6.05% 60-Month CD at an Indiana CU (Horizon One) read and submit comments for this post

Horizon One FCU is offering a special 6.05% APY 60-month certificate. The minimum deposit is $1,000, and it requires new money.

Like the other Indiana credit union that I posted on yesterday, their membership page doesn't provide many details regarding eligibility (Perhaps there's a reason Indiana credit unions are secretive about their FOMs). I just called and was told that people who live, work or worship in downtown Indianapolis are eligible to join. Relatives of members are also eligible. Membership requires a minimum deposit of $5 into the share savings account.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 6435). It has $71.5 million in assets and 10,482 members.

WaMu's New 7.00% Savings for Success Account read and submit comments for this post

Update 1/16/08: The 7.01% APY has been reduced. The new yield is 6.5% APY in Illinois, Georgia and Texas and 5.5% APY in Washington State. It's still not being offered outside these 4 states. Please refer below for the program features.

Update 1/17/08: WaMu now has a Savings for Success webpage. Note, it may not show for states outside of TX, IL, GA and WA.

Washington Mutual has just started rolling out a new account called Savings for Success. It's not listed on WaMu's website. A reader saw it being offered at a Chicago branch, and emailed me info on this. I just called WaMu and received some additional details. This new account is designed to help small-time savers. The minimum deposit is $1 and the maximum deposit is $500. Then each month you can add between $25 to $500 a month by automatic transfers from your WaMu checking. The yield of 7.00% APY is guaranteed for 12 months. At the end of the 12 months, the money is moved into a WaMu sweeps account where you can start the Savings for Success account again (at a new rate) or transfer it out. During the 12 months, it's like a CD in that early withdrawal penalties apply. A WaMu checking account is required.

I was told on the phone that the 7% Savings for Success is available to anyone in Illinois or Texas if you open by phone. It's also available by phone for those in Georgia and Washington State, but the yield is only 6% APY. The banking rep said this program will start being promoted in September, and eventually rolled out to the rest of the nation.

Since you're limited to how much you can invest at 7%, it's not the best deal especially for those with large deposits. The reader who mentioned this program to me, calculated that you would make about $67 over a 5% savings account if you max out the deposits through the year.

More info about this is available by calling WaMu at 800-788-7000. If you find additional info, please leave a comment.

Update 8/2/07: A reader emailed me some important information:

A checking account is required in order to open this account. However... do not open an "Online Savings" (advertised at 5% APY) because you can't have that linked to your checking while at the same time doing Savings for Success.

After allowing for about a five day hold in funding your checking account, you can call to open the SFS account. A second "sweep" savings account (about 2% APY) needs to be funded with a minumum of $5... but this can not be "Online Savings." You can still have the online savings account, but it can not be linked with checking, thereby losing the promotional 5%. Yes, very confusing!

So it looks like you can't do both the Savings for Success Account and the 5% no-minimum savings account. If you want to do the 5% savings account instead, please refer to this post.

WaMu also has a decent deal with a 5.35% APY online CD. The 5.35% APY currently applies to terms from 6 to 60 months. There's also a few days left to take advantage of WaMu's 5.45% APY 10-month Add-On CD. However, this is only available in certain states (see post).

Thanks to reader Vadim who emailed me the info on this, and the reader who sent me the email on 8/2/07 about the savings account details.

Program Features (Updated on 1/16/08)

The features listed below are from a pamphlet that I received from my WaMu branch. WaMu hasn't posted this program online. For the official details, please check directly with WaMu.

How it works: First, open a WaMu checking account; next, open a WaMu Savings for Success account, and link them together. Then set up automatic monthly transfers from your checking to savings for the rest of the year (11 transfers). Do not make withdrawals during the first year. After 12 months, your funds will automatically sweep to a linked savings or money market account (also set up at account opening - no fees while linked) and you have the option to renew at new interest rate or close the account without paying a penalty fee.

Minimum/Maximum opening balance: $1 (Note: Your opening balance counts as your first month of savings) The maximum opening deposit is $500.

Monthly service charge: None

Term: 12 months

Balance tiers: None

Interest rate/APY: Fixed for 12 months (I was told today that it's 7.01% APY in Texas)

Minimum and maximum monthly transfers: Minimum - $25/month, Maximum - $500/month, One automatic transfer will be made each month. You can change the amount from month-to-month as long as your transfer hasn't been made yet.

Withdrawals: At end of account term, death, or disability; otherwise, you have to pay a penalty fee if a withdrawal is made before the 12-month anniversary date.

Renewal: Funds sweep to sweep account and automatic renewal of Savings for Success after 12-months.

Grace Period: You have 10 days after anniversary date to close account without penalty

UnivestDirect Increases Yield on Business Savings Account to 5.05% read and submit comments for this post

UnivestDirect just increased the rate on its Primary Online Business Savings Account from 4.10% to 5.05% APY. This business savings account only requires $1 minimum to open, but a $2,000 balance is required to earn the 5.05% interest. There are no monthly fees.

This should provide some competition to ING Direct's Business Savings Account which has had a yield of 5% APY since I reported on this in June. Another plus with UnivestDirect is that they also have a business checking account.

I first reported on UnivestDirect in April on their 4% no-minimum personal checking account. They also have a competitive no-minimum personal savings account that has had a yield of 5.05% APY since May.

UnivestDirect is part of Univest National Bank and Trust Co. which is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 7759).

Thanks to the reader who mentioned this rate update in the comments.

5.55% 11-Month CD at a South Florida Bank (Legacy Bank) read and submit comments for this post

Legacy Bank of Florida is offering a 5.55% APY 11-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $1,000. This special isn't listed at the bank's website. A reader mentioned in the comments that it was advertised in the Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper yesterday.

Branches are located in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. It's a new bank that was just started in 2006. It's FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 58247).

Thanks to the reader who mentioned this special in the comments of the finding deals post.

5.55% 6 and 12 Month CD at a Colorado Bank (Horizon) read and submit comments for this post

Horizon Banks is offering a certificate of deposit special with a 5.55% APY for terms of either 6 or 12 months. The minimum deposit is $1,000. The offer ends on 8/3/07.

According to the rates table, rates are available only to Colorado residents. Branches are located in Boulder, Denver and several other Colorado cities. The bank has been FDIC insured since 1934 (FDIC Certificate # 3036).

5.50% 6-Month CD at a South Florida CU (Peoples) read and submit comments for this post

Peoples Credit Union is offering a special 5.50% APY 6-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $10,000, and it requires new money.

Membership is open to anyone who lives, works or owns property in Miami-Dade or Broward County. You can also be elgible via select employer groups. See their membership page for details. Membership requires a $5 membership fee and a minimum deposit of $50 into the share savings account.

Branches are located in Miami, North Miami, Hialeah and Pembroke Pines, Florida. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 67677). It has $67.3 million in assets and 15,241 members.

5.50% 17-Month / 5.50% 21-Month CD at an Indiana CU (Forum) read and submit comments for this post

Forum Credit Union is offering a 5.50% APY certificate special with terms from 17 to 21 months. The minimum deposit is $500, and it's available as a regular or an IRA certificate. There's also a 5.30% APY CD special available for 7, 8 or 9 month terms. See their rate table for more details.

Membership is open to residents of several Indiana counties (including most of the Indianapolis metro area). You can also qualify based on select employer groups and family. I wasn't able to find their membership page, but I did find this Q&A page with some more details. Membership requires a minimum deposit of $5 into a savings account.

Branches are located in Indianapolis, Avon, Fishers, Noblesville, and Carmel. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 68248). It has $992.3 million in assets and 95,649 members.

$100 Checking Account Bonus at an Illinois Bank (First United) read and submit comments for this post

First United Bank has a promotion where if you use their ATM, bring in your ATM receipt and open a checking account, you'll receive $100. This promotion doesn't seem to be listed on their website. A reader mentioned this deal yesterday, and I called today for further details. I was told that the back of the ATM receipt should have the $100 bonus offer. Any of the checking accounts should qualify, including their Totally Free Checking.

The bank also has a CD promotion with a 5.40% APY 7-month CD. A free gift is also provided when you open this special CD. The minimum deposit is $1,000. It's called the Sizzling Hot CD Special. I would call it a decent CD special. Sizzling hot requires at least 6%...

Branches are located in the Chicago Metro area cities of Crete, Steger, Frankfort and Naperville. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 20685).

Thanks to the reader Abbs who mentioned this special in the comments of the finding deals post.

5.65% 15-Month CD at an Arizona CU (Arizona Federal) read and submit comments for this post

Arizona Federal Credit Union is offering a special 15-month share certificate with a yield of 5.65% APY for a minimum deposit of $75K. A 5.50% APY is available with only a $500 minimum deposit. See rate table for the details.

My last report on this credit union was in March when it was offering 5.65% APY on 9 month CDs.

Field of membership includes anyone who lives, works, worhships or attends school in Maricopa County, Pinal County or the City of Tucson. Membership requires a minimum $25 in the share savings account.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 1747). It's a large credit union with $1.74 billion in assets and 208,324 members.

Another $100 Checking Account Bonus at Chase Bank read and submit comments for this post

I found another online promo page for a $100 bonus for opening a Chase Free Checking account with direct deposit. Like before, you have to print the coupon and take it to your local Chase branch. A $100 minimum opening deposit is required. The offer ends on 8/31/07.

I had posted on a similar offer in June, but that promo page started forwarding people to Chase's home page a few weeks ago. Hopefully, this new promo page will last longer. One difference I noted in this new promo compared to the old one is that Chase now states the $100 reward will be deposited into your new account within 6-8 weeks after the initial direct deposit. In June, the small print stated it would be deposited in only 10 days after the account was opened.

For those who don't have a Chase Bank nearby, there's a $75 bonus for opening the account online (see post).

Some additional important details that are the same as before include: Chase Free Checking has no monthly service fee when you have a monthly direct deposit. Limit one personal checking account-related reward / premium per customer, per calendar year. Offer not available on account conversions or in combination with any other offer. The first direct deposit must be completed within 60 calendar days of account opening. Checking account must remain open for six months or the reward will be debited from the account at closing. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT.

Some more important info about the free checking account is available at Chase. Without direct deposit, there's a $6/month fee. There's a $2 fee for using non-Chase ATMs (up from $1.50 in November).

About direct deposit, it has been reported in this FW thread that Chase treats transfers from ING Direct and PayPal accounts as direct deposits.

Also note, Chase has been reported to do hard credit pulls (which can slightly ding your credit score). Refer to this FW thread for more info on this.

Chase often has $50 and $75 bonuses for its checking account. The $100 bonus is not as common. You also might see Chase $100 promos in the mail.

5.50% 7-Month CD at a California Bank (Community 1st) read and submit comments for this post

Community 1st Bank is offering a 5.50% APY 7-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $10K, and the maximum is $200K.

Branches are located in Roseville and Auburn California which are about 10 to 20 miles northeast of Sacramento. It's a new bank that was just started in 2006. It's FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 58191).

5.50% 48-Month CD at an Alabama CU (America's First) read and submit comments for this post

America's First Federal Credit Union is having certificate special with a 5.50% APY 48-month and a 5.30% APY 11-month certficate. The minimum deposit is $500. The small print states that it's available to qualified members only. So there may be some additional requirements. Please check with the credit union for details.

Membership is open to persons who live, work, worship, or attend school in Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair or Walker Counties. Also included are Calhoun County and certain areas of Mobile County. See their membership page for more details.

Branches are located in several Alabama cities including Mobile, Birmingham, Anniston and Talladega. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 24534). It has $768.8 million in assets and 101,843 members.

EverBank's World Currency CDs - My Interview with EverBank's Executive Frank Trotter read and submit comments for this post

I've done several posts on EverBank's 6.01% checking and money market account promotions (see post), but I haven't covered some of their other banking products that are pretty unique. One in particular is EverBank's World Currency CDs.

A PR agent of EverBank recently contacted me regarding EverBank's recent launch of a new World Currency CD called the World Energy Index CD, and she offered me an opportunity to interview EverBank's Executive Vice President Frank Trotter. So I did a little investigation into these World Currency products and emailed some questions. I didn't want to ask all general types of questions that you might see in a newspaper. Instead I wanted to make sure I included some questions that will be of interest to readers of this blog who are concerned with risks, fees and account security.

First, I should mention a few important points regarding these World Currency CDs. Unlike the typical CD, there is risk of a loss of principal due to changes in currency exchange rates. It's intended to be more of a longer term investment product and only part of your overall portfolio. Even though the terms are 12 months and under, you can continue to let the CDs renew without being charged the currency conversion fee. For those who think the dollar will continue to fall, this may be a good way to diversify your portfolio.

My Q&A's with EverBank's Frank Trotter:

• Question: I've read that EverBank has a long history in currency accounts. Is that correct? And what makes this appealing to investors?
  
  Response: EverBank acquired the WorldCurrency business from Mercantile Bank in 2000 but the core of the EverBank World Markets management team had founded the service at Mark Twain Bank (acquired by Mercantile) in 1986.
  
  WorldCurrency deposits allow investors to diversify a portion of their portfolio into foreign currencies that they select. We feel that between 10 and 20% of a properly constructed portfolio should be allocated to the currency market as a tactical hedge against a decline in worldwide purchasing power. At EverBank we consider our products to be a toolkit for a globally oriented investor.
• Question: How does the WorldCurrency CDs differ from the typical bank CD?
  
  Response: WorldCurrency CD's are denominated in the currency of the customer's choice and pay interest at the local currency rate. Depositors benefit when a currency appreciates against the US dollar (the US dollar weakens) and can conversely lose a portion of principal if the US dollar is stronger against their chosen currency.
• Question: How is the WorldCurrency Index CD and in particular the new World Energy Index CD designed to help investors?
  
  Response: The WorldCurrency Index CD's were designed to allow an investor to gain additional diversification while reducing the minimum required to participate. Through time EverBank has developed a number of Index CD's that provide an investor with the opportunity to follow an investment theme within a single instrument.
  
  The World Energy Index CD is a great example of an investing theme. In this case we have taken 25% each of the British Pound, Norway's Krone, along with Canadian and Australian dollars to build the index. All four countries are non-middle eastern energy producers and as this industry we believe it will provide strength to each country's currency. Our friends at the Daily Reckoning (www.dailyreckoning.com) summed it up in editorial, "Lots of factors sent it soaring. But with energy in short supply, England's vast share of the North Sea oil riches look almost as good as the gold-backed greenbacks of yesteryear. The same goes for Norway's Krone... Canadian dollars, backed by Alberta fields and oil sands... even Australian dollars, backed by vast stockpiles of coal, gas, and - of course -uranium."
• Question: The interest rate is guaranteed during the term, correct? But the change in the currency value isn't?
  
  Response: Correct - the interest is paid in the currency of the CD. The value at maturity is determined by the price of the relevant currency if and when converted US dollars.
• Question: How does the 1% currency conversion rate affect the total return? Wouldn't it affect a 3-month CD more than a 6-month CD?
  
  Response: Most of our customers look at currency investing as an intermediate to long term asset allocation decision; we have some who have been rolling Swiss franc CD's over since the late 1980's! There is no conversion when a CD is rolled over to the same currency or placed in a WorldCurrency Access MMDA account.
  
  We have consistently been noted as having the best currency conversion rates for retail investors. Our disclosure quoted above provides room for any outliers but conversion generally occurs at 3/4 of a percent or less depending on the liquidity of the currency and sometimes the size of the trade. Finally, if the customer has access to currency and wants to wire in an amount to open a WorldCurrency CD there are no conversion charges incurred at all. They can also request that the proceeds be wired out in currency at maturity.
• Question: Are these WorldCurrency CDs available in IRAs? What other types of accounts are available for these CDs?
  
  Response: There are a myriad of account types that are available including IRA's. We have personal, trust, corporate, IRA, retirement plans, investment advisor, and many more.
• Question: For the normal individual investor, in general, how would gains due to currency appreciation in these WorldCurrency CDs be considered on one's Federal taxes if held in a non-IRA type of account?
  
  Response: EverBank issues a 1099INT for interest paid each year; this is equal to the foreign interest paid converted to US dollars on the date of payment. EverBank does not provide tax advice but many our customers tell us that they use the purchase price plus all interest declared through time as their cost basis (like a dividend reinvestment program) and compare that to proceeds to determine gain or loss.
• Question: I see EverBank also has Marketsafe CDs that provide 100% deposited principal protection if the account is held to maturity. Are currency prices too volatile to offer the same type of protection for the WorldCurrency CDs?
  
  Response: We have considered a series of principal protected WorldCurrency CD's and may well do so at some point. For longer term issues the math can work.
• Question: An investor interested in this World Currenty CD or any of EverBank products, can open an account online, correct? Some of my readers have been concerned about filling out the application online with an initial password and then having to print and mail in the application. They felt it would have been more secure if it could have been accepted online. In general, what steps have been done or are planned to ensure account security?
  
  Response: From the perspective of the site we maintain a secure environment; but I do understand their angst about the US Mail. We have many enhancements scheduled for our account application process that will be rolling out progressively over the next several quarters. I think you and your readers will be very pleased with all the changes being made including a more one step process.

My thanks to Frank Trotter for his detailed replies to all of my questions.

EverBank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 34775). Please note, FDIC insurance covers against loss due to the failure of the institution, but not market related fluctuations, including changes in currency prices.

5.82% 22-Month / 5.67% 15-Month CD at a Texas Bank (First Community Bank San Antonio) read and submit comments for this post

First Community Bank San Antonio is offering two CD specials. One is a 5.82% APY 22-month CD and the other is a 5.67% APY 15-month CD. The minimum deposit is $10,000.

Branches are located in several parts of San Antonio, Texas. The bank also has branches in other areas of Texas including the Houston area and in Central Texas. However, these CD specials are only listed for San Antonio. The branches near Houston continue to offer a 5.51% APY 9-month CD special with a $1K minimum deposit. I had posted on this in June.

The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 1194).

Thanks to the reader who emailed me info on this special.

