Oklahoma has an extended, proud agrarian custom. Farming and ranching nonetheless dominate lots of its far-flung rural communities, at the same time as oil and fuel extraction has change into more and more necessary to its hinterlands and extra fashionable industries now dominate its two greatest cities, Tulsa and Oklahoma Metropolis.
These historic industries and the communities they serve have given rise to one of many nation’s most lively state-level group banking cultures. If you happen to love banking on a first-name foundation, you’ll have loads of choices in Oklahoma. Some made our checklist of the very best banks within the state.
And if you happen to choose a big-bank expertise, that’s advantageous too. Oklahoma is dwelling to a number of giant monetary establishments masking the complete state and in some instances the encompassing area. Our “finest banks in Oklahoma” checklist has just a few of those as effectively. See which is best for you.
The Greatest Banks in Oklahoma
These are the very best FDIC-insured shopper and small-business banks working in Oklahoma now. All have bodily branches someplace within the state. That stated, financial institution department protection is mostly spotty in sparsely populated western Oklahoma, notably within the far northwestern Panhandle area.
Greatest General: BOK Monetary (Financial institution of Oklahoma)
- Headquarters: Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Variety of Branches in Oklahoma: 50+
- Areas Served: Tulsa, Oklahoma Metropolis, a lot of japanese and central Oklahoma
The one motive we selected BOK Monetary as the very best general financial institution in Oklahoma is as a result of “BOK” stands for “Financial institution of Oklahoma.”
Simply kidding — kind of. With dozens of branches throughout Oklahoma and deep ties to communities in each nook of the state, Tulsa-based BOK Monetary lives as much as its title. Its biggest strengths embody:
- Lots of of fee-free ATMs throughout Oklahoma (and plenty of extra out of state)
- Complete private deposit account lineup, together with free or low-cost checking, financial savings, cash market, and CD accounts with aggressive charges
- Complete banking companies for small and midsize companies, together with enterprise checking accounts, SBA loans, and treasury administration companies
- A number of checking account choices for minor kids, together with custodial accounts and UTMA/UGMA accounts
- House buy, refinance, and residential fairness loans, together with much less widespread mortgage varieties like new development loans
- Award-winning customer support by BOK ExpressBank, a telephone and digital help community
- Complete funding administration (decrease internet value) and wealth administration (increased internet value) companies, together with ESG investing
- In depth help for charities based mostly in or serving Oklahoma, together with thousands and thousands donated to United Manner
BOK Monetary does enterprise in Oklahoma because the Financial institution of Oklahoma. Elsewhere, it makes use of completely different commerce names, although the emblem is analogous throughout the system. If you happen to’re in search of a one-stop monetary establishment that’s with you virtually wherever you go in Oklahoma (and possibly past), it’s robust to do higher.
Greatest Financial institution in Oklahoma Metropolis: Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution and Belief
- Headquarters: Lawton, Oklahoma
- Variety of Branches in Oklahoma: 40
- Areas Served: Oklahoma Metropolis, Tulsa, Lawton, rural central and japanese Oklahoma
Oklahoma Metropolis is the bigger of Oklahoma’s two main inhabitants facilities; its metropolitan space is dwelling to about one in three Oklahomans. So it ought to come as no shock that the very best financial institution in Oklahoma Metropolis — OKC, for brief — is likely one of the finest banks in Oklahoma writ giant.
That honor goes to OKC-based Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution and Belief — which isn’t to be confused with California-based Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution, West Virginia-based Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution, or Florida-based Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution. The Oklahoma model is concentrated virtually solely on serving its dwelling state, with the only biggest focus of branches and ATMs in larger Oklahoma Metropolis.
Like BOK Monetary, Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution and Belief has a complete product and repair lineup. One spotlight: A set of much less leisure property loans, together with boat and RV loans. Some banks don’t hassle with these.
