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Compare Popular Bank accounts

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2.50% to 5.50% (vary by location)

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On Popular Bank’s site. Popular Bank, FDIC Insured

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On Popular Bank’s site. Popular Bank, FDIC Insured

Popular Bank Review: Overall Rating

Popular Bank Pros and Cons

Popular Bank is considered a minority depository institution by the FDIC because most of its board is Hispanic American and it serves a minority community. The bank has branches in the following states:

  • Florida (Sunrise, Aventura, Miami, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, Hialeah, Doral, Coral Gables)
  • New Jersey (Perth Amboy, Elizabeth, Newark, West New York)
  • New York (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Ridgewood, Forest Hills, Elmhurst, Astoria, Bronx)

There are also branches in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, but those branches offer slightly different products than the ones in the mainland US (which are the accounts we’re covering in this review).

You have free access to 55,000 Allpoint ATMs around the US.

Popular Bank has a Rewards program, and you can qualify for the lowest tier if you have at least $5,000 combined in all of your Popular Bank accounts. Perks include waived ATM fees, waived monthly fees, and higher rates on certain accounts.

The Popular Bank mobile app has 2.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store, and 3.2 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.

To contact customer support, call Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to midnight ET, or Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Your deposits are FDIC- insured for up to $250,000, or up to $500,000 for joint accounts.

The Role of Hispanic American Financial Institutions

Hispanic American-owned financial institutions serve an important role in addressing banking gaps like language and access in underserved communities.

Banco Popular provides services in English and Spanish. The bank also created the Popular Foundation, which has given over $2.5 million to local organizations focused on education, youth, health, elderly care, and community development.

Is Popular Bank Trustworthy?

The Better Business Bureau gives Popular Bank an A+ rating. A strong BBB grade indicates a company advertises honestly, responds effectively to customer complaints, and is transparent about business practices.

However, a good BBB score doesn’t guarantee you’ll have a strong relationship with a bank. You may still want to read online customer reviews or ask friends and family about their experiences with Popular Bank.

Popular Bank has been involved in recent public controversies. In 2023, the Federal Reserve Board required Popular Bank to pay a $2.3 million fine, claiming it processed Payment Protection Program loans even though potential instances of fraud were detected and not reporting the potential fraud in a timely manner.

In 2022, the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control required Banco Popular de Puerto Rico — the bank’s Puerto Rico locations — to pay over $255,000 in a settlement that accused the bank of violating Venezuela Sanctions Regulations when processing transactions with two Venezuelan government employees.

Popular Bank FAQs

Popular Bank is a legitimate financial institution. It is FDIC-insured, which means your insured deposits are safe if the bank is shut down. Up to $250,000 per depositor, per category is federally insured in Popular bank accounts.

Yes, Popular Bank and Banco Popular are both part of Popular, Inc. Popular Bank is the name of the subsidiary of Popular, Inc that operates in the mainland US. Meanwhile, Banco Popular de Puerto is an affiliate of Popular Bank, with locations in Puerto Rico.

Popular Bank’s outlook is rated as stable, according to Fitch Ratings. Fitch Ratings is a rating system that analyzes whether a particular company is creditworthy.

Popular Bank Savings Account

The Popular Bank Savings Account has a low minimum opening deposit, and you can waive the $4 monthly service fee by joining the Popular Rewards program. To qualify for the rewards program, you must open a Popular Prestige Checking account, and maintain a minimum a combined average monthly balance of $5,000 or more across your accounts.

The interest rate is on par with the average savings account. You’ll earn a much higher interest rate with the best high-yield savings accounts online.

Popular Bank Everyday Checking Account

You may like the Popular Bank Everyday Checking Account if you can either maintain a $1,000 balance or receive a minimum of $750 in direct deposits each month. If you can do either of these things, you’ll waive the $10 monthly service fee. 

Popular Bank also has a Popular Prestige Checking Account where you may be eligible for Popular Rewards, like waived savings account fees. However, the Popular Prestige Checking Account has a higher monthly service fee than the Everyday Checking Account and higher minimum balance requirements to waive fees.

Popular Bank CD

Popular Bank pays high interest rates on CDs, particularly on a 13-month promotional CD. But make sure you won’t have to take out money before maturity, because the bank charges hefty early withdrawal penalties compared to many other banks.

Popular Bank Saver Money Market Account

The Popular Bank Saver Money Market Account requires a $10,000 minimum opening deposit, and you must maintain that balance to waive the $15 monthly service fee. 

This money market account pays a great interest rate overall, and earn an additional 0.05% APY on linked money market accounts when you reach the Silver Tier (balance of $25,000 to $99,999.99 in combined accounts) in the Popular Rewards Program, plus earn an additional 0.10% APY on linked money market accounts when you reach the Gold Tier (balance of $100,000 or more in combined accounts) in the Popular Rewards Program

Popular Bank vs. Ocean Bank

Ocean Bank has more branches around South Florida, so it may be the more convenient option.

But you might prefer Popular Bank if you qualify for its rewards program, which will help you waive ATM fees and monthly fees.

Ocean Bank Review

Popular Bank vs. Banesco USA

Popular Bank has more Florida branches than Banesco USA, so you may prefer Popular if it has a branch closer to your home.

If you want to open a CD, your choice between the two banks will come down to which term lengths you want. Banesco USA’s highest rates are on its 6-month and 9-month terms. Meanwhile, Popular’s most competitive rates are on its 7-month and 13-month terms.

Banesco USA Review

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Popular Bank 

At Personal Finance Insider, we rate savings, checking, CD, and money market accounts using our banking methodology and CD methodology.

Each account receives a rating between 0 and 5. We evaluate a bank’s ethics, customer service, and mobile app for all accounts. We also consider different features for specific types of bank accounts. For example, we look at overdraft fees for checking accounts and early withdrawal penalties for CDs.

Laura Grace Tarpley, CEPF

Personal Finance Reviews Editor

Laura Grace Tarpley (she/her) is a personal finance reviews senior editor at Business Insider. She oversees coverage about mortgage rates, refinance rates, lenders, bank accounts, investing, retirement , and borrowing and savings tips for Personal Finance Insider. She was a writer and editor for Business Insider’s “The Road to Home” series, which won a Silver award from the National Associate of Real Estate Editors. She is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).She has written about personal finance for seven years. Before joining the Business Insider team, she was a freelance finance writer for companies like SoFi and The Penny Hoarder, as well as an editor at FluentU. You can reach Laura Grace at ltarpley@insider.com.Learn more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services »


Sophia Acevedo, CEPF

Banking Reporter

Evelyn He

Compliance Associate

Evelyn He is a compliance associate at Business Insider who supports the Personal Finance Insider team. Personal Finance Insider is Business Insider’s personal finance section that incorporates affiliate and commerce partnerships into the news, insights, and advice about money that Business Insider readers already know and love.The compliance team’s mission is to provide readers with stories that are fact-checked and current, so they can make informed financial decisions. The team also works to minimize risk for partners by making sure language is clear, precise, and fully compliant with regulatory and partner marketing guidelines that align with the editorial team.Before joining Business Insider, she served in various legal and compliance roles in different industries, including the legal and pharmaceutical industries.   Evelyn obtained her M.S. degree in Marketing at Boston University in 2022. Prior to combining and consolidating her knowledge of law and business, she spent one year finishing 1L courses at Suffolk University Law School to further her legal knowledge. She has also completed MBA business law courses while working on her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her 14-year-old Shih Tzu named Money, and her 5-year-old Bichon named Tibber.


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