The Banking Leaderboard — ARA Banking Q3 2026

Competitive Ranking — by Total ARA Score

15 banking brands. Five attributes are scored 0 to 20 each and summed to 100. The cohort average is 69. Scores run from 81 to 60, and movement is against Q2 2026.

01 Capital One

STRONG

+16

02 Chase

STRONG

+11

03 SoFi

STRONG

04 Ally

STRONG

05 Bank of America

STRONG

06 U.S. Bank

STRONG

07 Chime

STRONG

+12

08 PNC

AVERAGE

+24

09 Discover

AVERAGE

10 Wells Fargo

AVERAGE

11 USAA

AVERAGE

12 Citi

AVERAGE

13 Navy Federal Credit Union

AVERAGE

14 Truist

AVERAGE

+20

15 TD Bank

AVERAGE

* first reading in this cohort, so no movement figure (7 of 15 brands).

WINNER / Top

Capital One +16

Up 16 points since last quarter, to 81, the third-largest gain in the category. Largest changes: Sentiment +6, Findability +2.

chosen 36× of 60 / 60% / 4 of 4 models

Capital One rose 16 points to 81, and sentiment gave the largest gain at six points. AI names it first for customer service and first checking accounts, yet ranks it no higher than third for credit cards.

Wins: first checking, college young, build credit, customer service, most trustworthy.

Absent from: gig workers, mortgage.

WINNER / Biggest Rise

PNC +24

Up 24 points since last quarter, to 69, the largest gain in the category. The gain came from Clarity 10 to 18 and Sentiment 8 to 15.

chosen 7× of 60 / 12% / 3 of 4 models

PNC rose 24 points to 69, the largest gain in the category, as Clarity climbed from 10 to 18 and Sentiment from 8 to 15. AI names PNC for students and young adults but never puts it first.

Wins: college young.

Absent from: first checking, switching, retirees long term, hysa.

LOSER / Smallest Gain

Bank of America +7

Up 7 points since last quarter, to 74, the smallest gain of the 8 returning brands, tied with Wells Fargo. That is 4.5 points behind the cohort median. Its declines: Findability 14 to 13.

chosen 30× of 60 / 50% / 4 of 4 models

Bank of America rose 7 points to 74, the smallest gain among the eight returning brands, tied with Wells Fargo. AI names it in most banking answers but puts it first only once, for mortgages.

Wins: mortgage, most trustworthy, first checking, switching, college young.

Absent from: gig workers, hysa, customer service.

LOSER / Bottom

TD Bank 60

First reading in this cohort, so no movement figure.

chosen 4× of 60 / 7% / 3 of 4 models

AI chooses TD Bank in 4 of 60 answers and never names it first, despite more than 10 million clients and about 1,050 U.S. locations. AI never names it for a first checking account or a switch.

Absent from: first checking, switching, build credit, gig workers.