Greatest Financial institution in Tulsa: MidFirst Financial institution
- Headquarters: Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma
- Variety of Branches in Oklahoma: 45
- Areas Served: Tulsa, Oklahoma Metropolis, rural central and western Oklahoma
Because the state’s second-largest metropolitan space by a large margin, what works in Tulsa carries numerous weight throughout Oklahoma. Which is why MidFirst Financial institution, our prime decide for banking clients in Tulsa, is likely one of the finest banks in its dwelling state too.
Like BOK Monetary and Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution and Belief, MidFirst Financial institution has an exhaustive lineup of private and small-business accounts and lending choices. It has branches and ATMs all through Oklahoma’s main inhabitants facilities, although its rural protection isn’t as nice as another “statewide” banks.
What actually units MidFirst Financial institution aside is its industry-specific industrial lending and deposit companies. If you happen to run a small or midsize healthcare or actual property enterprise, MidFirst has customizable lending options which are onerous to seek out at each smaller group banks and bigger nationwide banks. And MidFirst’s Firm Membership membership program goes the additional mile to scale back banking prices — and make life simpler — for companies and nonprofits serving Tulsa and surrounding areas.
Greatest Neighborhood Financial institution: Arvest Financial institution
- Headquarters: Lowell, Arkansas
- Variety of Branches in Oklahoma: 75
- Areas Served: Statewide
Arvest Financial institution has the very best product and repair lineup of any group financial institution in Oklahoma, and the very best geographical protection as effectively. Even if you happen to’re effectively exterior Tulsa or Oklahoma Metropolis, you’re most likely no more than an hour from the closest Arvest Financial institution department.
Regardless of its relationship-driven strategy to banking, Arvest Financial institution has one thing many smaller group banks don’t: a wonderful on-line and cellular banking expertise. The latter runs by the Arvest Go app, which is highly effective sufficient to deal with most on a regular basis banking actions, together with debit and bank card administration, cellular verify deposit, and digital transfers.
Greatest Native American-Owned Financial institution: F&M Financial institution
- Headquarters: Edmond, Oklahoma
- Variety of Branches in Oklahoma: 8
- Areas Served: Oklahoma Metropolis, Edmond
Oklahoma has an extended custom of Native American-owned monetary establishments, a few of which date again to the pre-statehood period (earlier than 1912). One of many longest-running and best-regarded of those is F&M Financial institution, whose house owners (a number of generations of the Anderson household) hint their lineage again to the Residents Potawatomi Nation.
Although it stays small, with fewer than 10 branches primarily in OKC and Edmond, F&M stands out because of:
- Very aggressive financial savings and CD yields
- A wide range of actual property loans — together with jumbo loans, which aren’t widespread in Oklahoma because of comparatively reasonably priced housing costs
- A high-interest checking account with the most effective charges round (BonuSelect Checking)
- Enterprise loans specializing in farming, ranching, and manufacturing companies
Greatest Financial institution for On-line Banking: Gateway First Financial institution
- Headquarters: Jenks, Oklahoma
- Variety of Branches in Oklahoma: 6
- Areas Served: Tulsa, rural north-central Oklahoma
Regardless of having solely a handful of branches in northern Oklahoma, Gateway First Financial institution is just not your typical group financial institution. Future Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt based Gateway as a direct mortgage lender again in 2000, then quickly expanded throughout the USA amid the mid-2000s housing increase. Gateway weathered the storm and continued doing what it did finest till 2019, when it merged with a small group financial institution and expanded its product and repair portfolio.
Right now, Gateway First presents checking, financial savings, CDs, and nonmortgage loans for shoppers and a strong deposit account and mortgage lineup for companies. It’s versatile sufficient to be a one-stop banking resolution for anybody based mostly in its commerce space. And it advantages from a relic of its direct mortgage lending days: a formidable expertise platform that arguably makes it the only option for on-line banking in Oklahoma, a minimum of among the many state’s true group banks.
