Alliant Credit Union is the 8th largest credit union in the country and the largest credit union in Illinois. This institution was established in 1935 by 146 United Airline employees under the name the United Airlines Employees’ Credit Union. Headquartered in Chicago ever since and now called Alliant, the financial cooperative serves 450,000 members nationwide today.

Alliant is not only large, but it’s also impressively decorated with various awards including “MONEY’s Best Credit Union of 2019,” “Bankrate Best Credit Union of 2019,” and “Nerdwallet Best Banks 2019.” There are many ways to become an Alliant member and take advantage of good CD rates and superb savings options.

Alliant Credit Union CD Rates + Details

Alliant Credit Union offers 6 standard CDs (certificates of deposit) with terms ranging from 12 months to 5 years.

All CDs come with a minimum deposit requirement of $1,000.

Alliant Credit Union CDs are federally insured by the NCUA (FDIC equivalent for credit unions) up to $250,000.

CD Rates

To put these yields into perspective, the national average for a 12 month CD and a 60 month CD sit at just 1.07% APY and 1.09% APY, respectively, according to FDIC data.

That said, some online bank CDs are starting to creep above 4.50% APY and 4.75% APY for the same respective terms.

Compounding and Crediting Interest

Interest is both compounded and credited back to the deposit account monthly.

Grace Period and Early Withdrawal Penalties

Upon the maturity of your Alliant Credit Union CD, you are provided a 7-day “grace period” in which you may modify your CD or close it out. If nothing is done during this 7 day window your CD will automatically renew with the same term and the going APY at that time.

If you need funds from your CD prior to its maturity you will incur an early withdrawal fee. Early withdrawal fees are as follows:

If you have a 24 month certificate and have to withdraw after 120 days of opening, for example, you will be charged 120 days’ interest—the total interest your account would have earned—but still receive your initial principal in full.

How to Open a CD

Opening an Alliant credit union certificate account is fairly simple and there are four ways to do it:

1. Online
2. Call (800) 328-1935
3. Mail in a ​certificate application
4. In person at the Alliant branch

Other Savings Accounts Offered By Alliant Credit Union

Alliant Credit Union has three different savings accounts:

1. high-rate savings account,
2. supplemental savings account, and
3. kids savings account.

The ​high-rate savings account​ is your share in Alliant and is opened automatically when you become an Alliant member.

A high-rate savings account requires a minimum opening deposit of just $5—which Alliant pays for you—and a minimum average daily balance of $100 to earn interest. Withdrawals from this account, which must be pre-authorized, may not exceed six per month, per savings account. There are no monthly fees when you elect for eStatements and no maximum balance limits. Paper account statements cost $1 each.

There is no real difference between a high-rate savings account and a supplemental savings account other than that supplemental savings accounts are in addition to the required high-rate savings account. A supplemental savings account also earns an APY of 0.60% and needs an average daily balance of $100 to accrue interest. You may open up to 19 supplemental savings accounts.

One nice perk of Alliant savings accounts is that they come with Alliant Savings ATM cards if you don’t already have an Alliant checking account debit card. This makes accessing funds a whole lot easier because cards can be used at any of 80,000+ Alliant-affiliated ATMs.

Finally, there is the ​kid savings account​. This, like the others, earns an APY of 0.60%. Unlike the others, it’s only for individuals 12 years old and younger. Joint ownership with a parent or guardian that is an Alliant member is required. Everything else is the same for this savings account.

About Alliant Credit Union + Eligibility

There are 450,000 Alliant members across the country. Alliant currently has over $11 billion in assets and $8.5 billion in loans.

As big as this credit union is, there is only one physical Alliant Credit Union branch and it is the headquarters location in Chicago. Other than that, there is no way to do in-person banking. Unfortunately, Alliant does not participate in shared or co-op branching with other credit unions, but it does give its members access to over ​80,000 surcharge-free ATMs​, some of these Alliant-owned and some shared with other credit unions.

Nearly anyone can qualify for membership with Alliant Credit Union because there are five eligibility requirements:

1. You are a current or retired employee of a business or organization in partnership with Alliant (search these ​here​).
2. Someone in your immediate family or your domestic partner is an Alliant member.
3. You live or work in a ​qualifying community​ around the Alliant headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.
4. You are a member of a ​qualifying organization.
5. You are a member of ​Foster Care to Success​ ($5 membership fee paid on your behalf by Alliant).

If you don’t otherwise qualify and choose to go the #5 route, all you have to do is show your support for Alliant’s partner charity, Foster Care to Success, by letting Alliant donate $5 under your name. Anyone can become a member this way. This nonprofit serves foster teens nearing the age limit of the foster care system by connecting them with educational and employment opportunities and resources.

The generous eligibility policies of Alliant make it possible for any U.S. citizen to join Alliant, but even ​non-U.S. residents​ can join as long as they have a valid Social Security number or unexpired ITIN.