise rates quickly. A reading of 0.10 is a tenth of a percentage point each month.
- Changes per month: How often the rate moves. A high number means it changes constantly; a low number means it holds.
Risk & Range
- High/Low: The absolute ceiling and floor of the rate during the 364-day window.
- Steadiness: How far the rate swings around its average. A lower score means a steadier, more predictable rate.
- Days Since Change: A high number, for example above 90, means the rate rarely moves. A low number means it changed recently.
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