3% Checking and good CD rates at Wheatland Bank
Wheatland Bank has one of the best checking account rates we’ve seen recently: Their “Personal Checking with Interest” is currently paying 3.00% for balances over $2500. Below $2500, the interest goes to 0%. Wheatland also has a number of very competitive CDs:
- 3-month, 6-month, 1-year and 18-month CDs: 4.00% APY
- 2-year and 3-year CDs: 4.50% APY
- 4-year and 5-year CDs: 5.00% APY
The CDs also have a minimum deposit of $2500, and the CDs can be opened as IRA CDs and business CDs.
Wheatland Bank has one branch: 2244 95th Street in Naperville.
(Thanks to the reader who e-mailed me this deal.)
(Note: This is Chicago CD Rates’ 200th post — thanks for visiting us in the past year!)
Checking Account Bonus up to $100 North Shore Trust and Savings
North Shore Trust and Savings is offering up to $100 bonus for opening a checking account with them. There’s a $50 bonus simply for opening their free or premium checking account with a debit card, an additional $25 if you set up direct deposit or a recurring payment with them, and other $25 if you sign up for online bill pay. There is a $25 fee if the checking account is closed in the first 90 days. This deal doesn’t seem to be listed on their website, but they do have an ad for it listed here. The ad says that the offer is as of June 1st, but the ad was put in the paper on June 5th, so it’s likely still going on.
North Shore Trust and Savings has three locations: Two in Waukegan and one in Lindenhurst.
$110 bonus with opening a checking account at Liberty Bank
Liberty Bank has a very nice checking account bonus deal: Open a FREEdomChecking account with them, and receive a $110 bonus. (The $110 is because they’re celebrating their 110th anniversary.) The minimum balance to open the account is $50, but you don’t have to maintain a minimum balance in the account to avoid fees. Also, the account only requires one direct deposit to receive the entire bonus — most other recent deals of this ilk have required 4 to 6. The offer is good through the end of June.
Liberty Bank has five locations: Three in Chicago, one in Lincolnwood, and one in Park Ridge.
[Thanks to reader trinidon2k who mentioned this in our finding deals post.]
$200 for opening MB Financial checking account
It’s the best checking account bonus we’ve seen since opening this website: MB Financial is offering a $200 bonus for anyone who opens a free checking account with them with direct deposit. The $200 will be paid as four $50 payments for each of the first four months that you have direct deposit. It’s not available to people who already have an MB Financial checking account.
MB Financial has over 70 locations throughout the Chicago area. You can see a list of them here.
(Thanks to trinidon2k, who posted this on our finding deals page.)
Free iPod when opening First Bank checking account
First Bank has an interesting checking account promotion: If you open any checking account with them before March 1st with direct deposit, they’ll give you a free iPod Shuffle. This deal is not listed on their website, but you can view an ad for it here (note: link will work only through February 28th). The fine print: Direct deposit must be initiated within 90 days of account opening. The iPod will be shipped 4-6 weeks after direct deposit has been verified. One per household, must be a new checking account customer, etc.
First Bank has more than 25 locations in the Chicago area. You can find one near you here.
4.50% 7-month CD/4.60% checking at American Eagle Bank of Chicago
American Eagle Bank of Chicago has two good deals going on. First they’re offering a 7-month CD at 4.50% APY. This CD doesn’t seem to have any minimum, and it has a 30-day early withdrawal penalty. Even better might be their Platinum NOW Checking Account Special, which guarantees a 4.60% APY on your checking account as long as you have direct deposit. (If you don’t, the rate drops to 2.50%.) The checking account has a $500 minimum to earn interest and to avoid service charges.
American Eagle Bank of Chicago has one branch: 2129 N. Western Ave. in Chicago. Thanks to American Eagle Bank of Chicago for e-mailing me about these deals.