5.50% 21-Month CD at a Florida CU (Suncoast Schools) read and submit comments for this post

Suncoast Schools FCU is offering a special 5.50% APY 21-month share certificate. The minimum deposit is $500. There's also a special 9-month CD with a yield of 5.25% APY.

My last report on this credit union was in December when it was offer 5.60% on all terms of 12 months and longer. Their standard rates have gone down, but they're still competitive.

Field of membership includes those with some affiliation with schools in the Florida counties of Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sumter. Also, those 55 years and older who live in one of the above counties can be eligible by joining an association for a one-time fee of $5. See site for details.

The main office is located in Tampa, Florida with branches across Southwest Florida including the cities of Fort Myers and Naples. It's one of the nation's largest credit unions with over $5.8 billion in assets and 426,573 members. It's federally insured by the NCUA.

Bank Deals Weekly Summary for July 28, 2007 read and submit comments for this post

Quick Link for Rates

This was a quiet week for online savings accounts with no significant rate changes. However, there are signs of future rate drops. With the large stock declines this week, investors are retreating to the safety of government debt, and this is pushing down Treasury yields. The subprime problems may continue to weigh on both the stock market and the economy. This might mean lower interest rates (see Bloomberg article).

Lower interest rates were definitely noticeable this week with CDs. CD rates fell at several online banks including GMAC Bank, E-LOAN, ETrade, EverBank, Indymac, Netbank, Ascencia and KeyDirect. Also, CD rates fell at the several credit unions including the two which have had some top Jumbo CD rates: Northrop Grumman FCU and Western FCU.

6% Money Market Account and CD Deals

Those who have money in FNBO Direct's 6% savings account, may want to jump on 6% CDs to lock in the 6%. After FNBO's promo ends in September, it may be very difficult to find 6% deals. There are currently some 6% deals, but they're not lasting long. A good example was this week's 6% 10-month CD special at Agriculture FCU (a credit union with easy membership). The promo started Monday and ended Friday. There's still the 6% 10-month CD special at Navy FCU, but unfortunately, Navy FCU doesn't have an easy way to qualify for membership (see post).

For those in Arizona, you have until the end of this month to take advantage of AmTrust's 6% money market promo with the 6% guaranteed to last for 118 days (see post).

Some new local 6% deals that I posted this week include a 6% 6-month money market promo for those in Chicago (see post) and a 6% 7-month CD in the Bay area of California (see post).

7% CD Deals

The best local deal continues to be at Clackamas Community FCU in Oregon. They're offering a 7.79% APY 5-month CD with no deposit cap (see post). Another 7% deal is currently available at Chartway FCU, but this one has a $7K deposit cap unless you can refer new members (see post).

For more local CD deals, refer to my local CD deal section below.

Checking Account Bonuses

I posted on a few new checking account bonuses this week. KeyBank is offering an iPod nano for its free checking account. This is only available in certain states (see post). I also posted on a $120 checking account bonus at a northern Indiana credit union (see post). Two good ones which I posted on the week before are still available. One is a $150 checking account bonus that's available to those in all states (see post) and the other is a $200 bonus or an iPod nano for those in the Chicago metro area (see post). To see all of the latest bank bonues, please refer to my bank bonus page.

Thanks to all who have helped by leaving comments or sending emails on rate updates. Sorry I can't post on all of your suggestions.

The rates listed below are based on Annual Percentage Yield (APY). No minimum balances are required unless noted. MMA next to the rates indicate a money market account. Most MMAs have check writing and ATM cards. Online savings accounts usually lack both of these. The top lists include banks and credit unions with broad availability and with minimums around $10K or less. Previous weekly summaries are available for July 21st, July 14th, July 7th, Jun 30th, Jun 23rd, Jun 16th, Jun 9th and Jun 2nd.

Quick Links: Refer to the following links for the savings accounts and CDs that interest you: Liquid Account Rates: Savings Accounts, Special rates, Local checking/savings, Bank alternatives CD Rates: 3 Mo CDs, 6 Mo CDs, 9 Mo CDs, 12 Mo CDs, 18 Mo CDs, 24 Mo CDs, 36 Mo CDs, 48 Mo CDs, 60 Mo CDs, 84 Mo CDs, CDs by state Comments: read and discuss

As of July 28, 2007

Checking/Savings/Money Market Accounts:

• Checking/Savings Account Bonuses
• The Best Checking Accounts - Including Reward Checking

• FNBO Direct - 6.00% (until 9/28) my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.36%, my post
• BankUnited - 5.35% (min $5K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.31%, my post
• OneUnited - 5.30% (min $1K), my post
• Zions Bank - 5.30% MMA, outside of Utah, (min $1K) (5.36% $50K+), my post
• iGobanking - 5.30%, my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.30% MMA (min $500), my post
• Flagstar - 5.30% MMA, my post
• grand yield direct - 5.27% (min $2.5K) my post
• WTDirect - 5.26% ($10K min), my post
• Countrywide - 5.25% (min $10K), (5.40% $50K+) my post
• Presidential Bank - 5.25% (min $5K, only first $35K receives this rate), offers 4.50% checking, my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.25% (5.15% for MMA), ($25 min), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.25% ($5K min), my post
• Direct Huntington - 5.20% ($1K min), my post
• Discover Bank - 5.20% MMA (min $10K)(5.35% for $50K+)
• FirstFedDirect - 5.16% (min $1K) (closed to CA residents), my post
• Savings Square - 5.10%, my post
• Mutual Bank - 5.10% MMA (min $5K), my post
• Bank of America AAA/NEA - 5.08% MMA ($10K min) (5.35% for $50K+) my post
• Heartland Bank Direct - 5.05%, ($500 min), my post ($50 bonus)
• UnivestDirect - 5.05%, (4% checking), my post
• AmboyDirect - 5.05% (5.10% for $20K+), my post ($25 bonus)
• ETrade Bank - 5.05%, my post ($25 bonus)
• HSBC Direct - 5.05% ($50 related bonus) my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.05%, my post
• EverBank - 5.01% ($1.5K min), 6.01% 3-mo promo, my post
• Citibank - 5.00%, requires checking account and bill pay usage, my post ($100 bonus)
• PFF Bank and Trust - 5.00% (min $1K), my post
• Indymac Bank - 5.00% ($10K min)
• ebank - 5.00% Checking ($2.5K min), my post
• Salem Five Direct - 5.00% Checking (5.20% $25K+), 6.10% 2-mo promo and $25 bonus, my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.00% (requires checking), my post
• CapitalOne/Costco - 5.00% MMA (min $5K, Costco members only, $50 deal for exec. members)
• Corus Bank - 4.99% MMA (min $10K to open)
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 4.97% (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 4.95% MMA (min $1K), my post
• Capital One - 4.75% (MMA has same rate, but with checks and ATM. $100 min.), my post
• MyBankingDirect - 4.75% MMA (min $5K), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 4.68% MMA (min $500), my post
• VirtualBank - 4.60% (min $100), (4.86% $50K+/ 5.13% $100K+) offers checking, my post ($20 bonus)
• GE Money - 4.50% (min $4K), (5.05% for $15K+), my post ($25 bonus)
• ING Direct - 4.50%, (4% checking), my post ($25 bonus)
• NetBank - 4.50% MMA ($500 min), 6-month intro rate, my post ($250 deal)
• MetLife Bank - 4.40% MMA (min $5K), my post ($50 bonus)
• Imperial Capital - 4.20% MMA ($2.5K min), offers free checking, my post
• Melrose CU - 4.06% (min $25) my post

3-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• IndyMac Bank - 5.35% (min $5K), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.34% (min $10K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.31% (min $8K)
• Element Financial - 5.30% (min $5K), my post
• Imperial Capital - 5.30%, ($2K min), my post
• Countrywide - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.26% (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.25% (min $1K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.15% (min $500), my post
• ETrade Bank - 5.10% (min $1K), my post
• ebank - 5.00% (min $1K), 5.25% for ePremium checking customers
• EverBank - 5.00% ($1.5K min)
• Corus Bank - 4.99% (min $10K)
• Self-Help Credit Union - 4.98% (min $500), my post

6-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• NASA FCU - 5.65% (7 months) (min $5K), my post
• IndyMac Bank - 5.46% (min $5K), my post
• Imperial Capital - 5.45%, ($2K min), my post
• Western FCU - 5.44% (min $40K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.44% (min $40K), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.44% (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.42% (min $1K)
• World Savings - 5.41% (5 months) (min $10K), my post
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• Corus Bank - 5.40% (min $10K)
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.40% (min $5K)
• Countrywide - 5.40% (min $10K), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.38% (min $10K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.36% (min $1K) my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• NetBank - 5.35% (min $1K)
• Ascencia Bank - 5.33% (min $500), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• iGobanking - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.30% ($10K min), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.25% (min $8K)
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.25% (min $500), my post
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• ETrade Bank - 5.20% (min $1K), my post
• Flagstar - 5.20% (min $500), my post
• ebank - 5.15% (min $1K), 5.40% for ePremium checking customers
• ING Direct - 5.15%, my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• EverBank - 5.10% ($1.5K min)
• Wells Fargo - 4.90% (5 months) (min $5K), rate and min vary by state, my post
• Bank of Internet - 4.80% (min $1K) my post

9-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• Navy FCU - 6.00% (10 months) ($10K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Air Force FCU - 5.50% (min $1K) restrictions to membership, my post
• Patelco CU - 5.50% ($1K min), not NCUA insured, my post
• World Savings - 5.46% (8 months) branch-only (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.41% (min $1K)
• iGobanking - 5.40% (8 months) (min $500), my post
• Countrywide - 5.40% (min $10K), my post
• Element Financial - 5.37% (min $5K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.36% (min $1K) my post
• VirtualBank - 5.34% (min $10K), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• ING Direct - 5.25%, my post
• Imperial Capital - 5.25% ($2K min), my post
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• EverBank - 5.20% ($1.5K min)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• IndyMac Bank - 5.10% (min $5K), my post
• Bank of Internet - 4.90% (min $1K) my post

12-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• VirtualBank - 5.55% (min $10K), my post
• IndyMac Bank - 5.46% (min $5K), my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.45% (min $5K)
• Element Financial - 5.41% (min $5K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.41% (min $1K) my post
• Ascencia Bank - 5.41% (min $500), my post
• Corus Bank - 5.40% (min $10K)
• La Jolla Bank - 5.40% (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.40% (min $1K)
• Flagstar - 5.40% (min $500), my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.39% ($1K min)
• Western FCU - 5.37% (min $40K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.37% (min $40K), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.36% ($10K min), my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• ING Direct - 5.35%, my post
• Mutual Bank - 5.35% (min $2.5K) my post
• UFB Direct - 5.35% (min $8K)
• Imperial Capital - 5.35% ($2K min), my post
• NetBank - 5.35% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• GMAC Bank - 5.35% (min $500), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.31%, (min $10K) my post
• Air Force FCU - 5.30% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• iGobanking - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• Countrywide - 5.30% (min $10K)
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• ETrade Bank - 5.25% (min $1K), my post
• ebank - 5.25% (min $1K), 5.50% for ePremium checking customers
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• EverBank - 5.23% ($1.5K min)
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.23% (min $500), my post
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• Navy FCU - 5.20% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• AmboyDirect - 5.15% (min $10K), my post
• GTE FCU - 5.12% (min $500) my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Bank of Internet - 5.10% (min $1K) my post
• KeyDirect - 5.09% (min $5K), my post

18-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.45% (min $5K)
• NetBank - 5.40% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.36% ($10K min), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.35% (min $1K) my post
• iGobanking - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• ING Direct - 5.25%, my post
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.25% (min $500)
• ETrade Bank - 5.25% (min $1K), my post
• ebank - 5.15% (min $1K), 5.40% for ePremium checking customers
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• EverBank - 5.15% ($1.5K min)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)

24-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• Ascencia Bank - 5.50% (min $500), my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.48% ($1K min)
• Mutual Bank - 5.47% (min $5K) my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.46% (min $5K)
• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• Air Force FCU - 5.40% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.35% (min $8K)
• AmTrustDirect - 5.35% (min $1K) my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• NetBank - 5.35% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• E-LOAN - 5.35% ($10K min), my post
• Western FCU - 5.32% (min $40K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.32% (min $40K), my post
• Navy FCU - 5.30% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.20% (min $500)
• Presidential Bank - 5.13% (min $1K)
• EverBank - 5.13% ($1.5K min)
• KeyDirect - 5.09% (min $5K), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.00% (min $500), my post

36-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.50% ($1K min)
• Air Force FCU - 5.50% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• Mutual Bank - 5.47% (min $5K) my post
• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.40% (min $8K)
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• First State Bank - 5.35% ($1K min), my post
• Navy FCU - 5.35% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• Western FCU - 5.35% (min $40K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.35% (min $40K), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.35% ($10K min), my post
• NetBank - 5.33% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• AmTrustDirect - 5.30% (min $1K) my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• ETrade Bank - 5.30% (min $1K), my post
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• Agriculture FCU - 5.20% (min $1K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.20% (min $500)
• EverBank - 5.16% ($1.5K min)
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• ebank - 5.10% (min $1K), 5.35% for ePremium checking customers
• KeyDirect - 5.09% (min $5K), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.02% (min $500), my post
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post

48-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.50% ($1K min)
• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• Western FCU - 5.43% (min $40K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.43% (min $40K), my post
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• Navy FCU - 5.40% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• First State Bank - 5.35% ($1K min), my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.35% ($10K min), my post
• Agriculture FCU - 5.30% (min $1K), my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• NetBank - 5.30% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.25% (min $500)
• EverBank - 5.22% ($1.5K min)
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• USA FCU - 5.12% (min $1K) my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• ebank - 5.10% (min $1K), 5.35% for ePremium checking customers
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.10% (min $500), my post
• KeyDirect - 5.09% (min $5K), my post
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post

60-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• Bank of Internet - 5.51% (min $1K) my post
• Western FCU - 5.51% (min $40K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.51% (min $40K), my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.50% ($1K min)
• Air Force FCU - 5.50% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• Navy FCU - 5.50% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• E-LOAN - 5.50% ($10K min), my post
• ETrade Bank - 5.47% (min $1K), my post
• Element Financial - 5.45% (min $5K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.40% (min $8K)
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• First State Bank - 5.35% ($1K min), my post
• Agriculture FCU - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.30% (min $1K) my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• USA FCU - 5.27% (min $1K) my post
• EverBank - 5.27% ($1.5K min)
• Melrose CU - 5.25% (min $5K) my post
• NetBank - 5.25% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• National Bank of KC - 5.25% (min $10K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.25% (min $500)
• KeyDirect - 5.24% (min $5K), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.16% (min $500), my post
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• Presidential Bank - 5.13% (min $1K)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post
• ebank - 5.00% (min $1K), 5.35% for ePremium checking customers

84-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• Navy FCU - 5.60% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• KeyDirect - 5.49% (min $5K) (5.55% for $50k+ and 10yr), my post
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post

High Rates with Conditions or Large Balances - Open to All

• Latest CD and Savings Account Deals with No Major Deposit Limitiations
• 6.01% Reward Checking Account at State Bank of Toledo
• 6.01% Reward Checking Account at Provident Credit Union
• 6.01% Everbank 3-month intro rate on checking account
• 5.60% Reward Checking Account at First National Bank
• 5.56% 5-Year / 5.51% 1-Year CD at Statebank of India ($95K+)
• 5.49% Money Market Account with $250K initial deposit
• 5.40% Personal and Business Money Market Account with $100K balance
• 5.35% Money Market Account at Bank of America with $50K+

Checking and Saving Accounts at Local Banks/Credit Unions

• Local High Yield Reward Checking Accounts
• 6.00% Savings Account for 118 Days at AmTrust (Arizona)
• 6.00% 6-Month Money Market Promo at a American Bank of New Jersey Branch
• 6.00% 3-Month Money Market Promo at Amboy (New Jersey)
• 5.50% No-Minimum Online Savings Account (New York)
• 5.25% Money Market Account for 3 months (New York)
• 5.25% Checking Account (Florida)
• 5.05% Low-Minimum Online Savings Account (California)
• 5.00% Free Checking at Capital One (Central Texas)
• 5.00% Money Market Account (Utah)

CD Specials at Local Credit Unions/Banks Over the Last Two Months

• Alabama deals and CD rates
• Arizona deals and CD rates
• California deals and CD rates
• Colorado deals and CD rates
• Connecticut deals and CD rates
• District of Columbia deals and CD rates
• Florida deals and CD rates
• Georgia deals and CD rates
• Idaho deals and CD rates
• Illinois deals and CD rates
• Indiana deals and CD rates
• Kansas deals and CD rates
• Kentucky deals and CD rates
• Maryland deals and CD rates
• Massachusetts deals and CD rates
• Maine deals and CD rates
• Michigan deals and CD rates
• Missouri deals and CD rates
• Montana deals and CD rates
• Nevada deals and CD rates
• New Hampshire deals and CD rates
• New Jersey deals and CD rates
• New Mexico deals and CD rates
• New York deals and CD rates
• North Carolina deals and CD rates
• Ohio deals and CD rates
• Oklahoma deals and CD rates
• Oregon deals and CD rates
• Pennsylvania deals and CD rates
• Rhode Island deals and CD rates
• South Carolina deals and CD rates
• Tennessee deals and CD rates
• Texas deals and CD rates
• Washington State deals and CD rates
• West Virginia deals and CD rates
• Wisconsin deals and CD rates

Terms of 60 Months and Over

• 6.04% 60-Month CD at a Multi-State CU (Bayer Heritage)
• 6.02% 60-Month CD at a California CU (Bay Federal)
• 6.00% 61-Month CD at a Michigan CU (Telcom)
• 6.00% 60-Month CD at a Indiana CU (Indiana Members)
• 6.00% 60-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 6.00% 60-Month CD at a Ohio Credit Union (CES)
• 6.00% 60-Month CD at a Minnesota CU (SMW)
• 5.92% 60-Month CD at a Texas CU (Greater Texas FCU)
• 5.69% 60-Month CD at a California CU (Coast Central)
• 5.65% 60-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Diamond)
• 5.60% 60-Month CD at a Ohio CU - and all terms in between (Glass City)
• 5.59% 60-Month CD at a Florida CU (CFE)
• 5.50% 60-Month CD at a Texas Bank (Main Street)
• 5.50% 60-Month CD at a Los Angeles/New York CU (First Entertainment)

