About First Citizens Bank
First Citizens Bank was founded in 1989 as the Bank of Smithfield in North Carolina. The bank was renamed First Citizens Bank & Trust some years later, and the headquarters moved to Raleigh. In the 1990s, the name First Citizens was adopted. It currently operates more than 630 branches in 20 states from coast to coast.
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First Citizens Bank Overview
First Citizens Bank is a regional bank that operates more than 630 branches and ATMs in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The bank offers a wide variety of banking products, such as CDs, checking, money market, and savings accounts.
| Competitive APY on its 11 Month CD. | Below-average APY on most of its CDs. |
| More than 600 branches in 20 states. | Below-average APY on all non-CD accounts. |
| Free checking account available. | Some accounts have a high monthly service charge and minimum balance requirements. |
First Citizens Bank Product Offerings
CDs
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a form of savings account that pays a fixed interest rate on the money in the account for a certain period, known as a term. First Citizens Bank offers CDs with terms varying from six months up to five years. Aside from the 11-month CDs, the rest of its CDs offer below-average APYs. Here are some of their best CD offerings for the month! and 2025:
Checking Accounts
First Citizens Bank offers several different business and personal checking accounts. Most of the checking accounts offer APYs below the national average of 0.01% for checking accounts. First Citizens Bank offers a wide selection of checking accounts with and without monthly service charges, some of which do not require minimum opening deposits. Here are the latest account details for May 2025:
Money Market Accounts
A money market account is an interest-bearing hybrid between a savings account and a checking account. First Citizens Bank offers a few money market accounts. The accounts feature free checks and a debit card. Here are the account details for May 2025:
Savings Accounts
A savings account is a type of bank account that allows you to save your money while earning interest. First Citizens Bank offers one business and one personal savings account with varying opening deposit requirements. Here are the latest savings account details for May 2025:
Bank Fees
Overdraft fee: $10
Savings and Money Market Account withdrawal fee: $3
Account closure fee: None
Wire transfer fee: Domestic - Incoming is $15 and outgoing is $15; International - Incoming is $15 and outgoing is $25
Non-network ATM fee: $2.50(First five monthly non-network ATM fees are free)
Monthly service charge: $5-$75 depending on the type of account
Stop payment fee: None
Paper statement fee: None
First Citizens Bank Features
First Citizens Bank's customer service line is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The bank offers an automated telephone line that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for basic account information and changes. First Citizens Bank operates more than 630 branches in 20 states. The bank also offers a mobile app for Peer-to-Peer transactions via Zelle to process transactions and manage your bank account.
First Citizens Bank FAQs
Our Take
First Citizens Bank is a regional bank with a big footprint, as it operates more than 630 branches in 20 states, from Maryland to California. Although it offers a full range of banking products, most of its accounts offer lackluster APYs, with its 11-month CD being the lone exception. It also offers a free checking account, which may be attractive to customers looking for a simple transactional account. For customers looking for competitive APYs, it may be better to look for an online bank or other regional banks with better account features and higher APYs. For those that live in the states the bank operates in, this bank may be convenient as it operates more than 270 branches in its home state of North Carolina and more than 140 in neighboring South Carolina.
Methodology
Our editorial staff continually updates the information contained on our website. Our editorial staff has analyzed virtually all of the banks and credit unions that it follows, and it does weekly rate analysis for more than 250 prominent banks and credit unions. These institutions were chosen because they provide competitive APYs, low fees, and other factors we find important. These banks and credit unions often provide accounts that are available nationally. All of these banks are FDIC-insured, and all of these credit unions are NCUA-insured. Choosing an FDIC-insured bank or an NCUA-backed credit union assures that your money is protected as long as it stays within insurance limits and requirements.