Founded in 1935 in Wausau, Wisconsin, Connexus Credit Union got its start as an employee-only credit union serving individuals and families affiliated with Employers Mutual, which later became the insurance giant Liberty Mutual.

As with many credit unions that stand the test of time, Connexus Credit Union experienced growth through acquisition. Over the years they acquired a number of smaller credit unions that allowed them to broaden their membership eligibility to what it is today.

Today, Connexus Credit Union serves roughly 445,000 members in all 50 states with over $5.2 billion in total assets.

Connexus Credit Union has also been nationally recognized over the years for consistently offering high deposit rates on both variable and fixed rate accounts, as well as exemplary customer service.

In this review, we will focus on the fixed-rate CDs (certificates of deposit) offered by Connexus Credit Union as well as their variable rates savings accounts and money market accounts. To see if any of their deposit accounts are right for you, continue reading below.

Connexus Credit Union CD Rates + Account Details

Connexus Credit Union offers standard CDs and Jumbo CDs with terms ranging from 12 months to 5 years. Both types of CDs can be opened as standalone CDs or IRA CDs (Traditional or ROTH) and feature the same APY (annual percentage yield).

Connexus Credit Union’s deposit products are federally insured by the NCUA (FDIC equivalent for credit unions) up to $250,000 per depositor or $500,000 for joint accounts.

Standard CDs require a minimum deposit of $5,000 and jumbo CDs require a minimum deposit of $100,000.

CD Rates

To put these offers in perspective the current national average for a 12 month CD and a 60 month CD sit at just 1.54% APY and 1.37% APY, respectively, according to recent FDIC data.

The 15 month Special CD will automatically renew into a 12 month CD if nothing is done during the grace period.

Jumbo CD Rates

Jumbo CDs require a $100,000 minimum deposit to earn the advertised rate.

Grace Period and Early Withdrawal Fees

You’ll be given a 10 day grace period upon maturity of your deposit where you can either withdraw or deposit funds penalty free.

If you need to withdrawal money from this deposit prior to its maturity you will be subject to the following early withdrawal fees:

• For the 12 month certificate, you’ll pay 90 days’ worth of dividends.
• For the 24-month and 36-month certificates, you’ll pay 180 days’ worth of dividends.
• For the 60-month certificate, you’ll pay 365 days’ worth of dividends.

Money Market Account Rate + Details

Connexus Credit Union offers some highly competitive money market rates if you:

1. keep a high daily active balance in the account of $50,000 or more, and
2. have an active checking account with them, and
3. open a basic Regular Savings or Youth Savings account and fund it with at least $5.

Keeping an active checking account will likely be the hardest qualification to meet if you are new to Connexus Credit Union and already conduct checking elsewhere.

Connexus Credit Union defines an active checking account as a single checking account with Connexus under the same membership with:

• Direct Deposit of net pay, including salary, wages, government benefits, or pension made to the account each month;
• having ten (10) checks, ACH withdrawals, and/or debit card transactions clear the account by the last business day of each month;
• and electing to receive eStatements. ATM transactions not included.

Money Market Rates

To give the APYs above more context, the current national average for a money market account sits at just 0.57% APY currently, with the top yields from FDIC-insured online banks nearing the 5.00% APY mark.

The minimum deposit requirement for a money market account with Connexus credit union is $1,000. Interest is compounded monthly and credit monthly. There is no monthly maintenance fee associated with this account.

Outside of the checking account requirement there are a few other oddball rules tied to Connexus credit union’s money market accounts.

1. If you make a cash withdrawal it must be at least $250.
2. You may write checks with this account (if you order a box of checks for $16.90/100 checks), BUT you are allotted just three per month. Every check after the third will cost you $29.95 per check.

You can also only make a total of six transactions per month. This includes check, ACH, digital transfer or telephone transfer. This is par for the course for money market accounts and demand deposit accounts in general, per Federal Regulation D. If you need to get around these limits, you can make unlimited transactions through an ATM or at an in-person Connexus branch. Connexus is a part of a shared branch network featuring over 6,000 branch locations across the country.

Health Savings Account Rates + Details

Connexus Credit Union’s Health Savings Account features some of the most competitive rates in the country currently if you can maintain a balance of $5,000 or more.

A HSA (Health Savings Account) from Connexus credit union will allow you to put money aside on a pre-tax basis for qualified medical expenses that may arise in your life. These accounts earn impressive dividends and your money rolls over from year to year if you don’t use it.

To be eligible for an HSA account through Connexus credit union you must meet the following requirements:

• You are covered under a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
• You have no other health coverage except what is permitted under “Other health coverage,” listed on IRS.gov
• You are not enrolled in Medicare
• You cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone’s tax return

Contribution Limits

Contributions can be made by either you or your employer up to the maximum limit specified by law. Individuals age 55 and older can make an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution.

Health Savings Account Rates

Connexus Credit Union Eligibility

Connexus Credit Union offers its services to customers nationwide. It has four paths to membership. The first three are the easiest/fastest ways to join, followed by the fourth way which is essentially a loophole for any US citizen to join. The four paths to membership are as follows:

• Employees, retirees, family members, or members of one of the following groups, or
• Residents of one of the following communities, or
• Spouses, family members, and those living in the same household of an existing member, or
• Members of the Connexus Association. This just requires a one-time $5 donation.

Applying for membership is a straightforward process. You will need:

• Valid Driver’s License/State ID/Passport
• Valid United States Social Security Number
• Account information for accounts that you would like to close and/or transfer money from.

Final Thoughts

If you value top-notch rates from a member-centric credit union, then Connexus credit union deserves your consideration. They’ve been nationally recognized for abnormally high rates and outstanding service by CNN Money, Kiplinger, PC Magazine, BankRate, the AARP and more.

Both their native apps for Apple and Android receive high marks in their respective app stores. Averaging a 4.7 star rating out of 5 for Apple and a 4.8 star rating out of 5 for Android.

That said, one of their highest yielding accounts (the money market account) comes with some potentially difficult hoops to jump through. However, if you are able to open and maintain an active checking account with them (the prerequisite to opening their money market account) you’ll be rewarded with some of the best yields available on the money market side.