Terms of 24 Months to Under 60 Months

• 6.17% 50-Month CD at a New York CU (CFCU Community)
• 6.00% 24-Month CD at a Minnesota CU (SMW)
• 5.92% 30-Month CD at a New York/Pennsylvania CU (Visions)
• 5.90% 48-Month CD at a Multi-State CU (Bayer Heritage)
• 5.82% 36-Month CD at a New York CU (Telco)
• 5.75% 36-Month CD at a Arizona CU (Arizona Central)
• 5.75% 48-Month CD at a Colorado CU (Western Rockies)
• 5.70% 30-Month CD at a Illinois Bank (Belvidere)
• 5.69% 25-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Galaxy)
• 5.66% 24-Month CD at a Texas CU (River City)
• 5.65% 30-Month CD at a TN/AR/MS Credit Union (American Savings)
• 5.65% 36-Month CD at a Oklahoma CU (Central Oklahoma)
• 5.65% 30-Month CD at a Carolina Bank (Blue Ridge Savings)
• 5.64% 24-Month CD at a California CU (Coast Central)
• 5.60% 24-Month CD at a New York Bank (LibertyPointe)
• 5.54% 36-Month CD at a Florida CU (CFE)
• 5.51% 24-Month CD at a New Jersey Bank (SussexBank)
• 5.50% 24, 36, 48 Month CD at a Los Angeles/New York CU (First Entertainment)
• 5.50% 48-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Diamond)
• 5.50% 24-Month CD at a Washington DC Credit Union (Signal Financial)
• 5.50% 24-Month CD at a Colorado CU (Western Rockies)

Terms of 12 Months to Under 24 Months

• 10.00% 12-Month CD at a California CU - $1K Max (Diablo Valley)
• 10.00% 12-Month CD at a California CU - $1K Max (Ventura County)
• 7.00% 12-Month CD at a New Jersey CU - $3K Max (North Jersey)
• 6.17% 18-Month CD at a New Mexico CU (First Financial)
• 6.10% 18-Month CD at a Florida CU (Tyndall)
• 6.05% 12-Month CD at a Virginia CU (NMA)
• 5.90% 12-Month CD at a Florida CU (Tropical Financial) - and 5.07% Savings Account
• 5.81% 12-Month CD at a New York/Pennsylvania CU (Visions)
• 5.80% 17-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 5.80% 12-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 5.76% 12-Month CD at a California CU (Bay Federal)
• 5.75% 12-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (Alpha)
• 5.75% 15-Month CD at a Utah CU Continues (Tooele)
• 5.70% 12-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (American Southern)
• 5.67% 18-Month CD at a New York CU (Telco)
• 5.66% 12-Month CD at a Texas CU (River City)
• 5.65% 17-Month CD at a Kentucky CU (Fort Knox)
• 5.64% 20-Month CD at a New York CU (CFCU Community)
• 5.64% 12-Month CD at a Florida CU (City County)
• 5.60% 18-Month CD at a Texas Bank (First National Bank Southwest)
• 5.60% 18-Month CD at a TN/AR/MS Credit Union (American Savings)
• 5.60% 14-Month CD at a Nebraska Bank (First National Bank Omaha)
• 5.59% 12-Month CD at a Kansas/Missouri Bank (SolutionsBank)
• 5.56% 12-Month CD at a California CU (Redwood)
• 5.55% 12-Month CD at a Texas CU (Greater Texas FCU)
• 5.55% 12-Month CD at a DC Bank (Washington First)
• 5.55% 18-Month CD at a Delaware Bank (Community Bank Delaware)
• 5.55% 12-Month CD at a Tennessee/Virginia CU (Appalachian Community)
• 5.55% 20-Month CD at a Illinois CU - Open To All (Consumers)
• 5.54% 12-Month CD at a Texas Credit Union (Gulf Coast)
• 5.50% 18-Month CD at a Texas Bank (Main Street)
• 5.50% 15-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Old Cypress Community)
• 5.50% 13-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Tri Boro)
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Bay Cities)
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a New York Bank (LibertyPointe)
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a Dallas Bank (First National)
• 5.50% 13-Month CD at a Florida CU (Jax Federal)
• 5.50% 17-Month CD at a Missouri Bank (WestBridge)
• 5.51% 12-Month CD at Nevada State Bank
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a Los Angeles/New York CU (First Entertainment)
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a Missouri Bank (WestBridge)
• 5.50% 23-Month CD at a California Bank (Pacific State)
• 5.50% 18-Month CD at a California Bank (Pacific State)
• 5.50% 14-Month CD at a Indiana/Michigan/Georgia Bank (Flagstar)
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a North Carolina and Virginia Bank (Gateway)
• 5.50% 13-Month CD at a Carolina Bank (Blue Ridge Savings)
• 5.45% 12-Month CD at a Tennessee CU - 5.55% Jumbo (Eastman)
• 5.45% 12-Month CD at a Chicago Bank (Builders)
• 5.40% 12-Month CD at a Texas Bank (First National Bank Southwest)

Terms of Under 12 Months

• 10.00% 10-Month CD at a Illinois CU - $1K Max (Earthmover)
• 9.00% 9-Month CD at a Colorado CU - $2K Max (Elevations)
• 7.79% 5-Month CD at a Oregon CU (Clackamas Community)
• 7.00% 7-Month CD at a Multi-State CU - $7K Max (Chartway)
• 7.00% 6-Month CD at a West Virginia CU - $5K Max/Youth (Star USA)
• 6.17% 10-Month CD at a Ohio CU (Riverview)
• 6.14% 9-Month CD at a Virginia CU (Bronco)
• 6.14% 6-Month CD at a Virginia Credit Union (AB & W)
• 6.06% 8-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Pittsburgh Teachers)
• 6.00% 6-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Old Cypress Community)
• 6.00% 7-Month CD at a California CU (Cal State 9)
• 6.00% 6-Month CD at a Chicago Bank (American Eagle)
• 6.00% 7-Month CD at a Minnesota Bank (First National Bank)
• 6.00% 5-Month CD at a New Jersey Bank (Valley National)
• 6.00% 6-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (Alpha)
• 6.00% 10-Month CD at a Florida CU (Pen Air)
• 6.00% 7-Month CD at a Kentucky CU (Fort Knox)
• 6.00% 6-Month CD at a Florida CU - $25K Max (City County)
• 5.90% 6-Month CD at a Florida CU (Tropical Financial) - and 5.07% Savings Account
• 5.75% 8-Month CD at a South Florida CU (BrightStar)
• 5.70% 5-Month CD at a FL/NY/TX Bank (Commercebank)
• 5.70% 6-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (American Southern)
• 5.65% 9-Month CD at a Washington State CU (Great NorthWest)
• 5.65% 6-Month CD at a New York/Pennsylvania CU (Visions)
• 5.65% 5-Month CD at a Florida CU (SunState)
• 5.64% 6-Month CD at a Virginia Bank (Sonabank)
• 5.64% 9-Month CD at a Massachusetts CU (Harvard University Employees)
• 5.61% 6-Month CD at a Wisconsin Bank (Town Bank)
• 5.60% 10-Month CD at a Tennessee Bank (Reliant)
• 5.60% 7-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Duval)
• 5.60% 3-Month CD at a Ohio CU - and all terms in between (Glass City)
• 5.59% 9-Month CD at a Kansas/Missouri Bank (SolutionsBank)
• 5.55% 5-Month CD at a Illinois Bank Plus iPod nano or $200 Checking Account Bonus (Evergreen Private Bank)
• 5.55% 7-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Encore)
• 5.55% 11-Month CD at a Florida Bank (TransCapital)
• 5.55% 4-Month CD at a Florida Bank (TransCapital)
• 5.55% 9-Month CD at a Utah CU Continues (Tooele)
• 5.54% 9-Month CD at a Arizona CU (Pinal County)
• 5.53% 9-Month CD at a Washington State CU (Harborstone)
• 5.51% 9-Month CD at a Texas Bank (First Community Bank)
• 5.50% 3, 6, 9 Month CD at a Los Angeles/New York CU (First Entertainment)
• 5.50% 9-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 5.50% 9-Month CD at a Montana CU (Valley)
• 5.50% 10-Month CD at a California CU - $90K (San Diego County)
• 5.50% 9-Month CD at a Maine Credit Union (cPort)
• 5.50% 5-Month CD at a Tennessee Credit Union (UT FCU)
• 5.50% 7-Month CD at a Massachusetts Bank (Ipswich Co-operative)
• 5.50% 7-Month CD at a Florida CU (Jax Federal)
• 5.50% 9-Month CD at a Washington State CU (Sound)
• 5.50% 8-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Third Federal)
• 5.50% 4-Month CD at a New Jersey CU (United Teletech Financial)
• 5.50% 3-Month CD at a North Carolina and Virginia Bank (Gateway)
• 5.50% 7-Month CD at a Massachusetts Bank (Institution for Savings)
• 5.50% 10-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Community Bank of Englewood)
• 5.46% 6-Month CD at a Wachovia in Southern California
• 5.45% 9-Month CD at a DC Bank (Washington First)

Bank Account Alternatives

• Money Magazine article on risk-free investments
• Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund - 5.13% 7-day yield
• Paypal Money Market Fund - 5.03% 7-day yield (1% cashback debit MasterCard)
• TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund - 5.03% 7-day yeild
• Fidelity Money Market Fund - 5.01% 7-day yield ($100 bonus and other info)
• FW Thread on Treasury Bills
• I Bond Rate Starting Nov 2006, I Bond Article, I Bonds as CD Alternatives

Historical Rates from the Federal Reserve (Federal funds, Treasury bills, CD's)

10% 10-Month CD at an Illinois CU - $1K Max (Earthmover) read and submit comments for this post

Earthmover Credit Union is offering a special 10.00% APY 10-month ceritificate. The minimum deposit is $500, and the maximum is $1,000. It's available only for new members. The special doesn't seem to be listed at the credit union's website. A reader emailed me info on this special, and I called today for further details.

Due to the $1K deposit cap, this isn't the best deal, but at least there's no checking account or direct deposit requirement. At a 10% APY with a $1K deposit for 10 months, you'll earn about $41 over a 5% account.

Membership is open to anyone who lives or works in Kendall, Southern Kane, or DuPage county, Illinois. You can also be eligible via Select Employer Groups and via immediate family. See their membership page for more details. Membership requires a minimum deposit of $25 into the share savings account.

Branches are located in Oswego, Yorkville, Farnsworth and Aurora, IL.

The credit union is NOT federally insured by the NCUA. Instead it's privately insured by the American Share Insurance. You can verify their ASI insurance and their financials at this link.

Thanks to the reader who emailed me info on this special.

6.00% 24-Month / 6.00% 60-Month CD at a Minnesota CU (SMW) read and submit comments for this post

SMW Federal Credit Union continues to offer high rates on its certificates. A 6% APY is available on terms from 24 to 60 months for a $100K minimum deposit, 36 to 60 months for a $75K minimum, 48 to 60 months for a $50K minimum and 60 months for a $25K minimum. See rate table. The 12-month CD rate is also competitive for balances over $25K with yields ranging from 5.60% APY to 5.90% APY. The rates drop off sifnificantly for deposits under $25K.

My last report on this credit union was in March. The credit union has been offering high CD yields all year.

Field of membership includes those who live, work, worship, volunteer or attend school in Anoka County. Also, anyone related to a current member is eligible to join. Branches are located in Maplewood and Fridley, MN.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 24363). It has $55.7 million in assets and 4,934 members.

10% 12-Month CD at a California CU - $1K Max (Ventura County) read and submit comments for this post

Ventura County Credit Union is offering a special called the TGI Tuesday Certificate. It's a 10% APY 12-month certificate with a $25 minimum and a $1,000 maximum deposit. The deposit must be money new to the credit union. The offer ends on July 31, 2007.

Due to the low deposit cap, this special isn't as good as the last CD special I reported on from this credit union in March which had a $15K deposit cap with a 7.70% APY and a 7-month term. At least this new one doesn't seem to require a checking account or direct deposit. Over a year you'll earn about $50 over what the $1K would earn in a 5% account.

Field of membership includes those who live, work or attend school in Ventura or Santa Barbara Counties. There are also several select employee groups through which you can be eligible. A one-time $10 membership fee and a $5 opening balance in the share savings account is required for membership. The membership fee is waived for those over 50. I was told by the CSR in March that there's no hard credit pull for joining and opening accounts.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA insured. It has $440.6 million in assets and 46,396 members.

Thanks to the reader who emailed me the info on this special.

6.00% 7-Month CD at a Minnesota Bank (First National Bank) read and submit comments for this post

First National Bank is offering a special 6.00% APY 7-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $1K, and the maximum is $50K. For new customers it requires a checking account with direct deposit. They do have a free checking account called the Step Up Checking that qualifies.

A branch visit is required to open an account. Branches are located in Cannon Falls and Red Wing, Minnesota which are located about 30 miles southwest of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The bank has been FDIC insured since 1934 (FDIC Certificate # 5108).

Last Day for Agriculture FCU's 6% 10-Month CD read and submit comments for this post

Update: It may already be too late for ACH funding. A reader noted being told by AFCU that the funds have to reach them by 3:30PM today (7/27/07). An ACH transfer would likely take longer to complete.

As I mentioned yesterday, today is the last day for Agriculture Federal Credit Union's 6% APY 10-month CD special. This is based on info I received yesterday from AFCU's customer service rep. Since the application is online, you should be able to join and open the CD today before this special ends. If you're not yet a member, please refer to my Monday AFCU post for the details about this credit union. If you're already a member, you may find my description below of opening a new account useful.

I opened the CD last night, and the process went smoothly. If you're already a member and plan to open the CD today, here are some things I learned. You can't open the CD when you're logged into your account. Instead you have to select the "Click Here to Join AFCU". A new window will open up and provide instructions. Click continue and the next page will allow you to select "existing member". The following pages will walk you through the CD purchase process. Note, instead of your online account password, it'll ask for your Audo Response Password. I was told by the CSR that this is the last 4 digits of your SSN. This worked for me. You'll also be asked some additional indentity verification questions. One of the questions included the approximate available balance in your savings account. So be sure to record this before you begin.

For the account funding, the choices were credit/debit card, transfer from another checking/savings account or transfer from your AFCU primary share account. I chosed the second option, and used money from my GMAC Money Market Account. For that option, you'll need the bank's routing number and the account number. I don't recommend using your credit card since you may be charged a cash advance fee. I've been told that this depends on your credit card company.

After the application was finished, there was nothing to print or mail. I logged into my account, and saw the CD had been added to my account summary. So everything seemed to have gone okay.

7% 6-Month CD at a West Virginia CU - $5K Max/Youth (Star USA) read and submit comments for this post

Star USA Federal Credit Union has a special 7.00% APY 6-month certificate. The minimum deposit is $250, and the maximum is $5,000. It's called the Future Star CD. There's not much info on the rates table so I called yesterday. I was told that it's a youth CD in which a child must be a co-owner with the adult on the CD. Only one CD per child is allowed.

With a $5K cap you'll earn about $50 over what you would earn in a 5% account during the 6 months. It's not the best deal, but for parents with several children, you should be able to open this CD for each child for a decent return.

Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in these West Virginia counties: Kanawha, Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Putnam, Cabell, Wayne and Lawrence County Ohio. See their membershp page for more details. Membership requires a $5 minimum deposit into the share savings account.

Branches are located in Charleston, Hurricane, Huntington, St. Albans, Cabin Creek and Beckley WV. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 911). It has $130.5 million in assets and 19,583 members.

Agriculture FCU's 6% CD is Ending Tomorrow read and submit comments for this post

Update: The 6% CD special officially ended on 3:30pm Friday (7/27/07).

I guess the demand for this CD must have been bigger than Agriculture FCU (AFCU) had expected. I just spoke with AFCU's customer service rep and confirmed that their special 6% APY 10-month CD special will expire at the end of day Friday. When I posted the news of this CD on Monday, I thought it may not last long since a 6.10% 16-month CD special in November had only lasted 10 days.

AFCU isn't a large credit union like Pentagon FCU. So it probably only takes a few hundred large deposits for AFCU to reach its deposit goals. Looking at their June NCUA financial data, AFCU's total shares and deposits are $176 million while Pentagon FCU's total is $9.3 billion.

Fortunately, you can sign up and purchase this special AFCU CD online. You should be able to do an electronic funds transfer via ACH from your bank account to fund the CD. See my Monday post for more information about this.

6.14% 6-Month CD at a Virginia Credit Union (AB & W) read and submit comments for this post

AB & W Credit Union is offering a special 6.14% APY 6-month CD. The minimum deposit is $3,000.

Unfortunately, the field of membership is narrow. Eligibility is primarily based on Select Employer Groups. See their membership page for details. Membership requires a $1 membership fee and a minimum deposit of $50 into the share savings account.

The credit union is located in Alexandria, Virginia. It's federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 66972). It has $27.6 million in assets and 5,312 members.

3.01% Reward Checking Account at a Wisconsin Bank (First Banking Center) read and submit comments for this post

Update 12/17/09: The bank has stopped offering the Rewards Checking account. A confirmation of this has been received from the bank's CSR.

Update 11/28/09: A reader has reported that the top rate is scheduled to fall to 3.01% APY effective December 1, 2009. Refer to the bottom of the post for the rate history.

First Banking Center has started the a Rewards Checking account that pays 3.01% APY on balances up to $25K (1.00% over) and refunds ATM fees if the typical reward checking monthly requirements are met: 1) 10 check card purchases, 2) one direct deposit or ACH auto debit, and 3) receive electronic statements. If these are not met, the rate falls to 0.10%. There's only a $1 minimum initial opening deposit, and no monthly service charges or balance requirements regardless if the above requirements are met.

