New York Banking Rates and News

Bank of the West has again brought back its $150 checking account promotion. It looks like the same promotion they were offering last year. Just like the last one, there's also a $200 bonus, but that requires a checking account with high monthly service fees that can't be easily waived. These promotions are listed on Bank of the West's home page.

Details for the $150 bonus are listed in this Bank of the West promotions page. The checking account must be opened by 3/7/2014.

To qualify for the full $150 requires the...

Last year in October Superior Choice Credit Union was offering an 18-month CD special. This year, the special is a 20-month CD, and the rate is 25 basis points higher. The new special is a 1.50% APY 20-month share certificate. Minimum deposit is $10,000, and new money is required. The early withdrawal penalty is 365 days of interest. This CD special is listed at the bottom of the credit union's rates page as of 10/18/2013.

Credit union membership is open to those who live or work in the Wisconsin counties of...

Frontier Bank has begun offering a reward checking and savings account under the Kasasa brand. Thanks to DA reader Aaron for mentioning this in the comments. The reward checking is called Kasasa Cash and the companion savings account is called Kasasa Saver. Both offer competitive interest rates. The balance caps are a little low, but they’re reasonable for new Kasasa accounts. Below is a summary of the rates and features of these two accounts as of 9/26/2013:

Kasasa Cash rates and features if monthly requirements are met:

• 3.05% APY on balances up...

Bank of the West has again brought back its $150 checking account promotion. It looks like the same promotion they were offering February. Just like the last one, there's also a $200 bonus, but that requires a checking account with high monthly service fees that can't be easily waived. These promotions are listed on Bank of the West's home page.

Details for the $150 bonus are listed in this Bank of the West promotions page. The checking account must be opened by 8/30/2013.

To qualify for the full $150 requires the following:

• Must...

BMO Harris Bank is offering a cash bonus of up to $200 for opening a personal checking account with qualifying direct deposit. Like most large banks, BMO Harris doesn't have a free checking account. So if you take advantage of this bonus, you'll have to be careful to avoid monthly service charges.

To qualify for the $200 bonus requires either the BMO Harris Portfolio Checking or the BMO Harris Select Checking. A $150 bonus requires the BMO Harris Everyday Checking.

Here's the link to the bank's promotion page: bmoharris.com/offerchecking2013.

The new checking account...

Bank of the West has recently brought back its $150 checking account promotion. It looks like the same promotion they were offering last summer. Just like the last one, there's also a $200 bonus, but that requires a checking account with high monthly service fees that can't be easily waived. These promotions are listed on Bank of the West's home page.

Details for the $150 bonus are listed in this Bank of the West promotions page. The checking account must be opened by 3/8/2013.

To qualify for the full $150 requires the...

AnchorBank is offering another checking account promotion with a bonus of up to $150. The bonus is larger than its summer promotion. This latest offer is listed in the bank's promotion page. It's scheduled to end on December 15, 2012.

The required activities include:

• $50 for setting up direct deposit
• $50 for enrolling in e-statements
• $50 for making three debit card purchases

The direct deposit, e-statement enrollment and debit card purchases must be completed within 60 days of account opening. Existing checking account customers are not eligible for the bonus. Another important note mentioned in...

We lost another two-percent 5-year CD. Wings Financial Credit Union cut all of its CD rates yesterday, and its 5-year CD yield fell from 2.12% to 1.96%. Like at other credit unions and banks, the 5-year CD rate has fallen the most this year at Wings. The 5-year CD rate has fallen 35 basis points this year whereas the 2-year CD rate has fallen only 15 basis points.

Even though the rates have fallen, Wings Financial's CD and IRA CD rates are still competitive. Below is a list of the most...

Superior Choice Credit Union is offering a special 18-month share certificate with a 1.25% APY. Minimum deposit is $10,000, and new money is required. The early withdrawal penalty is 180 days of interest. This CD special is listed at the bottom of the credit union's share certificates rates page as of 10/29/2012.

Credit union membership is open to those who live or work in the Wisconsin counties of Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, and Iron. Also included are parts of the Minnesota counties of St. Louis and Carlton. Please refer to the...

As I mentioned last month, BancVue is heavily promoting its Kasasa brand of checking and savings accounts which often include reward checking accounts. Through this campaign, I learned of a new reward checking account from Roundbank. Its reward checking account is called Kasasa Cash. Like many of the new Kasasa Cash accounts, the balance cap is a little disappointing. However, the linked savings account, Kasasa Saver, helps offset this, at least to some extent. Below are the rates and features of these accounts as of 9/4/2012:

Kasasa Cash:

Rates and ATM fee...

Bank of the West has just started a new checking account promotion with a bonus of up to $150. There's also a $200 bonus, but to qualify you must open a checking account that requires a large balance to avoid a high monthly service charge. These promotions are listed on Bank of the West's home page.

Details for the $150 bonus are listed in this Bank of the West promotions page. The checking account must be opened by 8/31/2012.

To qualify for the full $150 requires the following:

• Must open a new Easy...

As CD rates continue to fall, there's a new type of CD that some credit unions and banks have introduced that can help you get higher rates. As you might expect, there's a downside. They're not a buy-and-forget CD. To qualify for the top rate, you'll need an active checking account. The latest credit union that I've noticed offering this type of CD is Members Cooperative Credit Union in Minnesota. It's called the MembersPlus Share Certificate, and rates are very competitive. The rates for a $100K minimum deposit are 3.20%...