by Dana Sitar, CEPF®
Contributor
If we asked if you were friends with your bank, what would you say?
If your answer is vigorously shaking your head “no,” then you might want to keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on speed dial.
This government organization started collecting consumer complaints in 2011. Apparently, a lot of people have something not-so-nice to say about financial institutions: More than half a million complaints are housed in its Consumer Complaint Database.
Data like this offers a snapshot of which banks are making their customers happy — and which are not.
What makes a good or bad bank for any customer depends on your needs. A comparison of features alone would be insufficient for calling out the worst banks in America. For that, we need to hear from customers themselves.
Consumer rights service company Fairshake analyzed reviews at Consumer Affairs and spotted the banks with the lowest ratings in the country, mapping the most-hated banks in each state, based on the number of one-star reviews on the consumer review site.
When all was said and done, these 10 were at the bottom of the heap in customers’ hearts nationwide:
Runners up: Some regional banks topped the list of one-star reviews in their most popular states, including Associated Bank (Wisconsin), SunTrust (Georgia), BB&T (West Virginia), TCF National Bank (Minnesota), TD Bank (New England), Citizens Bank (Rhode Island), and Regions Bank (southeast U.S.).
Note that the banks with the most poor ratings are also some of the largest banks in the country.
It makes sense that companies with the most customers would be likely to have more reviews — and, therefore, a higher number of one-star reviews — so the ranking is probably a little skewed by size.
But that’s not the only reason these banks end up on the list. Other types of studies that account for a company’s size have shown that customers have a better experience with community-based banks and credit unions — which doesn’t surprise us!
Worst Banks at a Glance
Generally, we follow the rule folks have used for millennia to choose which services to buy: Listen to word of mouth.
When you’re shopping for a bank, review the features to make sure it has what you need, but make sure to look into customer reviews, ratings and complaints, too. How a bank handles difficult and unusual issues could make all the difference in your experience long term.
According to an analysis of reviews on its sit, banking review site MyBankTracker listed the most common complaints customers have about bad banks, including:
Trying to stay away from the banks with the most complaints? We’ve rounded up our favorite banks and credit unions based on features we know consumers look for most, including convenience and perks.
These top our list of the best online banks:
These accounts offer the best bank promotions for new customers:
Follow these tips when choosing a bank to find the one that’s best for you.
Here are our answers to some of the most common questions about bad banks.
Dana Sitar is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance and has been writing and editing for online audiences since 2011, covering personal finance, careers and digital media. She is a former staffer at The Penny Hoarder. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, CNBC, The Motley Fool, Inc. and more. 
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