It appears that a branch visit is required for a first time customer. Branches are located in South Central and Southeastern Wisconsin. The bank has been FDIC insured since 1934 (FDIC Certificate # 5287).

Other Reward Checking Accounts

For other reward checking accounts in other parts of the country, please see my reward checking account page and my best checking account post.

Rate History:
12/01/09: 3.01% APY up to $25K
08/01/09: 4.01% APY up to $25K; 1.00% for above
02/03/09: 5.01% APY up to $25K
07/26/07: 6.01% APY up to $25K, 0.50% for above, 0.10% if requirements not met

5.50% 12-Month CD at a Dallas Bank (First National) read and submit comments for this post

First National Bank is offering a 5.50% APY 12-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $5,000. This rate doesn't seem to be listed at the bank's website. It was advertised in today's Dallas Morning News. The ad is available online here. The nice thing about this special CD is that it doesn't seem to require a checking account or other relationships.

According to the ad, the rate is only available at the bank's Dallas area branches. I called an Austin branch, and the 12-month rate was a little lower at 5.35% APY. It sounded like this could be negotiated to a higher rate especially if you had a large deposit. The bank has branches throughout Texas. The bank has been FDIC insured since 1934 (FDIC Certificate # 14318).

5.60% 24-Month / 5.50% 12-Month CD at a New York Bank (LibertyPointe) read and submit comments for this post

LibertyPointe Bank is offering 5.60% APY on a 2 and 3 year certificate of deposit. There's also a 5.50% APY 1 year CD. The minimum deposit is $1,000. These rates also apply to IRA's.

My last report on this bank was in May. At that time the 2 and 3 year CDs had yields of 5.50%.

According to the website, the rates are only for customers in New York, New Jersey are Connecticut.

LibertyPointe Bank is a small, one-office branch located in New York city. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 58071). It was establised in 2005.

5.50% 12-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Bay Cities) read and submit comments for this post

Bay Cities Bank is offering a 5.50% APY 12-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $1,000. See rate table.

My last report on this bank was in April when they were offering 5.50% on CDs with terms of 24 month and longer. The rates on those terms are now only 5% APY and 5.25% APY for the 60-month CD.

Branches are located in Tampa, St. Petersburg and in Lutz, FL. The Bank has been FDIC insured since 1999 (FDIC Certificate # 35066).

6.17% 10-Month CD at an Ohio CU (Riverview) read and submit comments for this post

Riverview Credit Union is offering a special 6.17% APY 10-month certificate. The minimum deposit is $1,000.

Membership is open to those who live, work, worship or attend school in Washington County, Ohio. You can also be eligible via Select Employer Groups and via immediate family. See their membership page for more details. Membership requires a minimum $10 balance into the share savings account.

Branches are located in Belpre and Marietta, OH. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 62413). It has $28.2 million in assets and 4,743 members.

$120 Checking Account Bonus at an Indiana CU (Advance Financial) read and submit comments for this post

Advance Financial FCU is offering a checking account promotion in which you can earn $120. You can receive $70 automatically when you open a Better Than Free Checking account between 7/30/07 and 8/04/07. An additional $25 can be earned for direct deposit of at least $25 between 7/30/07 and 9/15/07. Sign up for and utilize the bill pay service between 7/30/07 and 9/15/07 and receive another $25. Checking account, direct deposit and bill pay must remain open for a minimum of six months or the cash incentives will be debited from the checking account at closing. All cash incentives will be considered interest and reported on IRS Form 1099-INT.

They also have a 7% APY 7-month CD special, but this deal is seriously hurt by the low maximum deposit of $700. With only $700, you'll just earn about $8 over a 5% savings account.

Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school Lake County, Indiana. You can also be eligible via family members (and not just immediate family). See their membership page for the full details. Membership requires a minimum deposit of $5 into the regular share savings account.

Branches are located in the Indiana cities of East Chicago, Schererville and Gary. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 24078). It has $126.5 million in assets and 19,695 members.

6.00% 6-Month Money Market Promo or CD at a Chicago Bank (American Eagle). read and submit comments for this post

Update 8/19/07: The 6% promo has ended. The best rate now is 5.50% APY for 6 and 12mo CD.

American Eagle Bank Chicago has added to its CD promotion that I reported on in April with a 6.00% APY 6-month certificate of deposit. Instead of the CD, you can choose a 6% APY guaranteed for 6 months in the money market account. The minimum deposit is $1,000. The standard money market rates are 5.50% APY for balances over $50K, 4.50% APY for balances between $15K and $50K and 2.50% APY for balances between $1K and $15K. A balance of $1K is required to avoid fees.

The bank also continues to offer the CD promotions that I reported on in April. These include a 5.50% APY 12-month CD and a 5.35% APY 18-month CD.

This promotion only seems available at their Chicago branch. Their branch in Elgin, Illinois has a different CD promotion (5.30% APY 19-month CD). The American Eagle Bank of Chicago just became FDIC insured in April (FDIC Certificate # 58514). The American Eagle Bank in South Elgin has been FDIC insured since 2002 (FDIC Certificate # 57359).

Update: Please note, all new accounts need to be opened in person at the Chicago location.

5.50% 6-Month / 5.50% 12-Month CD at a Massachusetts Bank (Bank of Canton). read and submit comments for this post

Update 7/28/07: These CD rates have dropped to 5.30% APY.

Bank of Canton is offering 5.50% APY on its 3, 6 and 12-month certificates of deposit. The 3 and 6 month CD have a $2,500 minimum, and the 1-year CD has a $1,000 minimum. There's also a 1-year IRA with a 5.50% APY (see rate table).

Branches are located in the Boston metro area in the towns of Brookline, Canton, Hyannis, Randolph and Quincy, MA. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 90175). As a Massachusetts bank, deposits above the FDIC limits are insured by the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF).

6.00% 10-Month CD at Agriculture FCU (Open to All) read and submit comments for this post

Update: The 6% CD special officially ended on 3:30pm Friday (7/27/07).

Agriculture FCU just came out with a new 6.00% APY 10-month certificate promotion. The minimum deposit is $5,000. You can apply online for both membership and to open this CD.

Last summer, AFCU came out with CDs with rates up to 6.50% APY (see post). It has been awhile since they've come out with a high-yield short term CD special. The last one was in November when they offered a 6.10% 16-Month CD (see post). It only lasted 10 days, so you may not want to wait too long before jumping on this new one.

Field of membership includes members of CityDance Ensemble. CityDance has open membership to anyone that pays membership dues of $20.00. This membership can be done at the same time that you apply for credit union membership. They have an online membership application in which you can join CityDance for $20, join the credit union for a $5 initial deposit to the Primary Share account, and open the CD.

The FOM also includes those who live, work or worship in Washington DC plus other group affiliations. See site for the full details.

I see that this new CD is already listed in the online application. So you should be able to apply for membership and open the CD at the same time. I joined AFCU and opened a CD last November. For more information on AFCU and the CDs, please refer to my November AFCU post. If you apply and see some difference to what I had described, please leave a comment. After 8 months, there may have been some changes in the application.

Branches are located in Washington DC, Riverdale, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia. AFCU is also part of National Shared Branching network in which you can use local credit unions to access your account and conduct many transactions.

AFCU is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 16400). It has $201.6 million in assets and 24,052 members.

Thanks to the reader who emailed me info on this new special.

6.00% 7-Month CD at a California CU (Cal State 9) read and submit comments for this post

Update 11/04/2007: Cal State 9 has been placed into conservatorship under the NCUA. Please refer to this post for more info.

Cal State 9 Credit Union is offering a special 6.00% APY 7-month certificate. The minimum deposit is $5,000, and the maximum is $100,000. New money is required. It's available as a regular or IRA certificate. This special doesn't seem to be listed at the credit union's website. It was advertised in today's Inside Bay Area newspaper. The ad is available online here.

Membership is open to persons who reside, work or attend school in the following California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Sacramento, or Santa Clara. Membership is also open to students, employees and and those in alumni associations of certain universities. See the membership page for the full details. Membership requires a $5 membership fee and a minimum deposit of $10 in the regular share savings account. Note, a $200 minimum is required to avoid $5/month fee.

Branches are located in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Hayward and Pleasant Hill. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 64449). It has $463.7 million in assets and 29,659 members.

5.90% 6-Month / 5.90% 12-Month CD at a Florida CU (Tropical Financial) - and 5.07% Savings Account read and submit comments for this post

Update: The CD rates have fallen. Please check the credit union's website for the latest rates.

Tropical Financial Credit Union is offering high rates on its 6 and 12 month certificates. The yield is 5.90% APY for a $100K minimum deposit, 5.65% APY for a $50K minimum and 5.40% APY for a $500 minimum.

The credit union also has a high yield savings account with a yield of 5.07% APY with a minimum deposit of $2,500. To avoid monthly fees requires a balance of $1,000. A checking account is required.

Membership is open to those who live or work in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Sarasota Counties. See their membership page for the full details. Membership requires a $5 minimum deposit into the regular savings account.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 68476). It has $711.7 million in assets and 66,468 members.

3.75% Reward Checking Account at a California Bank (Community West) read and submit comments for this post

Update 7/11/09: The top rate has fallen to 3.75% APY. Refer to the bottom of the post for the rate history.

Community West Bank has started a reward checking it calls Great Rate Checking. It offers 3.75% APY on balances up to $25K (0.55% above) and ATM fee refunds (up to $5 per transaction and $20 per statement cycle) if the typical reward checking requirements are met: 1) 10 check card transactions per cycle, 2) 1 direct deposit or automatic debit, 3) receive electronic statements, and 4) access online banking at least once each cycle. If these conditions are not met, the rate falls to 0.25%. There are no monthly maintenance fees regardless of meeting the above conditions.

There is an online application which seems to allow applicants from any state. However, at the bottom it states: A "representative will contact you within 24 hours or the next business day to complete the account opening at your nearby branch. At that time, you will be asked to bring one or more forms of identification to establish and confirm your identity."

Branches are located in the California cities of Ventura, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Goleta and Westlake Village. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 27572).

Other Reward Checking Accounts

For other reward checking accounts in other parts of the country, please see my reward checking account page and my best checking account post.

Rate History:
07/01/09: 3.75% APY up to $25K (shown in the small print)
01/25/09: 4.00% APY up to $25K
05/14/08: 4.50% APY up to $25K
03/31/08: 5.00% APY up to $25K
07/23/07: 5.50% APY up to $25K; 0.55% above; 0.25% if req's not met

$75 Checking Account Bonus at Chase Bank read and submit comments for this post

Chase has a $75 bonus for opening its free checking account online. Here's the promotional page link. A $100 minimum opening deposit is required. You can fund your account by using a credit card or transferring funds from another account. The $75 will be deposited into your account within 10 business days. The offer ends on 10/15/07.

Some additional important details include: Chase Free Checking has no monthly service fee when you have a monthly direct deposit. Checking account must remain open for six months or the reward will be debited from the account at closing. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT.

Some more important info about the free checking account is available at Chase. Without direct deposit, there's a $6/month fee. There's a $2 fee for using non-Chase ATMs (up from $1.50 in November).

Credit for this find goes to this iBankDesign thread. One important point mentioned in that thread is that Chase will charge you $23 for the first box of checks. You may be able to prevent this if you write "do not order checks" on your signature card.

About direct deposit, it has been reported in this FW thread that Chase treats transfers from ING Direct and PayPal accounts as direct deposits.

Also note, Chase has been reported to do hard credit pulls (which can slightly ding your credit score). Refer to this FW thread for more info on this.

Last month Chase was offering a $100 bonus for the checking. That promo page went away a week or two ago. Every now and then the $100 bonus pops up, sometimes online and sometimes on flyers. One advantage of this $75 bonus is that it can be done online without a branch visit.

5.50% 5-Month CD at a Tennessee Credit Union (UT FCU) read and submit comments for this post

UT Federal Credit Union is offering a 5 month certificate special with a yield of 5.50% APY. The minimum deposit is $1,000. There's also a 11 month special CD with a yield of 5.30% APY and a minimum deposit of $2,500.

In addition to students, alumni and employees of the University of Tennessee System, membership is open to those who live, work or worship in certain areas of Knoxville and downtown Memphis. See their membership page for the full details. Membership requires a minimum $5 deposit into the regular share savings account.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 19448). It has $144.3 million in assets and 25,374 members.

Thanks to the reader who mentioned this special in the comments of the finding deals post.

iPod nano Checking Account Promotion at KeyBank read and submit comments for this post

KeyBank just came out with a new checking account promotion. They're offering a free iPod nano for opening a Key Express Free Checking Account and making a combination of two direct deposits OR automated payments each of $100 or more. The checking account must be opened by August 24, 2007. Also, the direct deposits and/or automated payments must be made by October 26, 2007. According to the small print, you'll then receive the iPod by December 15, 2007.

Some more important details from the small print include: Automated payments excludes Key Bill Pay and debit card automated payments. Offer available to individuals without an existing checking account at KeyBank as of July 20, 2007. The value of the iPod nano will be reported on Form 1099-INT.

I can't find any details about the iPod nano in the promotion. I would guess it's likely to be the 2GB version which is currently selling at the Apple Store for $149.

Seems like every 4 to 6 months, KeyBank does this type of promotion for its checking account. In February they did a free digital camera offer, and one year ago they had a similar iPod nano deal.

Some features of the Key Free Checking include:

• $50 Minimum opening deposit
• No monthly fees
• No minimum balance requirements
• ACH transfer capability

Some fees to be aware of include:

• $2 fee for using non-KeyBank ATMs
• $25 early closing fee if closed before 180 days

According to the customer service rep, they don't do a hard credit inquiry. They only use ChexSystem in the application approval process. This is based on my conversation with the CSR last February.

This KeyBank offer is not available in all states. I believe it's only available where KeyBank has branches which includes Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington State.

KeyBank has been FDIC insured since 1956.

5.50% 9-Month CD at a Maine Credit Union (cPort) read and submit comments for this post

cPort Credit Union is offering a 5.50% APY 9-month share certificate. The minimum deposit is $1,000. The offer is availble through 9/4/07.

The credit union also has a $25 promotion for starting direct deposit into an account. Maintaining the direct deposit allows you to receive a 0.25% discount on most new cPort loans. Additional $25 can be earned by referring friends or family.

Membership is open to those who live or work in Kennebec, Sagadahoc, Androscoggin, Cumberland, or York County. Also eligible are current or retired employees of the public sector, including local, state, county, or federal governments, and current or retired members of the armed services, National Guard, or reserves. If you have a family member (not just immediate family) who is eligible to be a member, you would also qualify. See their membership page for more details.

Branches are located in the Maine cities of Portland, Augusta and Scarborough. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 63828). It has $95.9 million in assets and 13,287 members.

$50 Checking Account Bonus at a Tennessee Bank (Independent) read and submit comments for this post

Independent Bank is again offering $50 for opening its free checking account. This special is not listed at the bank's website. It was advertised in today's Memphis newspaper. The ad is available online here. One thing to note is that the only apparent requirement for the bonus is new money to open the account. There is no mention of direct deposit. The free checking account requires an opening deposit of $100, but there are no minimums after account opening and no monthly fees. This bank had offered a similar deal February.

Instead of the $50 free checking account bonus, you can choose the Interest Checking with a yield 3.50% APY guaranteed for 6 months. For those who don't bank online, this may not be too bad. Note, there is a $10 monthly fee for balances under $1K.

In addition to the checking account bonus, the bank also has a decent CD promotion with a 5.30% APY 6-month CD.

Branches are located in Memphis and Collierville, TN. The bank has been FDIC insured since 1998.

[Update 7/23/07: The $50 bonus requires that you bring in your old checks from another bank. Also, a branch visit is required.]

Finding the Best Bank Rates and Deals #7 read and submit comments for this post

This post is intended to be a place where readers can share info on the best bank deals or other useful banking news. Your help is much appreciated. Also, I'm including a list of websites that list the best CD and money market rates. This is intended to be a place where you can start your search for the best bank deals.

This is the seventh finding-the-best-deals post. The last one was getting too long.

In your comment, please include the link to the deal. If the deal is not on the bank's website, please include the source of the deal (i.e. a New York Times newspaper ad, a sign at a local bank, etc.)

I'll try my best to post on the deals, and I'll be sure to give you credit. If you want to remain anonymous, simply comment as an anonymous user or email me at bankdeals at gmail dot com.

One tip to see if the deal has already been posted is to use the search box at the top of this page or do a search of my archive page or the monthly archives which are located on the right sidebar.

Bank Deals at this Blog and Elsewhere

With new deals from banks and credit unions constantly popping up, no site has a complete list of all the best deals. Some think Bankrate.com has a complete list, but it fails to list many high rate CDs especially those with odd terms like an 11-month term. Also, it does a poor job at credit union certificates.

Below are lists of the best resources for different categories. I've included mine on top of each category (noted by Bank Deals:). If you find another good source of bank deals, please let me know.

Best Certificate of Deposit Rates

• Bank Deals: Weekly National CD List
• Bank Deals: Weekly Local CD List
• Bank Deals: CDs without small deposit limits
• FatWallet CD Thread
• BestCashCow CD List
• BestCashCow CD Credit Union List
• Bank-CD List
• Bankrate.com 6-month CD List
• Bankrate.com 1-year CD List
• Bankrate.com 1-year Credit Union CD List
• eMoneyCentral
• BauerFinancial CD RateWatch
• bankingMyway - CDs
• Credit Union Deals
• Bank Best Rates - CD Rates
• Money-Rates - CD
• gotalkmoney - CD Rates

Best Money Market / Savings / Checking Account Rates

• Bank Deals: Weekly Savings/Money Market List
• Bank Deals: Best Checking Accounts Summary
• Bank Deals: Best Reward Checking Accounts - latest 50
• FatWallet Savings/Checking Thread
• BestCashCow Savings Account List
• Bankrate.com Savings/MMA List
• Bank-CD Checking/Savings List
• bankingMyway - Money Market
• Bank Best Rates - Checking Accounts
• Bank Best Rates - Savings and MM Accounts
• gotalkmoney - Money Market Rates

Bank Bonuses

• Bank Deals: Bonuses - latest 50
• Bank Deals: Summary of Bank of America Bonuses
• iBankBonus - Bank Sign-up Bonuses
• gotalkmoney - National Bank Bonuses

Banking and Credit Union Resources

• Bank Deals FDIC and NCUA info and links
• Bank Deals Importance of FDIC and NCUA
• Bank Deals Links to resources for National Banks
• Bank Deals Finding local credit unions
• Bank Deals CD Penalty Calculator - When to Break a CD
• FatWallet Thread on ACH and Direct Deposit
• FatWallet Thread on Banks and Hard Credit Pulls

Bank Deals Weekly Summary for July 21, 2007 read and submit comments for this post

Quick Link for Rates

Another bank launched an online savings account this week. It's a 5.30% APY online money market account offered by Flagstar Bank. It has no minimum balance requirements, and the 5.30% APY currently applies to all balances. One thing that separates this from many other online savings account is that it has limited check writing with free checks (see post).

