Based in Chicago, Alliant has more than $12 billion in assets and over 500,000 members nationwide. The credit union has been in business for over 80 years, and though it’s headquartered in Illinois, it offers its services to members across the country.
Alliant’s High-Interest Checking account pays 0.25% APY on all balances and has no monthly service fee or minimum balance requirements. You’ll also have access to more than 80,000 fee-free ATMs, as well as up to $20 per month in ATM fee rebates for out-of-network transactions.
On the savings side, they offer their High-Rate Savings account, currently paying 0.75% APY on all balances. There’s no minimum or maximum balance limit, and you can open an account with just $5. And there are no monthly fees to reduce the interest you’ll earn on your balance.
Alliant also offers certificates of deposit, custodial accounts, traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs, as well as trust and custodial accounts. And on the lending side, they offer home loans, auto loans, RV loans, personal loans, commercial real estate loans, and credit cards.
Boeing Employees Credit Union
Commonly known as BECU, Boeing Employees Credit Union has more than 50 branch locations in Washington state and in South Carolina. Loans include home loans, vehicle loans, personal loans with no credit check Texas student loans, and personal loans.
BECU offers perhaps the widest range of business banking and business services in the credit union universe, although the types of businesses they service are fairly narrow.
One of the limitations of BECU is membership. To join, being an employee of Boeing is an obvious advantage. But otherwise, you are required to live, work, worship, or go to school in Washington state and select Idaho counties, or live or work in select Oregon counties, or belong to other select associations. I can also presume the same applies for residents of South Carolina, since the credit union now has two branches located near Charleston.
DCU
DCU is a Massachusetts-based credit union with just 23 branches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. But the credit union offers its services on a nationwide basis. I am a member of DCU and have been for nearly six years, and can attest that they provide one of the best banking services I’ve ever experienced (and no, I’m not being compensated for this endorsement in any way!).
DCU offers all the services you would expect from a credit union, like checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as CDs. They also offer credit cards, student loans, auto loans, personal loans, and home loans.
Of special interest, they offer free checking, and their Primary Savings account, currently paying 6.17% APY on the first $1,000 deposited into the account (it drops to 0.25% on balances exceeding $1,000). On the credit card side, DCU Platinum Visa is available with no annual fee and an 8.50% APR on purchases for well-qualified individuals
But one of the qualities that distinguishes DCU from other credit unions, and much like BECU, is that they do offer business banking accounts. This includes business checking and savings accounts, as well as small business loans, and financing for commercial real estate, and other commercial and industrial loans.
Connexus
Connexus is a credit union operating 13 branches in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and New Hampshire, but they make their services available in all 50 states through their digital banking platform. The credit union has over 375,000 members and nearly $3 billion in assets.
Connexus offers its Xtraordinary Checking account, which pays an incredible 1.75% APY. To earn that rate, you’ll need to make a minimum of 15 debit card purchases or $400 in net spend purchases using your debit card per month. What’s more, the account requires no minimum balance. And though the attached debit card is available for use at more than 54,000 in-network ATMs, the credit union provides up to $25 per month in rebates for out-of-network provider charges.
