Fifth Third Bank Review: An Eclectic Mix of Products

About Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Bank offers a full range of products, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, loans, investment accounts and even insurance. By having banking and investment accounts at Fifth Third Bank, customers can get better rates on loans and deposit accounts.

Fifth Third Bank is headquartered in Ohio. The bank has over 1,200 locations in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. GOBankingRates has ranked Fifth Third Bank as one of the Best Regional Banks of 2021.

Sponsors of

Fifth Third Bank Products

Fifth Third Bank offers checking and savings products for every stage of your financial life. From a basic Express Banking checking account to CDs to save for retirement, you can find just what you need.

Fifth Third Bank Checking Account

Fifth Third Bank offers several checking accounts to choose from. The gold standard is the Preferred Checking account, which pays an annual percentage yield of 0.01% regardless of your balance and offers better rates on CDs and loans. There’s also a Free Checking account with no maintenance fees, no minimum opening deposit and no minimum balance, and an Express Banking checking account, also with no fees or minimums and with no check-writing privileges. Specialized accounts for students, military and those with disabilities are also available.

Sponsors of

Eligible Fifth Third checking account customers can set up Early Access, which is short-term credit. Once you enroll at a branch, you can take an advance on a qualified direct deposit online, by phone or at a branch. Funds are available immediately. The credit line ranges from $200 to $1,000 and is based on your direct deposit history.

Features

• Account features tailored to your needs
• Monthly service fees waived with deposit or balance qualifications
• Free Checking and Student Banking have no minimum opening deposit
• Early Access for short-term emergencies

Pros

• Cost-effective, no-frills accounts for those who write few or no checks
• Online bill pay
• No minimum balance for Free Checking, Student Banking and Express Banking accounts

Cons

• $100,000 balance across deposit and investment accounts needed to waive $25 monthly fee on Preferred Checking account

Fifth Third Bank Savings Account

Fifth Third Bank offers two traditional savings accounts: Goal Setter Savings and Relationship Savings. Goal Setter Savings is for customers who want to put money away and forget about it — you have to go to a branch or call customer service to make a withdrawal.

Sponsors of

Features

• 0.01% APY on Goal Setter Savings account
• 0.01% standard APY on Relationship Savings account; relationship rate is 0.02% APY
• Automatic transfers
• No minimum opening deposit for Goal Setter Savings and Relationship Savings accounts

Pros

• No monthly service fee for customers under 18 or who have a Fifth Third Bank checking account or maintain a $500 balance
• Combined checking and savings statements

Cons

• No ATM access with Goal Setter Savings account

Fifth Third Bank Money Market Account

The Fifth Third Relationship Money Market account offers check-writing convenience with savings account rates. You can earn a higher interest rate on your money market account when you also have a Fifth Third Bank checking account.

Features

• 0.01% standard APY
• 0.02% APY relationship rate for checking account customers
• Can write up to six checks per month

Pros

• Monthly service charge waived if you have a Fifth Third checking account (except Express Banking checking account)
• No minimum deposit required

Cons

• Need a checking account or $500 average balance to avoid $5 monthly service fee

Fifth Third Bank CD Account

Fifth Third Bank offers a wide variety of CDs. These include a promotional five-month CD that pays 0.10% APY, a standard CD with terms ranging from three to 84 months, a short-term standard CD with terms of seven to 89 days and a 529 CD to save for college.

Sponsors of

Features

• IRA and 529 CDs for retirement or college
• $500 minimum opening deposit for some CDs
• 0.10% APY with a $5,000 minimum deposit for promotional five-month CD

Pros

• Interest can be credited back to CD or to checking or savings account
• Interest compounded continuously

Cons

• Early withdrawal penalties based on the amount withdrawn

Banking Experience

Fifth Third Bank is regional, so it may be more appealing to those who live in the area where it has branches. But don’t rule Fifth Third out if you’re outside that area — its online and mobile banking tools make it easy to do what you want, wherever you are.

Technology

Fifth Third Bank’s online banking platform and mobile app let you manage your accounts on your computer or on the go. Pay bills, view statements, deposit checks or transfer money — any time, anywhere.

Customers of Fifth Third Bank can send and receive money electronically with Zelle through the mobile app, even if the other party uses a different bank. Fifth Third also has a savings app called Dobot that helps you identify your savings goals and reach them.

Sponsors of

How To Make a Deposit

You can make a deposit in any of these ways:

• At a Fifth Third Bank location
• At a Fifth Third Bank ATM
• On the mobile app (checks only)
• Direct deposit

Customer Service

Assistance is available by phone Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Fifth Third Bank customers can also log in to the online banking platform to reach a representative via live chat.

Key Information

Customer service number: 800-972-3030

Routing number: See routing numbers by state

Promotions: See Newest Fifth Third Bank Promos and Bonuses

Login: Fifth Third Bank Login Help

Fifth Third Bank Fees

At Fifth Third Bank, you can usually avoid the monthly maintenance fees by having multiple accounts, but there are some other fees you may encounter. Here’s what Fifth Third Bank charges for common fees.

Fifth Third Bank vs. Competitors

Fifth Third Bank stacks up well to the competition, especially if you’re looking for a bank where you can have all your accounts in one place.

Sponsors of

Fifth Third Bank vs. Huntington

Huntington offers a 24-hour grace period to fix an overdraft before you are charged a fee on your checking, savings or money market account. Fifth Third Bank encourages customers to maintain multiple accounts by offering relationship rates if you have more than one account. The Fifth Third Relationship Savings account also offers a benefit for minors: The $5 monthly service fee is waived for account owners under age 18.

Fifth Third Bank vs. Chase

Chase has over 4,700 branches and 16,000 ATMs nationwide, so you can almost always find one nearby. However, you’ll find more of a hometown bank feel if you’re located in Fifth Third Bank’s service area of Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Fifth Third Bank vs. PNC Bank

While both Fifth Third Bank and PNC encourage customers to do all their banking in one place, PNC does a better job of linking your checking, savings and other accounts. Fifth Third Bank, on the other hand, has more options for different kinds of checking and savings accounts.

Final Take

Fifth Third Bank is a good choice if you want to have all your accounts at one bank and you want to be rewarded for that with higher rates. If you live in the bank’s coverage area, or if you don’t mind doing your banking online or on the mobile app, you can get everything you might need from Fifth Third Bank.

Editor’s Favorite

Fifth Third Bank’s specialty products make it easy for those with specific banking needs to get what they want. The bank has products specifically for those under 18, students, members of the military, college and retirement savers, and those with disabilities who want to save without jeopardizing their eligibility for government assistance.

Sean Dennison contributed to the reporting for this article.

Rates are subject to change. Information on accounts is accurate as of Dec. 10, 2020.

This content is not provided by Fifth Third Bank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Fifth Third Bank.