Flagstar's 5.30% APY isn't the best rate but it's nice to see a money market account with a rate this high that can be started with as little as $1. AmTrustDirect changed its e-Money Market Account this week to make it more accessible. You can now open the e-Money Market account with only $1 rather than the $1,000 that was previously required. This account has a yield of 5.36% APY that has remained at 5.36% since February (see post). Unlike Flagstar's money market account, AmTrustDirect's e-Money Market doesn't offer checks or ATM cards. Thus, I consider it more of a savings account.

One bank that did increase its online money market rates this week was Discover Bank which raised the yield by about 5 basis points on all tiers. For balances of over $10K, the yield is now 5.20% APY. For balances over $50K, the yield is now 5.35% APY. This is a true money market account with limited check writing (see Discover's MMA page).

Banks like Flagstar and AmTrustDirect seem intent to lower minimums and add services rather than increase rates to challenge FNBO Direct's 6% promo. Perhaps we'll see a new 6% promo from some bank in September when FNBO's promo ends. But for now, FNBO Direct continues to have the best rate. However, time is running out with a little over two months to earn the 6% APY. For more FNBO Direct info, please see my account review post or this page which has all of my FNBO Direct posts.

CD Rates Update

There were a few small CD rate changes this week. Discover Bank raised the yield on all CD terms of 1 year and above to 5.30% APY. ETrade made a large bump-up of its 18-month CD from 5.00% to 5.40% APY. Small rate declines, however, seemed more common. This occurred at Everbank, Key Direct, Element Financial and the credit unions with easy membership: Northrop Grumman FCU, Western FCU and Self-Help CU.

NASA FCU continues to have the best short-term CD deal with its 5.65% APY 7-month CD special. Anyone can join via membership into the National Space Society. One thing to note, however, is that several readers have reported problems joining NASA FCU and purchasing this CD. Please see my post for more info.

An even better deal than at NASA FCU is the 6% APY 10-month CD offered by Navy FCU. However, you have to have some connection with the Navy to be eligible. A reader mentioned hearing that this special CD is tentatively scheduled to last through August. When I joined in April, it took almost 3 weeks before I was able to purchase the CD, so make sure you apply early if you're eligible (see post).

Large Deposits Deals - 5.67% CD

For those who don't mind large balances, Statebank of India has some very competitive CD rates including a 5.61% APY 12-month CD and a 5.67% APY 36 and 60-month CD. Statebank of India is the largest bank in India (see Wikipedia entry). The US division of this bank (which is FDIC insured) is the one offering these CDs (see post). For readers who are only concerned with accounts with no deposit limitation, I've created a new category called large deposits. I only include deals in this category which allow deposits of $100K or more.

Local CD Deals - High Rates for Those in California

Many in California should be eligible for several good CD specials at The Golden 1 Credit Union. They just started offering a 5.80% APY CD and IRA CD for terms of 12 to 17 months, and they continue to offer a 6% APY 60-month CD and a 5.50% APY 9-month CD. The Golden 1 Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in the nation and has many ways for people in California to be eligible to join (see post).

Some other local 6% CD deals I reported on this week are available in New York, Ohio, Florida and Virginia.

The best local deal continues to be at Clackamas Community FCU in Oregon. They're offering a 7.79% APY 5-month CD. What makes this so good is that it has no deposit cap (see post). Every now and then, I'll come across a deal like this. There was one in Arizona that ended this week (see post).

Usually when you see a credit union offering a 7% or higher rate for a CD, they'll cap the deposit to some low amount. Sometimes it's very low like $1K. Sometimes it'll be something more reasonable. Chartway FCU is still offering one like this with its 7% APY 7-month CD with a deposit cap of $7K. However, if you can refer new members, you can increase the cap to $21K (see post).

$200 and $150 Bank Bonuses

This was a good week for checking account bonuses. A bank near Chicago is offering up to $200 or an iPod nano for a checking account (see post). Amalgamated Bank is offering up to $150 for opening a checking account and for using several services. You should be able to sign up online for this one from any state (see post). To see all of the latest bank bonues, please refer to my bank bonus page.

Thanks to all who have helped by leaving comments or sending emails on rate updates. Sorry I can't post on all of your suggestions.

The rates listed below are based on Annual Percentage Yield (APY). No minimum balances are required unless noted. MMA next to the rates indicate a money market account. Most MMAs have check writing and ATM cards. Online savings accounts usually lack both of these. The top lists include banks and credit unions with broad availability and with minimums around $10K or less. Previous weekly summaries are available for July 14th, July 7th, Jun 30th, Jun 23rd, Jun 16th, Jun 9th, Jun 2nd and May 26th.

Quick Links: Refer to the following links for the savings accounts and CDs that interest you: Liquid Account Rates: Savings Accounts, Special rates, Local checking/savings, Bank alternatives CD Rates: 3 Mo CDs, 6 Mo CDs, 9 Mo CDs, 12 Mo CDs, 18 Mo CDs, 24 Mo CDs, 36 Mo CDs, 48 Mo CDs, 60 Mo CDs, 84 Mo CDs, CDs by state Comments: read and discuss

As of July 21, 2007

Checking/Savings/Money Market Accounts:

• Checking/Savings Account Bonuses
• The Best Checking Accounts - Including Reward Checking

• FNBO Direct - 6.00% (until 9/28) my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.36%, my post
• BankUnited - 5.35% (min $5K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.31%, my post
• Flagstar - 5.30% MMA, my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.30% MMA (min $500), my post
• iGobanking - 5.30%, my post
• Zions Bank - 5.30% MMA, outside of Utah, (min $1K) (5.36% $50K+), my post
• OneUnited - 5.30% (min $1K), my post
• grand yield direct - 5.27% (min $2.5K) my post
• WTDirect - 5.26% ($10K min), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.25% ($5K min), my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.25% (5.15% for MMA), ($25 min), my post
• Presidential Bank - 5.25% (min $5K, only first $35K receives this rate), offers 4.50% checking, my post
• Countrywide - 5.25% (min $10K), (5.40% $50K+) my post
• Discover Bank - 5.20% MMA (min $10K)(5.35% for $50K+)
• Direct Huntington - 5.20% ($1K min), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.16% (min $1K) (closed to CA residents), my post
• Mutual Bank - 5.10% MMA (min $5K), my post
• Savings Square - 5.10%, my post
• Bank of America AAA/NEA - 5.06% MMA ($10K min) (5.33% for $50K+) my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.05%, my post
• HSBC Direct - 5.05% ($50 related bonus) my post
• ETrade Bank - 5.05%, my post ($25 bonus)
• AmboyDirect - 5.05% (5.10% for $20K+), my post ($25 bonus)
• UnivestDirect - 5.05%, (4% checking), my post
• Heartland Bank Direct - 5.05%, ($500 min), my post ($50 bonus)
• EverBank - 5.01% ($1.5K min), 6.01% 3-mo promo, my post
• CapitalOne/Costco - 5.00% MMA (min $5K, Costco members only, $50 deal for exec. members)
• Washington Mutual - 5.00% (requires checking), my post
• Salem Five Direct - 5.00% Checking (5.20% $25K+), 6.10% 2-mo promo and $25 bonus, my post
• ebank - 5.00% Checking ($2.5K min), my post
• Indymac Bank - 5.00% ($10K min)
• PFF Bank and Trust - 5.00% (min $1K), my post
• Citibank - 5.00%, requires checking account and bill pay usage, my post ($100 bonus)
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 4.96% (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 4.95% MMA (min $1K), my post
• Corus Bank - 4.94% MMA (min $10K to open)
• MyBankingDirect - 4.75% MMA (min $5K), my post
• Capital One - 4.75% (MMA has same rate, but with checks and ATM. $100 min.), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 4.68% MMA (min $500), my post
• VirtualBank - 4.60% (min $100), (4.86% $50K+/ 5.13% $100K+) offers checking, my post ($20 bonus)
• NetBank - 4.50% MMA ($500 min), 6-month intro rate, my post ($250 deal)
• ING Direct - 4.50%, (4% checking), my post ($25 bonus)
• GE Money - 4.50% (min $4K), (5.05% for $15K+), my post ($25 bonus)
• MetLife Bank - 4.40% MMA (min $5K), my post ($50 bonus)
• Imperial Capital - 4.20% MMA ($2.5K min), offers free checking, my post
• Melrose CU - 4.06% (min $25) my post

3-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• IndyMac Bank - 5.35% (min $5K), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.34% (min $10K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.31% (min $8K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• Countrywide - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• Imperial Capital - 5.30%, ($2K min), my post
• Element Financial - 5.30% (min $5K), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.26% (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.25% (min $1K)
• GMAC Bank - 5.15% (min $500), my post
• ETrade Bank - 5.10% (min $1K), my post
• EverBank - 5.00% ($1.5K min)
• ebank - 5.00% (min $1K), 5.25% for ePremium checking customers
• Self-Help Credit Union - 4.98% (min $500), my post
• Corus Bank - 4.94% (min $10K)

6-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• NASA FCU - 5.65% (7 months) (min $5K), my post
• IndyMac Bank - 5.46% (min $5K), my post
• Imperial Capital - 5.45%, ($2K min), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.44% (min $10K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.42% (min $40K), my post
• Western FCU - 5.42% (min $40K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.42% (min $1K)
• World Savings - 5.41% (5 months) (min $10K), my post
• Countrywide - 5.40% (min $10K), my post
• Ascencia Bank - 5.40% (min $500), my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.40% (min $5K)
• Corus Bank - 5.40% (min $10K)
• NetBank - 5.40% (min $1K)
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.39% ($10K min), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.38% (min $10K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.36% (min $1K) my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• iGobanking - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.26% (min $500), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.25% (min $8K)
• Flagstar - 5.20% (min $500), my post
• ETrade Bank - 5.20% (min $1K), my post
• ING Direct - 5.15%, my post
• ebank - 5.15% (min $1K), 5.40% for ePremium checking customers
• EverBank - 5.10% ($1.5K min)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Wells Fargo - 4.90% (5 months) (min $5K), rate and min vary by state, my post
• Bank of Internet - 4.80% (min $1K) my post

9-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• Navy FCU - 6.00% (10 months) ($10K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Patelco CU - 5.50% ($1K min), not NCUA insured, my post
• Air Force FCU - 5.50% (min $1K) restrictions to membership, my post
• World Savings - 5.46% (8 months) branch-only (min $10K), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.41% (min $1K)
• Countrywide - 5.40% (min $10K), my post
• iGobanking - 5.40% (8 months) (min $500), my post
• Element Financial - 5.37% (min $5K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.36% (min $1K) my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.35% (min $500), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.34% (min $10K), my post
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• Imperial Capital - 5.25% ($2K min), my post
• ING Direct - 5.25%, my post
• EverBank - 5.20% ($1.5K min)
• IndyMac Bank - 5.10% (min $5K), my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Bank of Internet - 4.90% (min $1K) my post

12-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• VirtualBank - 5.55% (min $10K), my post
• IndyMac Bank - 5.50% (min $5K), my post
• Ascencia Bank - 5.50% (min $500), my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.45% (min $5K)
• AmTrustDirect - 5.41% (min $1K) my post
• E-LOAN - 5.41% ($10K min), my post
• Element Financial - 5.41% (min $5K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.40% (min $500), my post
• Flagstar - 5.40% (min $500), my post
• UmbrellaBank.com - 5.40% (min $1K)
• La Jolla Bank - 5.40% (min $10K), my post
• NetBank - 5.40% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• Corus Bank - 5.40% (min $10K)
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.39% ($1K min)
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.38% (min $40K), my post
• Western FCU - 5.38% (min $40K), my post
• Imperial Capital - 5.35% ($2K min), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.35% (min $8K)
• Mutual Bank - 5.35% (min $2.5K) my post
• ING Direct - 5.35%, my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.31%, (min $10K) my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• Countrywide - 5.30% (min $10K)
• iGobanking - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• Air Force FCU - 5.30% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• KeyDirect - 5.25% (min $5K), my post
• ebank - 5.25% (min $1K), 5.50% for ePremium checking customers
• ETrade Bank - 5.25% (min $1K), my post
• EverBank - 5.23% ($1.5K min)
• Navy FCU - 5.20% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• AmboyDirect - 5.15% (min $10K), my post
• GTE FCU - 5.12% (min $500) my post
• Bank of Internet - 5.10% (min $1K) my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)

18-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• E-LOAN - 5.50% ($10K min), my post
• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.45% (min $5K)
• ETrade Bank - 5.40% (min $1K), my post
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• NetBank - 5.40% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.35% (min $500)
• AmTrustDirect - 5.35% (min $1K) my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• iGobanking - 5.30% (min $500), my post
• ING Direct - 5.25%, my post
• EverBank - 5.22% ($1.5K min)
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• ebank - 5.15% (min $1K), 5.40% for ePremium checking customers
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)

24-Month Certificates of Deposit:

• Ascencia Bank - 5.50% (min $500), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.50% ($10K min), my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.48% ($1K min)
• Mutual Bank - 5.47% (min $5K) my post
• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 5.46% (min $5K)
• GMAC Bank - 5.40% (min $500)
• Air Force FCU - 5.40% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• NetBank - 5.40% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.38% (min $40K), my post
• Western FCU - 5.38% (min $40K), my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.35% (min $1K) my post
• UFB Direct - 5.35% (min $8K)
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• Navy FCU - 5.30% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.22% (min $500), my post
• EverBank - 5.21% ($1.5K min)
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• KeyDirect - 5.20% (min $5K), my post
• Presidential Bank - 5.13% (min $1K)

36-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• Air Force FCU - 5.50% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.50% ($1K min)
• Mutual Bank - 5.47% (min $5K) my post
• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• E-LOAN - 5.46% ($10K min), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.42% (min $40K), my post
• Western FCU - 5.42% (min $40K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.40% (min $500)
• UFB Direct - 5.40% (min $8K)
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• NetBank - 5.38% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• Navy FCU - 5.35% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• First State Bank - 5.35% ($1K min), my post
• ETrade Bank - 5.30% (min $1K), my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.30% (min $1K) my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.27% (min $500), my post
• EverBank - 5.26% ($1.5K min)
• KeyDirect - 5.25% (min $5K), my post
• Agriculture FCU - 5.20% (min $1K), my post
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• ebank - 5.10% (min $1K), 5.35% for ePremium checking customers
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post

48-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.50% ($1K min)
• E-LOAN - 5.50% ($10K min), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.50% (min $40K), my post
• Western FCU - 5.50% (min $40K), my post
• Bank of Internet - 5.46% (min $1K) my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.45% (min $500)
• Navy FCU - 5.40% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Element Financial - 5.40% (min $5K), my post
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• First State Bank - 5.35% ($1K min), my post
• NetBank - 5.35% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.33% (min $500), my post
• EverBank - 5.31% ($1.5K min)
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• Agriculture FCU - 5.30% (min $1K), my post
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• KeyDirect - 5.30% (min $5K), my post
• Melrose CU - 5.20% (min $5K) my post
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• USA FCU - 5.12% (min $1K) my post
• ebank - 5.10% (min $1K), 5.35% for ePremium checking customers
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post

60-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• E-LOAN - 5.60% ($10K min), my post
• Northrop Grumman FCU - 5.59% (min $40K), my post
• Western FCU - 5.59% (min $40K), my post
• Bank of Internet - 5.51% (min $1K) my post
• KeyDirect - 5.50% (min $5K), my post
• Navy FCU - 5.50% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• Air Force FCU - 5.50% (min $12.5K) restrictions to membership, my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.50% ($1K min)
• ETrade Bank - 5.47% (min $1K), my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.45% (min $500)
• Element Financial - 5.45% (min $5K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.40% (min $8K)
• VirtualBank - 5.39% (min $10K), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 5.39% (min $500), my post
• EverBank - 5.36% ($1.5K min)
• Agriculture FCU - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• First State Bank - 5.35% ($1K min), my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.35% (min $1K), my post
• Discover Bank - 5.30% (min $2.5K)
• National Bank of KC - 5.30% (min $10K), my post
• NetBank - 5.30% (min $1K), my post ($100 bonus)
• AmTrustDirect - 5.30% (min $1K) my post
• USA FCU - 5.27% (min $1K) my post
• Melrose CU - 5.25% (min $5K) my post
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• Presidential Bank - 5.13% (min $1K)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• ebank - 5.00% (min $1K), 5.35% for ePremium checking customers
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post

84-Month Certificate of Deposit:

• Navy FCU - 5.60% ($20K min) restrictions to membership, my post
• KeyDirect - 5.60% (min $5K) (5.80% for $50k+ and 10yr), my post
• Countrywide - 5.15% (min $10K)
• EmigrantDirect - 5.10% (min $1K)
• Pentagon Federal CU - 5.00% (min $1K), my post

High Rates with Conditions or Large Balances - Open to All

• Latest CD and Savings Account Deals with No Major Deposit Limitiations
• 6.01% Reward Checking Account at State Bank of Toledo
• 6.01% Reward Checking Account at Provident Credit Union
• 6.01% Everbank 3-month intro rate on checking account
• 5.67% 3-Year / 5.61% 1-Year CD at Statebank of India ($95K+)
• 5.60% Reward Checking Account at First National Bank
• 5.48% Money Market Account with $250K initial deposit
• 5.40% Personal and Business Money Market Account with $100K balance
• 5.35% Money Market Account at Bank of America with $50K+