Greatest Department and ATM Protection: BancFirst
- Headquarters: Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma
- Variety of Branches in Oklahoma: 95
- Areas Served: Statewide
BancFirst has essentially the most Oklahoma branches and ATMs of any financial institution on this checklist. And so they’re not concentrated in a single or two elements of the state — general protection is healthier even than Arvest Financial institution, whose attain is downright spectacular. So if you happen to worth in-person banking or want money frequently, BancFirst is difficult to beat.
BancFirst has different benefits too, together with a free checking account, a (very) high-yield financial savings account, and a novel “skip a mortgage cost” program that allows you to postpone one cost with no affect in your credit score and only a one-time $50 charge (plus deferred curiosity) for the difficulty. BancFirst does rather a lot for higher-net-worth shoppers as effectively, with lively belief and wealth administration departments and in depth personal banking companies.
Methodology: How We Choose the Greatest Banks in Oklahoma
Oklahoma hosts practically 200 homegrown and nationwide banks, greater than most different states. That is particularly notable in gentle of the state’s comparatively low inhabitants — and means Oklahomans have loads of banking choices to swimsuit their wants.
In fact, a lot selection could be a curse too. To assist Oklahomans discover the very best banks for his or her wants, we consider key elements like charges, yields, digital comfort, department availability, customer support, and product selection.
Product Lineup
It’s commonplace for savvy shoppers to have a number of banks, however we acknowledge that many individuals choose to have one foremost monetary establishment to name their very own. That’s why we’re followers of Oklahoma banks with broad product and repair mixes — no matter what number of bodily branches they’ve or how a lot buyer cash they maintain. You gained’t discover any area of interest banks right here specializing in only one or two product varieties.
Charges and Yields
We’ve chosen these banks with an eye fixed to the competitiveness of their mortgage and credit score line rates of interest and the yields they pay on deposits.
You would possibly discover increased rates of interest in Oklahoma if you understand the place to look, particularly if you happen to broaden your search to on-line banks based mostly exterior the state. However not one of the banks on this checklist will shortchange you.
On-line and Cellular Banking Capabilities
Most Oklahomans do a minimum of a few of their banking on-line, and plenty of hardly ever if ever enterprise right into a financial institution department or use an ATM. That’s why we give desire to Oklahoma-based banks with sturdy digital interfaces, together with cellular banking apps (or mobile-friendly web sites) that enable customers to finish commonest banking actions on a smartphone.
Areas Served
From a geographic perspective, the entire banks on this checklist do one of many following, if not each:
- They serve the complete state of Oklahoma, from the distant western Panhandle to the japanese border
- They’ve a lot of ATMs and branches in a specific geographic space or inhabitants heart
Not everybody cares about with the ability to financial institution in particular person. However if you happen to do, it’s necessary to have a financial institution that doesn’t ask you to spend all day within the automotive to go to.
Buyer Service Scores
We positively take user-generated evaluations with a grain of salt — sorting high quality evaluations from biased or outright fabricated ones is all however not possible. That stated, we’re good at telling which banks have constructed up goodwill with their clients and which may’t get out of their very own means. Naturally, we give desire to the previous group.
ATM Entry
Even the smaller banks on this checklist belong to bigger ATM networks that supply low- or no-cost withdrawals at tens of 1000’s or extra machines nationwide. That’s necessary for folks whose work or leisure travels take them exterior their banks’ dwelling territories.
Oklahoma Banking FAQs
If you happen to haven’t but seen a solution to your query about banking in Oklahoma, we’ve got them right here. A few of them, a minimum of.
How Many Banks Does Oklahoma Have?
There are practically 200 FDIC-insured banking establishments based mostly in Oklahoma. The precise quantity adjustments yearly, often downward — there have been round 300 within the 12 months 2000, for instance. However given the state’s comparatively low inhabitants, the per-capita financial institution depend is sort of excessive in Oklahoma, reflecting the state’s lengthy historical past of group banking.
Dozens of different banks that do enterprise in Oklahoma are headquartered elsewhere. Many have deep historic roots within the state, typically tied to longstanding native industries like oil and fuel extraction, ranching, and farming.
