First Foundation Bank is headquartered in Irvine and is the 22nd largest bank in the state of California. It is also the 193rd largest bank in the nation. It was established in 2007 and as of June of 2019, it had grown to 423 employees at 21 locations. First Foundation Bank's savings rates are 4X the national average, and it has a B+ health rating.
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Great Rate. Friendly Bank
Just opened an Online Savings at 2.00%. Process was pretty straight forward. Received approval a couple of days later with my account number. Although the transfer limits are lower than I have experienced in the past, I funded the account by sending money in via ACH from my previous bank so there weren't any limit issues. I had a question regarding the online mobile baking set up, and got through to a banker quickly. She was nice and I got my answer. Ill probably get a checking account too given the ATM fee reimbursement and the no limits on internal transfers.
A Fine Bank
First Foundation has the Integrity other banks do not. Other banks offer attractive rates for new money and at the first sign of lower market rates drop the yield. Customers Bank comes to mind. They were offering 2.40% and dropped it to 1.95% after getting the new depositors aboard. FF feels an obligation to the new money depositors to maintain the 2.40%. I like that a lot. I closed Customers, Vio, Popular, Western, Salem5, Webank, EastBoston, United, My Savings, IGO, Ally and others that suck in new money and drop the trap door on rates.
You'll like this bank.
Great Rates. Great Service.
Opened a joint account online with me and my wife. App asked some pretty standard out-of-wallet questions, and I also had to upload a picture of our ID's. Was easily able to move funds in via ACH from Capital One from both Capital One's system and First Foundation Bank's. I also called into their help line, and every one was super nice and helpful.
A Measure Of Respect
FF has grandfathered those of us at 2.4% without the hideous drop to 2% which new accountholders will receive. That gesture is noticed and appreciated. It nicely contrasts with Popular Direct, who within a matter of weeks lured customers in via bait and switch and then slashed rates 4 or 5 times. That gesture was also noticed but is not at all appreciated.
Data as of Q2 2019
Learn why bank health mattersHealth Grade Components
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| FDIC Certificate # | 58647 |
| Year Established | 2007 |
| Employees | 423 |
| Primary Regulator | FDIC |
| Profit Margin | |
|---|---|
| Return on Assets - YTD | 0.82% |
| Return on Equity - YTD | 8.69% |
| Annual Interest Income | $125.6MM |
| Assets and Liabilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Assets | Q2 2019vs Q2 2018 | $6.27B$5.96B |
| Loans | Q2 2019vs Q2 2018 | $5.23B$4.91B |
| Deposits | Q2 2019vs Q2 2018 | $4.76B$4.65B |
| Equity Capital | Q2 2019vs Q2 2018 | $593.9MM$539.1MM |
| Loan Loss Allowance | Q2 2019vs Q2 2018 | $20.2MM$19.0MM |
| Unbacked Noncurrent Loans | Q2 2019vs Q2 2018 | $15.0MM$11.8MM |
| Real Estate Owned | Q2 2019vs Q2 2018 | $465.00K$3.0MM |
This section lists recent deals, promotions and rate changes submitted by our community within the past 90 days. Always verify official rates and promotions with the bank or credit union.
FFB Grandfathers In Existing Customers To 2.40% Savings Account
"Starting on November 20 at 2:00pm Pacific, all new online savings accounts will earn 2.00% APY—but your account will remain at 2.40% APY (both rates require a minimum balance of $1000). If you have not yet funded your new online savings account, you must do so within 30 days of the account being opened or it will automatically close."
"We realize this approach is not typical in the online bank world, but we’re far from the typical online bank. We also have some exciting things coming up, like online checking, online CDs, person-to-person payments with Zelle®, and more. Let’s build something special together."
No word on how long the 2.40% rate is being honored for existing customers. However, the Q/A in the email says: "While we are not offering any guarantees for this variable rate, we do not plan to lower your rate in the near future."
New Money Only
No thank you, if I go to the trouble of setting up an account, I want to be there for a long time.
Always verify rates and promotions with the bank or credit union. We are not First Foundation Bank; we are a rate comparison website and cannot provide official rates or promotions.
* The APY shown varies based on the deposit amount. Expand the listing to see APYs for other deposit amounts.
First Foundation Bank Savings Account Rates
| APY | MIN | MAX | ACCOUNT NAME | VIEW DETAILS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.00%* | $1k* | - | Online Savings Account - New Money Only | ||
| OTHER TIERS: 1.00% → Up to $1k | |||||