Checking and Saving Accounts at Local Banks/Credit Unions

• Local High Yield Reward Checking Accounts
• 6.00% Savings Account for 118 Days at AmTrust (Arizona)
• 6.00% 6-Month Money Market Promo at a American Bank of New Jersey Branch
• 6.00% 3-Month Money Market Promo at Amboy (New Jersey)
• 5.50% No-Minimum Online Savings Account (New York)
• 5.25% Money Market Account for 3 months (New York)
• 5.25% Checking Account (Florida)
• 5.05% Low-Minimum Online Savings Account (California)
• 5.00% Free Checking at Capital One (Central Texas)
• 5.00% Money Market Account (Utah)

CD Specials at Local Credit Unions/Banks Over the Last Two Months

• Alabama deals and CD rates
• Arizona deals and CD rates
• California deals and CD rates
• Colorado deals and CD rates
• Connecticut deals and CD rates
• District of Columbia deals and CD rates
• Florida deals and CD rates
• Georgia deals and CD rates
• Idaho deals and CD rates
• Illinois deals and CD rates
• Indiana deals and CD rates
• Kansas deals and CD rates
• Kentucky deals and CD rates
• Maryland deals and CD rates
• Massachusetts deals and CD rates
• Maine deals and CD rates
• Michigan deals and CD rates
• Missouri deals and CD rates
• Montana deals and CD rates
• Nevada deals and CD rates
• New Hampshire deals and CD rates
• New Jersey deals and CD rates
• New Mexico deals and CD rates
• New York deals and CD rates
• North Carolina deals and CD rates
• Ohio deals and CD rates
• Oklahoma deals and CD rates
• Oregon deals and CD rates
• Pennsylvania deals and CD rates
• Rhode Island deals and CD rates
• South Carolina deals and CD rates
• Tennessee deals and CD rates
• Texas deals and CD rates
• Washington State deals and CD rates
• West Virginia deals and CD rates
• Wisconsin deals and CD rates

Terms of 60 Months and Over

• 6.04% 60-Month CD at a Multi-State CU (Bayer Heritage)
• 6.02% 60-Month CD at a California CU (Bay Federal)
• 6.00% 61-Month CD at a Michigan CU (Telcom)
• 6.00% 60-Month CD at a Indiana CU (Indiana Members)
• 6.00% 60-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 6.00% 60-Month CD at a Ohio Credit Union (CES)
• 5.92% 60-Month CD at a Texas CU (Greater Texas FCU)
• 5.69% 60-Month CD at a California CU (Coast Central)
• 5.65% 60-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Diamond)
• 5.60% 60-Month CD at a Ohio CU - and all terms in between (Glass City)
• 5.59% 60-Month CD at a Florida CU (CFE)
• 5.50% 60-Month CD at a Texas Bank (Main Street)
• 5.50% 60-Month CD at a Los Angeles/New York CU (First Entertainment)

Terms of 24 Months to Under 60 Months

• 6.17% 50-Month CD at a New York CU (CFCU Community)
• 5.92% 30-Month CD at a New York/Pennsylvania CU (Visions)
• 5.90% 48-Month CD at a Multi-State CU (Bayer Heritage)
• 5.82% 36-Month CD at a New York CU (Telco)
• 5.75% 36-Month CD at a Arizona CU (Arizona Central)
• 5.75% 48-Month CD at a Colorado CU (Western Rockies)
• 5.70% 30-Month CD at a Illinois Bank (Belvidere)
• 5.69% 25-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Galaxy)
• 5.66% 24-Month CD at a Texas CU (River City)
• 5.65% 30-Month CD at a TN/AR/MS Credit Union (American Savings)
• 5.65% 36-Month CD at a Oklahoma CU (Central Oklahoma)
• 5.65% 30-Month CD at a Carolina Bank (Blue Ridge Savings)
• 5.64% 24-Month CD at a California CU (Coast Central)
• 5.54% 36-Month CD at a Florida CU (CFE)
• 5.51% 24-Month CD at a New Jersey Bank (SussexBank)
• 5.50% 48-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Diamond)
• 5.50% 24-Month CD at a Washington DC Credit Union (Signal Financial)
• 5.50% 24-Month CD at a Colorado CU (Western Rockies)

Terms of 12 Months to Under 24 Months

• 10.00% 12-Month CD at a California CU - $1K Max (Diablo Valley)
• 7.00% 12-Month CD at a New Jersey CU - $3K Max (North Jersey)
• 6.17% 18-Month CD at a New Mexico CU (First Financial)
• 6.10% 18-Month CD at a Florida CU (Tyndall)
• 6.05% 12-Month CD at a Virginia CU (NMA)
• 6.00% 17-Month CD at a Kansas Credit Union (BWCU)
• 5.81% 12-Month CD at a New York/Pennsylvania CU (Visions)
• 5.80% 17-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 5.80% 12-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 5.76% 12-Month CD at a California CU (Bay Federal)
• 5.75% 12-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (Alpha)
• 5.75% 15-Month CD at a Utah CU Continues (Tooele)
• 5.70% 12-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (American Southern)
• 5.67% 18-Month CD at a New York CU (Telco)
• 5.66% 12-Month CD at a Texas CU (River City)
• 5.65% 17-Month CD at a Kentucky CU (Fort Knox)
• 5.64% 20-Month CD at a New York CU (CFCU Community)
• 5.64% 12-Month CD at a Florida CU (City County)
• 5.60% 18-Month CD at a Texas Bank (First National Bank Southwest)
• 5.60% 18-Month CD at a TN/AR/MS Credit Union (American Savings)
• 5.60% 14-Month CD at a Nebraska Bank (First National Bank Omaha)
• 5.59% 12-Month CD at a Kansas/Missouri Bank (SolutionsBank)
• 5.56% 12-Month CD at a California CU (Redwood)
• 5.55% 12-Month CD at a Texas CU (Greater Texas FCU)
• 5.55% 12-Month CD at a DC Bank (Washington First)
• 5.55% 18-Month CD at a Delaware Bank (Community Bank Delaware)
• 5.55% 12-Month CD at a Tennessee/Virginia CU (Appalachian Community)
• 5.55% 20-Month CD at a Illinois CU - Open To All (Consumers)
• 5.54% 12-Month CD at a Texas Credit Union (Gulf Coast)
• 5.50% 18-Month CD at a Texas Bank (Main Street)
• 5.50% 15-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Old Cypress Community)
• 5.50% 13-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Tri Boro)
• 5.50% 13-Month CD at a Florida CU (Jax Federal)
• 5.50% 17-Month CD at a Missouri Bank (WestBridge)
• 5.51% 12-Month CD at Nevada State Bank
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a Los Angeles/New York CU (First Entertainment)
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a Missouri Bank (WestBridge)
• 5.50% 23-Month CD at a California Bank (Pacific State)
• 5.50% 18-Month CD at a California Bank (Pacific State)
• 5.50% 14-Month CD at a Indiana/Michigan/Georgia Bank (Flagstar)
• 5.50% 12-Month CD at a North Carolina and Virginia Bank (Gateway)
• 5.50% 13-Month CD at a Carolina Bank (Blue Ridge Savings)
• 5.45% 12-Month CD at a Tennessee CU - 5.55% Jumbo (Eastman)
• 5.45% 12-Month CD at a Chicago Bank (Builders)
• 5.40% 12-Month CD at a Texas Bank (First National Bank Southwest)

Terms of Under 12 Months

• 9.00% 9-Month CD at a Colorado CU - $2K Max (Elevations)
• 7.79% 5-Month CD at a Oregon CU (Clackamas Community)
• 7.00% 7-Month CD at a Multi-State CU - $7K Max (Chartway)
• 6.14% 9-Month CD at a Virginia CU (Bronco)
• 6.06% 8-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Pittsburgh Teachers)
• 6.00% 6-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Old Cypress Community)
• 6.00% 5-Month CD at a New Jersey Bank (Valley National)
• 6.00% 6-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (Alpha)
• 6.00% 10-Month CD at a Florida CU (Pen Air)
• 6.00% 7-Month CD at a Kentucky CU (Fort Knox)
• 6.00% 6-Month CD at a Florida CU - $25K Max (City County)
• 5.75% 8-Month CD at a South Florida CU (BrightStar)
• 5.70% 5-Month CD at a FL/NY/TX Bank (Commercebank)
• 5.70% 6-Month CD at a Georgia Bank (American Southern)
• 5.65% 9-Month CD at a Washington State CU (Great NorthWest)
• 5.65% 5-Month CD at a Florida CU (SunState)
• 5.64% 6-Month CD at a Virginia Bank (Sonabank)
• 5.64% 9-Month CD at a Massachusetts CU (Harvard University Employees)
• 5.61% 6-Month CD at a Wisconsin Bank (Town Bank)
• 5.60% 10-Month CD at a Tennessee Bank (Reliant)
• 5.60% 7-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Duval)
• 5.60% 3-Month CD at a Ohio CU - and all terms in between (Glass City)
• 5.59% 9-Month CD at a Kansas/Missouri Bank (SolutionsBank)
• 5.55% 5-Month CD at a Illinois Bank Plus iPod nano or $200 Checking Account Bonus (Evergreen Private Bank)
• 5.55% 7-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Encore)
• 5.55% 11-Month CD at a Florida Bank (TransCapital)
• 5.55% 4-Month CD at a Florida Bank (TransCapital)
• 5.55% 9-Month CD at a Utah CU Continues (Tooele)
• 5.54% 9-Month CD at a Arizona CU (Pinal County)
• 5.53% 9-Month CD at a Washington State CU (Harborstone)
• 5.51% 9-Month CD at a Texas Bank (First Community Bank)
• 5.50% 3, 6, 9 Month CD at a Los Angeles/New York CU (First Entertainment)
• 5.50% 9-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1)
• 5.50% 9-Month CD at a Montana CU (Valley)
• 5.50% 10-Month CD at a California CU - $90K (San Diego County)
• 5.50% 7-Month CD at a Massachusetts Bank (Ipswich Co-operative)
• 5.50% 7-Month CD at a Florida CU (Jax Federal)
• 5.50% 9-Month CD at a Washington State CU (Sound)
• 5.50% 8-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Third Federal)
• 5.50% 4-Month CD at a New Jersey CU (United Teletech Financial)
• 5.50% 3-Month CD at a North Carolina and Virginia Bank (Gateway)
• 5.50% 7-Month CD at a Massachusetts Bank (Institution for Savings)
• 5.50% 10-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Community Bank of Englewood)
• 5.46% 6-Month CD at a Wachovia in Southern California
• 5.45% 9-Month CD at a DC Bank (Washington First)
• 5.40% 9-Month CD at a New York Bank (Astoria Federal Savings)

Bank Account Alternatives

• Money Magazine article on risk-free investments
• Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund - 5.13% 7-day yield
• TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund - 5.05% 7-day yeild
• Paypal Money Market Fund - 5.02% 7-day yield (1% cashback debit MasterCard)
• Fidelity Money Market Fund - 5.00% 7-day yield ($100 bonus and other info)
• FW Thread on Treasury Bills
• I Bond Rate Starting Nov 2006, I Bond Article, I Bonds as CD Alternatives

Historical Rates from the Federal Reserve (Federal funds, Treasury bills, CD's)

5.55% 7-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Encore) read and submit comments for this post

Encore Bank is offering a special 5.55% APY 7-month certificate of deposit. Minimum deposit is $1,000. The offer ends on 7/31/07. This special doesn't seem to be listed at the bank's website. It was advertised in this week's Tampa Tribune. The ad is available online here.

I noticed in the bank's new accounts instructions page, it states that they will open an account by mail or by wire if you live within 50 miles of one of their branches. I would recommend checking with them to ensure this special would fall under these terms.

Florida branches are located Belleair Bluffs, Clearwater, Fort Myers, North Naples, Naples and Sun City Center. They also have several Houston Texas branches, but it's likely that this CD special isn't available at those locations. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 34378).

5.50% 13-Month CD at a Pennsylvania CU (Tri Boro) read and submit comments for this post

Tri Boro Federal Credit Union is offering several certificate specials. The best rate is a 5.50% APY 13-month share certificate. Other specials include a 5.40% APY 11-month CD, a 5.30% APY 7-month CD and a 5.00% APY 21-month CD. All have a minimum deposit of $2,500 and require 50% new money.

Membership is open to all those who reside, worship, work or attend school in Allegheny or Washington County, PA. See their membership page for the full details. Membership requires a minimum $50 deposit in the share savings account.

Branches are located in the suburbs of Pittsburgh in the towns of Munhall, McMurray and Monroeville. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 794). It has $103.9 million in assets and 15,875 members. An interesting note regarding its history is that it was started in 1935 by 25 workers of Homestead Plant of United States Steel in Pittsburgh.

Thanks to the reader Dan The Man for mentioning this CD special in the comments of the finding deals post.

5.80% 12-Month / 5.80% 17-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1). read and submit comments for this post

The Golden 1 Credit Union has started offering another great rate on its regular and IRA certificates.The new special has a yield of 5.80% APY for terms from 12 to 17 months. The minimum deposit is $1,000 for a regular certificate and $500 for an IRA.

Last week The Golden 1 started offering a 6% APY 60-month and a 5.50% APY 9-month CD. These are still available.

Field of membership includes those who live or work in one of many counties of California. The FOM also has a long list of eligible employers. See site for details.

Branches are located throughout the state of California including the cities of Sacramento, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Modesto, Napa, Oakland, San Francisco, Fresno and Jackson.

The Golden 1 Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 61650). It's one of the largest credit unions in the US with $6.18 billion in assets and 676,722 members.

5.80% 12-Month / 5.80% 17-Month CD at a California CU (The Golden 1) read and submit comments for this post

The Golden 1 Credit Union has started offering another great rate on its regular and IRA certificates.The new special has a yield of 5.80% APY for terms from 12 to 17 months. The minimum deposit is $1,000 for a regular certificate and $500 for an IRA.

Last week The Golden 1 started offering a 6% APY 60-month and a 5.50% APY 9-month CD. These are still available.

Field of membership includes those who live or work in one of many counties of California. The FOM also has a long list of eligible employers. See site for details.

Branches are located throughout the state of California including the cities of Sacramento, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Modesto, Napa, Oakland, San Francisco, Fresno and Jackson.

The Golden 1 Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 61650). It's one of the largest credit unions in the US with $6.18 billion in assets and 676,722 members.

5.55% 5-Month CD at an Illinois Bank Plus iPod nano or $200 Checking Account Bonus (Evergreen Private Bank) read and submit comments for this post

Evergreen Private Bank has a promotion with several good deals. These include:

• iPod nano or $200 credit for opening a Cornerstone Checking account with direct deposit. Must maintain balance above $0 or a $10 monthly fee is assessed. $150 fee applies if closed within 6 months.
• 5.00% APY checking account with minimum $15K balance, 4.00% APY with $10K min and 3.00% with a $1K min. No interest for balances under $1K.
• 5.75% APY money market account for balances over $25K for the first 3 months. After 3 months the rate falls to the standard rate (currently 5.25% APY). $50 fee applies if closed within 6 months.
• 5.55% 5-month CD with a minimum deposit of $10K

I'm not sure about the $0 balance requirement to avoid the $10 fee. This seems like it might be a typo. I just cut-and-pasted this detail from the promo page. You may want to check with the bank on this. Another nice perk is that the bank will reimburse your ATM surcharges on all ATMs for up to $20 per month.

Evergreen Private Bank is located in Oak Brook which is in the suburbs of Chicago. Main phone # is (630) 413-9580 and the toll free # is (888) 505-BANK. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 35230).

Thanks to the reader who mentioned this promotion in the comments of the finding deals post.

6.14% 9-Month CD at a Virginia CU (Bronco) read and submit comments for this post

Bronco FCU is offering a special 6.14% APY 9-month certificate. The minimum deposit is $100. A new checking account is required. It's scheduled to last until 8/17/07. This special isn't listed on the credit union's website. A reader emailed me info on this, and I contacted the credit union for further info via its online chat service. They do have a free checking account with no minimum balance or monthly fees.

Membership is open to those who live, work, worship, or attend school in the Virginia counties Isle of Wight and Southampton, and the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. See their membership page for further details.

Branches are located in Franklin and Emporia, Virginia. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 4616). It has $160.7 million in assets and 14,146 members.

Thanks to the reader who emailed me info on this special.

$150 Checking Account Bonus at Amalgamated Bank read and submit comments for this post

Update 10/11/07: Promotion has been extended to 12/31/07.

Amalgamated Bank is offering up to $150 cash bonus for the following: $75 for opening a free checking account and starting direct deposit in the first 3 months, $25 for signing up for a debit card and making 3 purchases in the first 3 months, $25 for enrolling in online banking and paying 3 bills online in the first 3 months, and $25 for opening a CD or a savings account. The offer code is 0507, and the promotion ends 8/31/07. The promo page (pdf) is on their home page.

I called their toll-free number at 1-866-290-3246, and the banking rep said that you can apply for accounts online. In the application there's a field for the promo code. I was told that people from any state are eligible. You do have to mail in the signature card and copies of your ID. The banking rep said that they do a ChexSystem verification when you apply, but she didn't think a hard credit pull was done.

Details of the accounts are available at this page. The Standard Checking and the Statement Savings Account have no minimum deposit or balance requirements and no monthly fees. The savings account rate is low, so you definitely don't want to make this your main savings account. According to the FAQ page, the first 50 checks are provided free.

I last reported on this bank in the spring when they were having a 5.50% CD promotion.

You can also open this checking account at one of their branches which are located in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC and in Pasadena, California. The bank has been FDIC insured since 1934.

Credit for this find goes to FW member bigpoppabear who posted the promo info on this FW thread.

