Best-Of Awards 2025 Methodology - Best Bank or Credit Union for Branch Access

Best-Of Awards 2025 Methodologies

Best Bank or Credit Union for Branch Access

How we picked the companies to evaluate:

We evaluated over 100 financial institutions, including the largest U.S. retail banks based on assets and internet search traffic, and the nation’s largest credit unions, based on assets and membership; and other notable and/or emerging players in the industry. We rated them on criteria including annual percentage yields, minimum balances, fees, digital experience and more. Some of the providers are NerdWallet partners, but this did not influence our selection of the winner.

How we chose the winner:

The winning bank or credit union was the one with the highest rating in the branches category, which is based on the number of branches available to consumers. In case of a tie, financial institutions were compared by category in the following order until one institution remained:

Most institution-owned branches.

Checking (contributed to 45% of the rating), domestic ATMs (28.2%), interest rate (13.2%), required minimum opening deposit (3.6%) and the Overdraft category’s star rating (10%). Also, up to 15% extra credit was given for a sign-up bonus.

How we verified our data:

NerdWallet writers and editors confirmed fees, rates, policies and other key features on each financial institution’s website. If an institution’s website was missing information, we contacted a representative directly for confirmation.

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