What Financial institution Has the Greatest CD Charges in Oklahoma?
We love group banks as a lot as anybody, however the truth of the matter is they often don’t supply essentially the most aggressive CD charges in Oklahoma. They’ve increased overhead prices than branchless on-line banks like Synchrony Financial institution, Capital One Financial institution, and Ally Financial institution, which may move their low inner prices on to their clients.
To take only one instance, Ally Financial institution’s five-year CD at the moment yields 4.10%. That’s effectively increased than the standard Oklahoma group financial institution, for higher or worse.
What Financial institution Has the Greatest Financial savings Charges in Oklahoma?
The logic above additionally applies to financial savings accounts, sadly. You would possibly discover an occasional new buyer teaser charge at this or that Oklahoma-based financial institution, however the normal rule is that on-line banks have the very best high-yield financial savings accounts.
The silver lining, similar to it’s, is that massive nationwide brick-and-mortar banks — your Wells Fargos and Banks of America — have even worse financial savings account yields. So if you happen to’re set on avoiding on-line banks, your hometown Oklahoma financial institution is certainly the second most suitable choice.
What’s the Greatest Financial institution for Mortgages in Oklahoma?
Mortgage charges are typically aggressive, which is nice and dangerous information for Oklahoma-based banking clients.
The excellent news is that your hometown financial institution — or any of the very best Oklahoma banks on this checklist — most likely isn’t out of line with its opponents on the mortgage entrance. That stated, if a plain vanilla standard mortgage gained’t do, they may not have the precise mortgage product you’re in search of.
The dangerous information is that smaller banks are likely to have outdated underwriting processes, which means it takes extra work to use for a mortgage with one. The hole is narrowing slowly however absolutely, however an enormous nationwide financial institution or direct mortgage lender remains to be your finest guess if you happen to worth a clean utility expertise over all else. One potential exception includes group banks with deep mortgage lending expertise, similar to Gateway First Financial institution.
Yet another bit of recommendation: when you have a preexisting relationship with financial institution based mostly in Oklahoma, ask them if they will minimize you a break in your mortgage charge (or your mortgage’s closing prices). You could be stunned by how a lot this protects you over the lifetime of the mortgage — like, 1000’s of {dollars}.
The best way to Select a Financial institution in Oklahoma
Let’s take a step again and overview what issues most in terms of selecting a financial institution in Oklahoma. These are a very powerful elements, in no specific order:
- Protection and Entry: You would possibly suppose you’ll by no means want in-branch or ATM service, however that’s dangerous. I’d advocate selecting a financial institution that’s accessible in your group, or a minimum of not too far exterior it.
- Account and Service Charges: Do you’re keen on financial institution charges? Didn’t suppose so. The most effective banks have a tendency to supply free deposit accounts (particularly free checking) and no-annual-fee bank cards, amongst different low- or no-cost monetary merchandise on your on a regular basis wants. If you happen to can’t discover a financial institution that doesn’t cost upkeep charges or annual charges in any respect, search for one that gives simple methods to waive them.
- Private Service (or Lack Thereof): Each financial institution claims to care about their clients. Few really comply with by. Neighborhood banks are extra possible to take action, however they’re not all created equal both. select correctly.
- Deposit Account Choices: Checking accounts. Financial savings accounts. Cash market accounts. Certificates of deposit. It’s good to have the choice to do all of your spending and saving in a single place, even if you happen to’re snug having a couple of lively financial institution at a time.
- Credit score Choices: Most of us want to use for a mortgage — or a minimum of a bank card — in some unspecified time in the future in our lives. Selecting a financial institution with a pleasant lineup of credit score merchandise now can prevent some trouble down the highway. Plus, by establishing your buyer relationship early on, you’ll have loads of time to qualify for money-saving relationship perks.
- Expertise: Simply as you desire a financial institution that’s accessible the place and the way you reside, even if you happen to don’t financial institution in particular person each day, you desire a financial institution with sturdy on-line and cellular expertise even if you happen to choose in-person service.