5.55% 12-Month CD at a Tennessee/Virginia CU (Appalachian Community) read and submit comments for this post

Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union is offering a 5.55% APY 12-month certificate. The minimum deposit is $500. It's available as both a regular and IRA certificate. There's also a 5.59% APY 6-month IRA certificate. The APY for the 6-month regular CD is 5.45% APY. See rate table.

Membership is open to those who live, worship, work, attend school in the Tennessee county of Carter, Hawkins, Sullivan, Unicoli or Washington or in the Virginia county of Scott, Washington, or Wise. See their membership page for more details. Membership requires a $1 membership fee and a minimum deposit of $5 into the regular share savings account.

Branches are located in Kingsport, Johnson City and Rogersville, TN and in Norton, VA. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 24495). It has $99.2 million in assets and 12,337 members.

Earn Up to $100 in PNC Bank's Checking Account Promotion read and submit comments for this post

PNC Bank is offering up to $100 in cash rewards for opening a personal checking account and for making Visa check card purchases and online bill payments. To earn the maximum $100 will require some work. PNC will pay you $1 for qualifying purchases made using your PNC Bank Visa Check Card and completed online bill payments made through October 31, 2007. You must be a new PNC Bank personal checking customer, and you must open the checking account by July 31, 2007. Here's the promotional page link.

Free Checking qualifies for this promo. This requires a minimum $25 initial deposit. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Bill Pay is free. I was told by the banking rep that the first 30 checks are free.

I was told by the CSR that you must apply online for this promotion, and it's available to people in any state. Branches are located in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 6384).

[Edit 11:00am, Commenter noted a previous PNC checking promotion in which PNC required a branch visit for the promo. You might want to get confirmation with a PNC rep before applying.]

2.75% Reward Checking Account at a Massachusetts Bank (Southbridge Savings) read and submit comments for this post

Update 9/07/09: The top yield has fallen to 2.75% APY. Refer to the bottom of the post for the rate history.

Southbridge Savings Bank has started a reward checking account it calls Key Rewards Checking. It pays 2.75% APY on balances up to $50K (1.00% for over) and offers refunds of all ATM fees if the typical reward checking requirements are met: 1) 10 debit card POS transactions per statement period, 2) automatic withdrawal/deposit or electronic payment, and 3) receiving statements electronically. If these requirements are not met, the rate falls to 0.10%. Minimum deposit to open the account is $25. There are no balance requirements or monthly fees regardless of meeting the above conditions. Online bill pay is free.

It appears likely to require a branch visit to open this reward checking account. Branches are located in Massachusetts cities of Southbridge, Charlton, Holden, Sturbridge and Worcester. They also have branches in Big Y Supermarkets in several other cities. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 23524).

Other Reward Checking Accounts

For other reward checking accounts in other parts of the country, please see my reward checking account page. I also list a few reward checking accounts without geographical restrictions in my best checking account post.

Rate History:
08/25/09: 2.75% APY up to $50K
07/24/09: 3.00% APY up to $50K
01/22/09: 3.25% APY up to $50K; 1.00% APY over $50K; 0.10% if requirements are not met
12/24/08: 3.75% APY up to $50K; 1.50% APY over $50K; 0.25% if requirements are not met
07/15/08: 4.00% APY up to $50K
03/31/08: 4.25% APY up to $50K
07/20/07: 6.01% APY up to $50K; 2.01% APY over $50K; 0.51% if requirements are not met

5.55% 18-Month CD at a Delaware Bank (Community Bank Delaware) read and submit comments for this post

Community Bank Delaware is offering a special 5.55% APY 18-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $500. They also have a decent 3.05% checking account special.

Branches are located in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It's a new bank that was established in 2006. It's FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 58311).

5.50% 10-Month CD at a California CU - $90K (San Diego County) read and submit comments for this post

San Diego County Credit Union has a decent certificate special with a yield of 5.45% APY and a term of 10 months. Also, there's a special 5.30% APY certificate with a term of 5 months. The minimum deposit is $10,000. For a minimum deposit of $90K, the yields are 5.50% APY and 5.35% APY. These are also available as an IRA certificate.

Field of membership includes all who live or work in San Diego, Riverside or Orange County. See their new-account page for more details on eligibility. Membership requires a minimum deposit of $50 into the Primary Savings account.

Branches are located throughout Southern California. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 61004). It's a large credit union that has grown a lot since my January post. Total assets are at $3.8 billion (up from $3.5), and there's now 181,823 members (up from 176,799).

AmTrustDirect Money Market Account Can Now Be Opened with $1 read and submit comments for this post

AmTrustDirect lowered the minimum deposit to open its e-Money Market Account from $1,000 to $1. For those who already have an account, this shouldn't change anything since AmTrustDirect already had no minimum balance requirements after initial funding.

The rate remains the same at 5.36% APY. AmTrustDirect has done a good job at maintaining top rates. The 5.36% APY has lasted since mid February. The account is nearing its one-year anniversary. Here's the rate history in the last year:

• 5.36% APY 2/15/07 to present
• 5.30% APY 9/27/06 to 2/14/07
• 5.26% APY 9/08/06 to 9/26/06
• 5.15% APY 8/17/06 to 9/07/06

So for those who may be getting tired of rate chasing, you may want to consider this account. AmTrustDirect's FAQs are fairly extensive. One issue not mentioned in the FAQ is that they do a hard credit pull via Equifax when you apply. They do have a decent ACH system. Readers have reported transfers completing within a day. You can link up to 6 checking or savings accounts. You can also initiate transfers from your outside bank account, however, a reader has reported that such withdrawals are limited to 3 per month. ACH withdrawals initiated at AmTrustDirect are limited to 6 (per Federal law).

Many readers have been happy with AmTrustDirect, however, it should be noted that some readers have reported problems with customer service, with the website and with ACH glitches. The ACH glitch caused many transfer requests to be posted twice. AmTrustDirect apologized and reimbursed customers who were hit with fees due to this error. However, some readers reported problems getting fully compensated.

AmTrustDirect is a division of AmTrust Bank which is FDIC insured. A few months ago, AmTrust Bank became the new name for Ohio Savings Bank. Consequently, AmTrust Bank isn't listed in Bankrate's database. Ohio Savings Bank's rating at Bankrate has gone down since last year. Based on March 31st data, it has a 2 out of 5 star safe-and-sound rating (below peer group).

My Previous AmTrustDirect posts: Feb 2007 - Money Market hits 5.36%, Sept 2006 - Money Market hits 5.30%, Aug 2006 - Review of Money Market Account.

Thanks to the reader who commented on this account change.

Update 8/22/07: e-Money Market yield drops to 5.31% APY (see post).

6.00% 6-Month / 5.50% 15-Month CD at a Florida Bank (Old Cypress Community) read and submit comments for this post

Update: Rates have gone down. Please check with the bank for the latest rates.

Old Cypress Community Bank is having a grand opening special at its Winter Haven branch in which they're offering a 6.00% APY 6-month CD. The minimum deposit is $1,000, and the maximum is $100K. A checking account or savings account with a minimum $100 deposit is required. Without the checking or savings account, the yield is 5.75% APY. This isn't listed on the website. I found it advertised, and called the bank for further info. They weren't sure how long it would be offered. Note, it's only available at their Winter Haven Branch. They also have a 5.50% APY 15-month CD special and a 5% 5-month CD special (see their CD page). These specials are available at all of their branches.

In addition to Winter Haven, branches are also located in Clewiston and LaBelle. The bank has been FDIC insured since 1937 (FDIC Certificate # 28864).

[Update 7/20/07: A reader provided some more details: These special products are only available for Polk County residents. Florida ID is required to open an account. Customer must be present in order to open an account.]

$90 Checking Account Bonus at a Massachusetts CU (Telephone Workers') read and submit comments for this post

Telephone Workers' Credit Union has a checking account promotion with a $90 bonus for opening a Free Benefits Checking Account with direct deposit. A minimum deposit of $5 is required. The $90 bonus will be deposited into your Free Benefits Checking Account after your first direct deposit. Offer expires 8/31/07. They also are having a HELOC promotion.

Field of membership includes anyone who lives, works, or attends school in one of dozens of towns in the Greater Boston area or in one of several neighborhoods inside Boston. See the membership page for the full details. Membership requires a minimum $5 deposit into the share savings account.

Branches are located in Boston, Braintree and Stoneham, MA. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 67541). It has $527.3 million in assets and 27,101 members.

$90 Checking Account Bonus at an Iowa Bank (Bankers Trust) read and submit comments for this post

Bankers Trust has a $90 VISA check card bonus for their Direct Checking account. This checking account requires that you either have one direct deposit OR 2 ACH debits per statement period. The bonus requires that you keep the account opened for one year or the value of the bonus will be debited. There no minimum deposit or balance requirements. This special isn't listed on the bank's website. A reader mentioned it in the comments, and I called today (800-362-1688) for additional information.

I was told by the banking rep that bill pay is free but only if used at least once a month. Another downside is that there are no free checks, not even the first order. ChexSystem is used in the application, but the banking rep wasn't sure about a hard credit pull. This promo is available at all of the bank's branches (a branch visit is required).

Branches are located in the Des Moines metro area. It's FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 953). The bank also has a branch in Cedar Rapids with separate FDIC insurance (FDIC Certificate # 57484).

Thanks to dayshad who mentioned this special in the comments of the finding deals post.

5.70% 30-Month CD at an Illinois Bank (Belvidere) read and submit comments for this post

Belvidere Bank is offering a promotional 5.70% APY 30-month CD. The minimum deposit is $10,000. This doesn't seem to be listed at the bank's website. A reader left a comment on this deal, and I just called the bank (815-544-2400) for additional details. I was told there are no checking account or new money requirements. It is available at all of their branches. A branch visit is required. You can also open this CD in an IRA. I was told that rates are updated every Tuesday so this rate should last at least until next Tuesday.

Branches are located in north Illinois about 40 miles northwest of Chicago. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 900)

Thanks to the reader who mentioned this CD in the comments of the finding deals post.

5.59% 9-Month / 5.59% 12-Month CD at a Kansas/Missouri Bank (SolutionsBank) read and submit comments for this post

SolutionsBank is offering a special 5.59% APY certificate of deposit with terms of 9, 10, 11 and 12 months. The minimum deposit is $10,000. It doesn't seem to be listed at the bank's website. A reader emailed me info on this based on an ad on page D5 of Sunday's Kansas City Star paper. I just called their Overland Park branch (913-851-1000) for further information. No checking account is required. A branch visit is required at one of their Kansas City metro area branches.

The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 4731).

Thanks to the reader who emailed me info on this CD.

5.55% 12-Month / 5.45% 9-Month CD at a DC Bank (Washington First) read and submit comments for this post

Washington First Bank has two promotional CDs: 5.55% APY 12-month and a 5.45% APY 9-month. The minimum deposit is $5,000. The 5.55% CD requires that you also open a money market account with a minimum of $2,500. The 5.45% CD doesn't require this. This special doesn't seem to be listed at the bank's website. A reader emailed me info on this deal he received from an ad on page D4 of July 17th Washington Post. I called the number in the ad (703-421-6900) for more information. I was told that this just started yesterday so it should last for at least a couple of weeks. It is available at all of the bank's branches.

Branches are located in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. The bank was established in 2004, and it's FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 57696).

Thanks to the reader who emailed me info on this. Other decent deals he mentioned in the DC area is a 5.45% APY 9-month CD that requires a checking with $1K at Virginia Commerce Bank and a 5.35% APY 11-month CD at Acacia FSB.

Flagstar's New Online 5.30% Money Market Account read and submit comments for this post

Update 12/16/09: The yield has plummeted from 1.09% to 0.50% APY. Please see below for the rate history.

Update 11/02/09: Flagstar has a new internet bank website at FlagstarDirect.com..

Flagstar just started a new online money market account called the Express Money Market Account. It offers a 5.30% APY on all balances with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. The main feature that sets this apart from most other online savings accounts is the check writing with free checks for life. So it's in the same league as what is offered by GMAC Bank (see post) or by Zions Bank (see post). Some advantages over what GMAC offers includes no minimum balances (GMAC has a $500 minimum) and free checks for life (GMAC just provides the first 50 free). There are similar advantages over Zions' money market account. Another close competitor is Capital One's High Yield Money Market, but the current yield on this is only 4.75% APY (see post).

The main disadvantage when compared to GMAC is Flagstar's ACH transfer service. I was told by the customer service that Flagstar limits inbound and outbound transfers to $5K per month and $2K per day. So for those who plan to put large balances in this, you'll want to link this with your other online accounts and initiate transfers from those accounts. I was told they wouldn't block such ACH transfers.

Below are the main features of Flagstar's Express Money Market Account from the Flagstar's learn-more page and from my conversation with the customer service rep. The features told to me by the customer service rep are labeled with CSR. If you notice other important features or find discrepancies, please mention them in the comments.

• No minimum balance or fees
• Free checks for life
• Limit of 3 checks per month and a total of 6 non-ATM withdrawals (per federal law)
• Visa Debit Card
• Free ATM usage at Allpoint and certain Presto! ATMs. No fee reimbursements on other ATMs.
• Online statement only
• Free postage-paid deposits envelopes
• Account can be funded by free wire transfer or by check
• Wire transfers after initial one costs $10 for inbound, $20 for outbound (CSR)
• After you complete the online application, you must send in a signature card (CSR)
• They allow beneficiaries on the account (write them on signature card if it's not in application) (CSR)
• ACH system for making transfers to and from other banks available after account is established (CSR)
• ACH transfers are free with up to 5 linked bank accounts allowed (Update 11/12/09: 5 limit is based on CSR. Used to be unlimited)
• Limit of $5K/month and $2K/day on next-day Premium ACH transfers initiated at Flagstar, Limit of $25K/month and $15K/day on 3-day Standard ACH transfers (Update 11/12/09: Limited during first 90 days to $5K/mo and $2K/day according to CSR)
• No blocks or dollar limits on ACH transfer initiated at other banks ( CSR)
• Update 6/14/09: Reader has reported that the speed of the ACH transfers are slow. If you don't submit the transfer request on Monday, it'll drag out over the weekend and you're lose 4 to 7 days of interest during the transfer
• Transunion is used in application. CSR was not sure if it's hard or soft pull. Update 6/1/08: A reader has reported that there were 2 hard pulls in the application.

The ACH transfer limits are a big downside, but for those who intend to maintain relatively small balances it may be worth it for the free checks and the lack of minimum balance requirements. Capital One comes close on features, but not on the yield. Of course we'll have to wait and see if Flagstar's rates will remain competitive. Another potential competitor is Salem Five Direct's eOne checking account which offers unlimited check writing, but it has a lower rate for small deposits (5% APY) and no free checks for life (see post).

Flagstar currently operates banking centers in Michigan, Indiana and Georgia. Like many other regional banks, Flagstar seems intent to be a national player in the online banking market. I noticed a few weeks ago that they've been offering CDs online. They currently have a competitive rate of 5.40% APY on a 1-year CD (CD product page).

One little thing I appreciate is that Flagstar created the website for this new online money market account under their official domain name www.flagstar.com so there's no question about its legitimacy. The URL www.flagstar.com is listed at the FDIC's Flagstar page.

Edit 6/14/09: Added info on ACH speeds based on reader's comments.
Edit 9/22/07: Updated ACH transfer limits based on reader's comments.

Rate History
12/16/09: Rate has dropped from 1.09% to 0.50% APY
12/08/09: Rate has dropped from 1.60% to 1.09% APY
12/05/09: Rate has dropped from 1.70% to 1.60% APY
11/28/09: Rate has dropped from 1.80% to 1.70% APY
07/22/09: Rate has dropped from 1.90% to 1.81% APY
06/13/09: Rate has dropped from 1.91% to 1.90% APY
06/10/09: Rate has dropped from 2.00% to 1.91% APY
06/04/09: Rate has dropped from 2.20% to 2.00% APY
05/01/09: Rate has dropped from 2.30% to 2.20% APY
04/10/09: Rate has dropped from 2.41% to 2.30% APY
03/14/09: Rate has dropped from 2.65% to 2.40% APY
02/28/09: Rate has dropped from 2.75% to 2.65% APY
02/21/09: Rate has dropped from 3.00% to 2.75% APY
01/16/09: Rate has dropped from 3.55% to 3.00% APY.
07/25/08: Rate has gone up from 3.50% to 3.66% APY
06/01/08: Rate has dropped from 3.65% to 3.50% APY.
03/20/08: Rate has dropped from 3.90% to 3.65% APY.
03/20/08: Rate has dropped from 4.00% to 3.90% APY.
03/13/08: Rate has dropped from 4.25% to 4.00% APY.
02/07/08: Rate has dropped from 4.40% to 4.25% APY.
01/27/08: Rate has dropped to 4.65% APY.
09/28/07: Rate has dropped to 5.10% APY.

2.00% Reward Checking Account at a California CU (Southland) read and submit comments for this post

Update 6/07/09: The top yield has fallen to 2.00% APY. Refer to the bottom of the post for the rate history.

Southland Credit Union is offering a reward checking account it calls Super Checking that offers 2.00% APY on balances up to $50,000 and up to $20/month ATM fee reimbursements if the typical reward checking requirements are met: 1) 10 check card transactions per month, 2) make one ePay, or ACH credit or debit transaction per month from your Super Checking Account, and 3) receive eStatements. If these requirements are not met, the rate falls to 0.10%. There are no monthly fees or balance requirements regardless of meeting the above conditions.

Membership is open to those who live, work, attend school, or worship in; Orange County, Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Lakewood, Norwalk, Long Beach, Paramount, Santa Fe Springs, and Signal Hill. See the credit union's membership page for the full details. Membership requires a $25 minimum deposit into the Primary savings account. This $25 minimum deposit and balance can be waived if a new member chooses to pay a $15 new member entrance fee.

Branches are located in Los Angeles, Los Alamitos and Downey, California. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 68415). It has $387.8 million in assets and 31,435 members.

Thanks to the reader calwatch who mentioned this new reward checking in the comments of the finding deals post.

Other Reward Checking Accounts

For other reward checking accounts in other parts of the country, please see my reward checking account page and my best checking account post.

Update 3/31/08: A balance cap of $50,000 seemed to have been added when the rate went down. This cap is shown in the deposit rate table.