Free iPod Shuffle with Opening Chase Checking Account
Chase is offering an interesting incentive for opening a checking account with them: A free iPod Shuffle. To get the iPod, you need to open a Free Checking account and establish Direct Deposit within 60 days. The checking account must remain open for 6 months or Chase will charge your account $79 (the cost of the iPod Shuffle). This promotion is available at all Chase branches in Illinois and in Chase branches in Lake County, LaPorte County and Porter County in Indiana. The iPod offer is valid through December 30th.
I don’t see the offer listed on their website, so here’s a copy of the ad.
Weekly Update for December 10th, 2007
We’ve decided to go to a new style for our weekly updates at ChicagoCDRates.com — we’ll try it out and see how you like it. What we’re going to do is, weekly, post a list of the deals we’ve discussed in the past few weeks that are still available. This will still let you know what the best CD/Money Market/Savings Account/Checking Account deals are out there in the Chicago area, but it’s a little less time consuming for me than the old method.
CDs (sorted by term):
- 9-month, 5.50% CD at Patelco Credit Union (11/13)
- 11-month, 5.45% CD at Bell General CU (12/5)
- 12-month, 5.51% CD at Molex Credit Union (11/14)
- 12-month, 5.25% “Kids Certificate” CD at BCU (12/3)
- 18-month, 5.25% CD at First Financial Credit Union (11/21)
- 18-month, 5.20% CD at Wisconsin Credit Union (12/7)
- 24-month, 5.25% CDs at Planites CU (12/4)
- 25-month, 5.25% CD at a Wisconsin Credit Union (12/6)
- 60-month, 5.61% CD at AA Credit Union(11/8)
- 60-month, 5.25% CD at Access Credit Union (12/3)
Money Market/Savings:
- 5.38% Money Market at MECU (11/27)
- $100 Bonus for Opening LaSalle Checking and Savings Account (11/13)
Checking Accounts:
- 6.01% Checking at Consumers CU (11/20)
- $100 Bonus for Opening LaSalle Checking and Savings Account (11/13)
6.01% Checking at Consumers CU — But With a Catch
Consumers Credit Union is offering a “Rewards Checking Account” that has an amazing rate for anything (CD, savings account, money market) in today’s financial market: 6.01% APY. And it goes even further — the Consumer CU’s Rewards Checking Account also refunds all ATM fees, even fees from other banks. “There’s gotta be a catch,” you’re no doubt thinking. And yes, there is, kind of. To get this 6.01% APY and ATM refunds, you have to do all of the following:
- Make at least 12 free VISA debit card transactions per month (excluding ATMs)
- Make one direct deposit, one ACH debit, pay one bill using Consumer CU’s Online Bill Payment each month
- Enroll in online banking
- Receive monthly electronic statements instead of paper statements
There’s also a maximum of $25,000 on the account before you start earning 3.01% rather than 6.01%. Still, if you’re someone who already uses their debit card regularly and carries a pretty large balance in your checking account, this might be a great deal for you.
Consumers Credit Union has five locations in the northern Chicago suburbs: Two in Waukegan, and one each in Mundelein, Round Lake Beach, and Gurnee. Consumers CU is privately insured by American Share Insurance rather than publically insured. Unlike most credit unions, Consumers Credit Union has no barrier to membership — anyone can join.
$100 Bonus for Opening LaSalle Checking and Savings Accounts
As LaSalle Bank has done occasionally in the past, they are offering a $100 bonus for customers who open a checking account, open a Statement Savings Account, and use their LaSalle Money Card debit card sometime within in the first 60 days. This bonus does not require direct deposit.
A few restrictions, which are the same as the last time LaSalle offered this deal: “The minimum balance to open a checking account to earn the $100 cash bonus is $250. To be eligible for the Bonus you are required to sign up for a LaSalle Money Card debit card and open a new Statement Savings Account with a $100 minimum opening deposit. You are also required to make a purchase with your Money Card within 60 days of account opening.” I would guess this won’t be the last time this offer is brought out, but with Bank of America’s purchase of LaSalle, it’s possible this is the final time.
LaSalle Bank is the one of the largest Midwestern banks with many branches throughout the Chicagoland area.
