United Community Bank Review: Great Customer Service and a Complete Suite of Banking Products

United Community Bank Overview

United Community Bank is a midsize regional bank with $24 billion in assets and 189 locations in the Southeast. The bank offers savings products, checking and CDs; home, vehicle and personal loans; Credit cards; and investment services. It also offers commercial banking, including deposit accounts, loans, and treasury management.

United Community Bank has been recognized for providing outstanding service by several organizations. JD Power was ranked highest in customer satisfaction for consumer banking in the Southeast in 2022. It was also recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 10 Banks in the World in 2022 and included in Forbes’ list of the 100 Best Banks in United States. same year.

GOBankingRates has ranked United Community Bank among the best regional banks of 2023.

key features

Here are some of the key features that make United Community Bank stand out from the competition.

reviewing accounts

United Checking is a basic checking account with low (or no) fees and minimums. You can open one with as little as $50. There is an $8 monthly service fee, but you can waive it by simply opting for paperless statements or setting up direct deposit. You also get free ATM transactions at more than 150 United Community Bank ATMs and more than 1,000 Publix Presto ATMs. Plus, you get $10 off your first order of checks and $5 off subsequent orders.

If you have a little more cash to put away and are looking for more features, United Signature Checking earns interest, but you’ll need at least $1,000 to open it. This is a good option if you have other deposit accounts at United Community Bank, as you’ll need minimum balances in all accounts to avoid paying the $25 per month maintenance fee. The account offers free checking, no overdraft protection transfer fees and more.

Keeping accounts

The basic savings account at United Community Bank, United Savings, requires a minimum deposit of $100 to open and a daily balance of $100 to avoid the $5 quarterly service charge. You get six free withdrawals every quarter; each after that will cost you $2. The interest rate on the United Savings account is $0.05% APY for balances up to $2,499 and 0.10% APY for balances of $2,500 or more.

No savings account is right for everyone, so United Community Bank has other options, too. United Money Market offers higher interest but has a higher minimum balance. United Student Savings is for savers 22 and under, and United Treasure Chest Savings is for children 12 and under. United Community Bank also offers health savings accounts and certificates of deposit.

Products and services offered

United Community Bank offers a complete suite of banking products, so you can do all your banking in one place. In addition to checking and savings accounts, you can borrow money to buy a house or a car, or get a personal loan or credit card. You can invest for retirement or another goal, and protect your family with investment and insurance products and services offered through LPL Financial.

United Community Bank also offers business banking products, so if you own a business, you can also do your banking with United.

Banking Experience

United Community Bank is clearly popular with its customers, as the bank was ranked #1 in customer satisfaction for consumer banking in the Southeast according to the JD Power 2022 US Retail Banking Satisfaction Study.

United Community Bank has robust online banking services and a comprehensive mobile app. You can view your account statements, pay bills, make transfers, deposit checks, and receive bank notifications wherever you are. The United Community Bank mobile app is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars on the App Store and 4.1 out of 5 stars on Google Play.

Personal Financial Management is available through United Community Bank’s online banking platform. This service can help you set your financial goals, create and manage a budget, and track your progress toward financial independence. You can keep track of your expenses, cash flow, debts, and net worth, making adjustments as necessary. You can link your external accounts to your Personal Financial Management profile to see your whole picture in one place.

Comparable options from regional banks

Price comparison is important when looking for a bank. Here are some other options for regional banks in the Southeast.

southern state bank

SouthState Bank has 240 locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. It offers a full suite of banking, lending and investment options. SouthState Bank has lower minimums for basic checking and savings, but lacks the overview that UCB’s Personal Financial Management service provides.

Bank of Regions

If you’re considering a larger bank, Regions Bank has about 1,300 locations in 16 states, including locations throughout the South, Midwest, and Texas. Regions offers complete banking services for consumers and business customers, including deposit accounts, mortgages and other loans, and wealth management.

final take

If you’re looking for a regional bank where you can get personalized service and have at least a little money to keep in your accounts, United Community Bank may be the option for you. And with your Personal Financial Management offering, you may find your assets grow as you work toward your goals.

Fees are subject to change; Unless otherwise stated, rates are updated periodically. All other account information is accurate as of December 10, 2022.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings, or recommendations expressed in this article are solely those of the author and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

To discover the Best Regional Banks, GOBankingRates analyzed the top regional institutions (excluding credit unions, online banks, and neobanks) with less than $100 billion in total assets. To determine the ratings, GOBankingRates analyzed the following factors: (1) minimum deposit of the checking product; (2) monthly checking fee ratio (percentage based on the minimum to avoid the fee compared to the monthly fee itself); (3) minimum deposit of the savings product; (4) APY savings product; (5) Bauer rating (out of 5 stars); (6) products/services offered (car loans, home loans, credit cards, investment services, and insurance); and (7) the average mobile app rating between the Android and Apple app stores. All factors were then scored and combined, with the lowest score being the best. Factors (1) and (3) were weighted 0.5 times, factor (4) was weighted 2.5 times, and factor (6) was weighted 1.5 times.