Rate History:
06/01/09: 2.00% APY up to $50K
05/03/09: 2.50% APY up to $50K
03/03/09: 3.00% APY up to $50K
01/02/09: 4.00% APY up to $50K, 0.10% if requirements are not met
04/01/08: 3.00% APY up to $50K
03/01/08: 4.50% APY, no balance cap
07/17/07: 5.25% APY, no balance cap, 0.25% if requirements are not met

6.00% 60-Month CD at an Ohio Credit Union (CES) read and submit comments for this post

CES Credit Union is offering a 6.00% APY 60-month. The minimum deposit is $500 (see rate table). The certificate page does a good job at providing all of the details. Dividends are paid each calendar quarter and at maturity. The dividends can be paid by check, transfered to another account or compounded back to the certificate. The early withdrawal penalty for terms over one year is 6 months of interest.

Membership is open to those who live, work, worship or attend school in either Knox, Delaware or Licking counties of central Ohio. See the credit union's membership page for the full details. Membership requires a minimum deposit of $5 into the share savings account.

Branches are located in Mount Vernon, Delaware, Loudonville and Utica, Ohio. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 62352). It has $102 million in assets and 18,067 members.

New Government Website for Banking Questions and Complaints read and submit comments for this post

Reuters just reported on a new government website started by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) at helpwithmybank.gov that provides answers to many basic banking questions and describes the procedure to file a complaint against a National Bank. It only covers National Banks since these are the only banks chartered and regulated by the OCC. Regulators for other banks and credit unions are listed on this page.

The FAQ page has a few useful answers. The most interesting for me is the page on bank account errors. For those who had problems with ACH errors at banks, you might want to read over this. Seems like the rules are in favor of the banks in many cases. For example, if a deposit was credited to your account by mistake, the bank is allowed to freeze the account. If you're actively using your account, this could be a major issue. Also, if you have made a cash deposit and the bank claims it was never made, the bank is not required to honor the deposit even if you have the receipt.

There's also a few useful bits of info in the CD FAQ. I didn't know that Federal law stipulates a minimum penalty on an early withdrawal of CDs. If you withdraw an amount within the first six days after a CD, the penalty consists of at least seven days' simple interest. Another important point mentioned is that there's no law that requires banks to pay interest during the grace period of a CD.

5.45% 10-Month Add-On CD at WaMu in Several States read and submit comments for this post

Washington Mutual is offering a 5.45% APY 10-month certificate of deposit. The minimum deposit is $1,000. It has an add-on feature that allows you to make additional deposits up to the amount of the initial deposit. The additional deposits must be at least $100. New money is required, and it requires that you have a WaMu checking account. This special is not listed at the bank's website. It's being advertised in several newspapers. The ad is available online here.

According to the ad, it's available in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and California. However, I called WaMu today, and I was told it's also available in Oregon and Washington State. The banking rep also said this promotion is scheduled to end on August 2nd. It's not available online. You have to open at a WaMu financial center or by calling 1-866-808-1396.

If you think this is too much of a hassle, WaMu also has a pretty good deal on its online CDs. They're offering 5.35% APY on all terms from 6 to 60 months.

If you need to open a WaMu checking account, make sure you get their Free Checking (see post), and if you're going to open this Free Checking, you may want to consider also opening their 5% Savings Account (see post). If you sign up for both online, you get the 5% APY on the savings account and the monthly fee waiver. This is stated in the WaMu checking application page.

Washington Mutual is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 32633).

Thanks to the reader who mentioned this certificate special in the comments of the finding deals post.

5.65% 30-Month / 5.60% 18-Month CD at a TN/AR/MS Credit Union (American Savings) read and submit comments for this post

American Savings Credit Union is having a CD special with some high rates. The certificate rates include a 5.65% APY for 30 months, a 5.60% APY for 18 months and 5.40% APY for 12 months. All have a $50K minimum deposit requirement. There's also a 5.50% APY 18-month CD and a 5.30% APY 12-month CD with only a $1K minimum deposit. The 18-month CDs have a one time bump up option.

Field of membership includes those who live, work, worship or attend school in the Tennessee counties of Memphis and Shelby, in the Arkansas county of Crittenden, or in the Mississippi county of Tunica. Please see the credit union's eligibility page for the full details. Membership requires a $5 membership fee and a minimum deposit of $5 into the savings account. The eligibility page also states that there are no credit checks when you open an account. It's nice to see that this credit union seems to be aware of people's concerns over hard credit pulls.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 68275). It has $53.0 million in assets and 17,701 members.

Capital One $50 Bonus for its Cash Back Credit Card read and submit comments for this post

Capital One is offering a $50 bonus after the first purchase when you sign up for its 1% Cash Rewards credit card. Here's the promotional page link. To receive your $50 statement credit, you must use your card to make a purchase by December 31, 2007. The credit will be made on your statement within 8-12 weeks of your first purchase.

In addition to the 1% cash back, you can earn an extra 25% on the cash you've earned at the end of the year. So this can make it into a 1.25% cash back. Few other nice features of the cash back include: no limit on the cash back, it won't expire for the life of your account, and you can request the cash-back reward whenever you want. The one downside is that CapOne does a hard credit pull from all three credit bureaus (according to a few people in this FW thread).

For those in Central Texas, Capital One still has a good deal on a free checking account with a guaranteed 5% APY for 1 year (see post).

$50 New Member Bonus at a Patelco Credit Union Branch Near Sacramento read and submit comments for this post

Patelco Credit Union is offering new members a $50 gas card when you open any savings account and any new checking account. Current members can earn a $50 gas card by referring a new member. This offer is only available at Patelco's Roseville branch near Sacramento. Accounts must remain open for 30 days for the bonus to be valid. The offer ends 8/11/07.

Patelco often has many deals available to all of its members. Last week I posted on its 5.50% APY CD special and other deals. For more info on those deals and membership into Patelco, please see that post.

An important issue about Patelco is that it is NOT federally insured by the NCUA. It's privately insured by American Share Insurance (ASI) for up to $250K per account. For more discussion on this issue, please see this post.

$75 Checking Account Bonus at Guaranty Bank in Texas read and submit comments for this post

Guaranty Bank is offering a $75 bonus for opening a checking account with direct deposit. Any of its personal checking accounts qualify. This special doesn't seem to be listed at the bank's website. It is advertised in the Houston Chronicle. The ad is available online here. The special looks like it may only be honored at the Windermere Lakes branch. Bonus will be automatically deposited into the checking account within 60 days of the first direct deposit. The checking account must remain open with active direct deposit for at least 6 months. The offer is valid through 8/24/07.

Guaranty Bank does offer a free checking account with no monthly service charges. The first order of 50 checks is free. It has a minimum opening deposit of $100.

Branches are located throughout Texas and California. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 32618).

6.17% 50-Month / 5.64% 20-Month CD at a New York CU (CFCU Community) read and submit comments for this post

CFCU Community Credit Union continues to offer a certificate promotion with several high rates. For a 50 term the yields include 6.17% APY, 5.90% APY and 5.64% APY for minimum deposits of $100K, $25K and $500. For a 10 or 20 month term, the yields include 5.64% APY, 5.51% APY and 5.38% APY for minimum deposits of $100K, $25K and $500. The rates are also available in an IRA. The Premier Checking is required for these rates. The Premier Checking has a $500 minimum to avoid fees, but it does require direct deposit. These special certificate rates are also available in an IRA. This offer is available through 8/31/07. I had first reported on these promotoional CDs in February.

Field of membership includes anyone who lives, works or attends school in Tompkins or Cortland Counties. See the how-to-join page for more details. Membership requires a $10 membership fee and a minimum deposit of $5 into the share savings account.

Branches are located in Ithaca and Cortland, New York. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 68322). It has $424.4 million in assets and 56,695 members.

5.61% 12-Month and 36-Month CDs at Statebank of India - New York ($95K+) read and submit comments for this post

Statebank of India has increased the rates on its CDs since my last report in May. The best rates require a minimum $95K deposit. The yields include a 5.61% APY for a 12 and 36-month CD, a 5.56% APY for a 6-month CD and a 5.51% APY for a 2 and 5-year CD. Lower rates are available for a minimum of $50K and a minimum of $5K. These CDs are offered through the bank's New York branch and can be opened by mail. They also have a money market account that can be useful to receive interest payments or when the CD matures.

I first reported on this bank in November 2005. They have often had competitive CD rates and have advertised on Bankrate.com. The bank is FDIC insured (FDIC Certificate # 33682).

5.66% 12-Month / 5.66% 24-Month CD at a Texas CU (River City) read and submit comments for this post

River City FCU is offering 12, 18 and 24-month share certificates with a yield up to 5.66% APY for deposits of $90K and above. The yields for minimum deposits of $50K and $500 are 5.51% APY and 5.40% APY.

Membership is open to persons who live, work, worship, or attend school in Bexar County, Texas. See the eligibility page for more details. Membership requires a minimum deposit of $5 into the regular savings account.

Branches are located in San Antonio, Texas. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 926. It has $122.4 million in assets and 11,573 members.

5.75% 8-Month CD at a South Florida CU (BrightStar) read and submit comments for this post

BrightStar Credit Union is offering a special 8-month certificate with a yield of up to 5.75% APY with direct deposit. Without direct deposit, the yield is 5.55% APY. The minimum deposit is $500. It's also available in an IRA.

Field of membership includes anyone who lives, works or attends school in Broward or Palm Beach County, Florida. See the Join-Us page for more details.

Branches are located in Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Lauderhill, Margate and Pembroke Pines. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA (Charter # 67347). It has $284.0 million in assets and 36,320 members.

7.00% 7-Month CD at a California CU - $2.5K Max (1st United Services). read and submit comments for this post

1st United Services Credit Union is offering a 7.00% APY 7-month share certificate at its new Castro Valley branch from June 16th through July 21st. The minimum deposit is $1,000, and the maximum is $2,500 per member. A checking account is required. Note, this is only available at the Castro Valley branch. This special doesn't seem to be listed at the credit union's website. It's being advertised in a California newspaper. The ad is available online here.

The $2,500 deposit cap hurts the deal. You'll earn about $29 over what you would earn in a 5% account. This credit union had some good Jumbo CD deals in January, but these have ended.

The field of membership includes anyone who lives, regularly works, attends school, or worships in the California counties of Alameda, Contra Costa or Kings. There also many employers in their select employers group in which you can be eligible to join including the US Armed Forces in Nevada. See site for details.

The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA. It has $677 million in assets and 57,367 members.

Bank Deals Weekly Summary for July 14, 2007 read and submit comments for this post

Quick Link for Rates

This was another quiet week in the online savings account market. UFB Direct changed the tiers on their new Absolute Savings Account. It now matches the old High Yield Money Market Savings Account, with all tiers yielding 5.31% APY (see post).

It's now down to just over two months left in the 6% FNBO Direct promo. Before the promo, FNBO Direct was offering 5.25% APY. If it can continue this after the promo, it may still be worthwhile to open. Many have reported problems and delays in the application. One alternative is Everbank's 6% checking or money market promotion (see post). If you're still interested in FNBO Direct, please se my account review post or this page which has all of my FNBO Direct posts.

CD Rates Update

There were some upward movements on CD rates this week. However, it may not last. This week the dollar fell to a record low against the euro on speculation that we'll see a weaker economy later this year (see Bloomberg article). If more signs point to a slowing economy, rates will likely fall. But for last week, some decent CD deals came up. VirtualBank did a major rate bump on its 12-month CD. The yield is now at 5.55% APY (see post). For those looking for longer term CDs, E-LOAN raised its 60-month CD this week to 5.60% APY. It also has 5.50% APY on its 18 and 24 and 48 month CDs.

The high long term rates at Northrop Grumman FCU and Western FCU dropped again this week. They're still very competitive (60 month term at 5.64% APY), but they're down quite a bit from early June when the top rates were around 6% APY.

For those who prefer to stick with the large banks, Washington Mutual just started offering 5.35% APY on all of the terms on its online CDs (see WaMu CD page). I have more info on these online CDs here. Every so often, WaMu offers some decent rates on these CDs. Another major bank that started offering a 5.35% APY CD this week is Citibank. It's offering this special 7-month CD at its financial centers in several states. Unlike WaMu it requires a checking account. See Dallas ad for more info.

Local CD Deals - Still a Few 7% CDs

Many of the 7% CD deals that I reported on last week have ended. Three are still active, and two of these have no maximum deposit cap. Pinal County FCU in Arizona has one without a cap. It's a 7% APY 7-month CD, but you'll have to hurry. It's scheduled to end this Tuesday (see post). The other one without cap I had first reported on 10 days ago. It's in Oregon at Clackamas Community FCU, and they're offering a 7.79% APY 5-month CD (see post). The third one is from Chartway FCU. This is the one with a deposit cap ($7K). However, members can extend the cap up to $21K with new-member referrals. Membership in Chartway is available to people in several states, so there's a better chance you may be eligible for this (see post).

If you're unable to participate in these 7% CD deals, a few new 6% CD deals came up this week. One might wonder why open a 6% CD when you can get 6% in a savings account. If the economy does slow, savings account rates will be the first to fall. If you open a CD before the rates start to fall, you'll be locked into the rate through the term of the CD. Some of the new 6% CD deals include 6% APY 60-month in California at The Golden 1 CU (see post) and 6.10% APY 18-month at a Florida Panhandle credit union (see post). Finally, Navy FCU is still offering a 6% APY 10-month CD. If you're lucky enough to have a Navy connection, you may be eligible to join (see post).

I posted on two more six-perent-plus local reward checking accounts this week. To see all of my latest posts on reward checking accounts, see this page, and for a list of the reward checking accounts along with the other top checking accounts, see my summary of the best checking accounts.

Thanks to all who have helped by leaving comments or sending emails on rate updates. Sorry I can't post on all of your suggestions.

The rates listed below are based on Annual Percentage Yield (APY). No minimum balances are required unless noted. MMA next to the rates indicate a money market account. Most MMAs have check writing and ATM cards. Online savings accounts usually lack both of these. The top lists include banks and credit unions with broad availability and with minimums around $10K or less. Previous weekly summaries are available for July 7th, Jun 30th, Jun 23rd, Jun 16th, Jun 9th, Jun 2nd, May 26th and May 19th.

Quick Links: Refer to the following links for the savings accounts and CDs that interest you: Liquid Account Rates: Savings Accounts, Special rates, Local checking/savings, Bank alternatives CD Rates: 3 Mo CDs, 6 Mo CDs, 9 Mo CDs, 12 Mo CDs, 18 Mo CDs, 24 Mo CDs, 36 Mo CDs, 48 Mo CDs, 60 Mo CDs, 84 Mo CDs, CDs by state Comments: read and discuss

As of July 14, 2007

Checking/Savings/Money Market Accounts:

• Checking/Savings Account Bonuses
• The Best Checking Accounts

• FNBO Direct - 6.00% (until 9/28) my post
• AmTrustDirect - 5.36% ($1K min), my post
• BankUnited - 5.35% (min $5K), my post
• UFB Direct - 5.31%, my post
• OneUnited - 5.30% (min $1K), my post
• Zions Bank - 5.30% MMA, outside of Utah, (min $1K) (5.36% $50K+), my post
• iGobanking - 5.30%, my post
• GMAC Bank - 5.30% MMA (min $500), my post
• grand yield direct - 5.27% (min $2.5K) my post
• WTDirect - 5.26% ($10K min), my post
• Countrywide - 5.25% (min $10K), (5.40% $50K+) my post
• Presidential Bank - 5.25% (min $5K, only first $35K receives this rate), offers 4.50% checking, my post
• Transportation Alliance Bank - 5.25% (5.15% for MMA), ($25 min), my post
• E-LOAN - 5.25% ($5K min), my post
• Direct Huntington - 5.20% ($1K min), my post
• FirstFedDirect - 5.16% (min $1K) (closed to CA residents), my post
• Discover Bank - 5.14% MMA (min $10K)(5.30% for $50K+)
• Savings Square - 5.10%, my post
• Mutual Bank - 5.10% MMA (min $5K), my post
• Bank of America AAA/NEA - 5.06% MMA ($10K min) (5.33% for $50K+) my post
• Heartland Bank Direct - 5.05%, ($500 min), my post ($50 bonus)
• UnivestDirect - 5.05%, (4% checking), my post
• AmboyDirect - 5.05% (5.10% for $20K+), my post ($25 bonus)
• ETrade Bank - 5.05%, my post ($25 bonus)
• HSBC Direct - 5.05% ($50 related bonus) my post
• EmigrantDirect - 5.05%, my post
• EverBank - 5.01% ($1.5K min), 6.01% 3-mo promo, my post
• Citibank - 5.00%, requires checking account and bill pay usage, my post ($100 bonus)
• PFF Bank and Trust - 5.00% (min $1K), my post
• Indymac Bank - 5.00% ($10K min)
• ebank - 5.00% Checking ($2.5K min), my post
• Salem Five Direct - 5.00% Checking (5.20% $25K+), 6.10% 2-mo promo and $25 bonus, my post
• Washington Mutual - 5.00% (requires checking), my post
• CapitalOne/Costco - 5.00% MMA (min $5K, Costco members only, $50 deal for exec. members)
• UmbrellaBank.com - 4.95% MMA (min $1K), my post
• Tennessee Commerce Bank - 4.93% (min $10K), my post
• Corus Bank - 4.92% MMA (min $10K to open)
• Capital One - 4.75% (MMA has same rate, but with checks and ATM. $100 min.), my post
• MyBankingDirect - 4.75% MMA (min $5K), my post
• Self-Help Credit Union - 4.68% MMA (min $500), my post
• VirtualBank - 4.60% (min $100), (4.86% $50K+/ 5.13% $100K+) offers checking, my post ($20 bonus)
• GE Money - 4.50% (min $4K), (5.05% for $15K+), my post ($25 bonus)
• ING Direct - 4.50%, (4% checking), my post ($25 bonus)
• NetBank - 4.50% MMA ($500 min), 6-month intro rate, my post ($250 deal)
• M