Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union 4-Year CD Added To CD Rate Summary
One of the NTS (New to Summary) CDs in this week’s CD Rates Summary is Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union’s (Affinity Plus) 48-month CD. Currently earning 1.05% APY, the 48-month CD can be opened with a $500 minimum deposit, with no stated balance cap.
At the beginning of the year, a 10 bps increase gave the 48-month CD an APY of 1.20%, a rate which lasted for about two months. The rate dropped to 1.05% APY in early March.
As stated in the Truth-in-Savings disclosure, the Early Withdrawal Penalty reads as follows:
The penalty is calculated as a forfeiture of part of the dividends that have been or would
be earned on the account. It applies whether or not the dividends have been earned.Terms of longer than 36 months – 365 days’ dividends
Funding a CD can be done by ACH, wire transfer ($10 fee), or by mailing a check. The rate will not lock in until the funds have been received. Maturing funds can be distributed by a check to the address on file, by a wire ($15 fee), or transferred an Affinity Plus checking or savings account. There is 10-day grace period before a CD renews automatically.
Note: DA reader, oldman87, wrote the following comment on my Affinity Plus January 2020 blog post.
Good rates. One huge downside, hard inquiry on TU for membership, verified with Affinity.
CRS confirmed that a hard credit inquiry is part of the application process.
Superior Money Market
Affinity Plus unveiled its Superior Money Market in January 2020. The initial 2.02% APY (up to $25k) remained in effect for about ten months before dropped to 1.50% APY. A second rate drop occurred this past January, giving the Superior Money Market a 1.00% APY, which applies to “qualified” balances up to $25k.
| APY | MIN | MAX | INSTITUTION | PRODUCT | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00*% | - | $25k | Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union | Superior Money Market | |
| OTHER TIERS: 0.35% → $25k+ | |||||
The qualifying requirements are reminiscent of a rewards checking account.
To earn the higher dividend rate for the Superior Money Market account, you must have direct deposit of $500 minimum each month (payroll, Social Security or unemployment) to any Affinity Plus checking, savings or money market account and be enrolled in digital statements.
The Superior Money Market account has no monthly service fee or minimum opening deposit. There is limited check writing, with a debit card available if requested. There is no excessive transaction fee because transactions beyond the six allowed per month are not permitted. Unlimited deposits are allowed and can be made through the Affinity Plus mobile app, or at any of more than 50,000 nationwide ATMs (MoneyPass, SUM and CO-OP). There is a limit of one Superior Money Market account per membership.
Availability
Headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union’s field of membership (FOM) is wide and varied, with a path to membership for almost any U.S. citizen or resident alien with a valid Social Security number.
Easy Membership: Joining the Affinity Plus Foundation with a one-time $25 dues payment, qualifies for Credit Union membership. Established in 2000, the Foundation is a 503(c)(3) that supports “financial education and programs through outreach, scholarships and grants.”
Residency: Individuals who live, work, or worship in Arden Hills, Mounds View, New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, St. Anthony, or the downtown areas of Minneapolis/Saint Paul are eligible to join.
Employment: Employees/volunteers of more than 50 Preferred Partner companies, including the State of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Employees/volunteers of any organization that receives funding from the State of Minnesota qualify for membership. These organization included, but are not limited to, “most schools, community colleges, private and public universities, nursing homes and hospitals, counties, cities, and nonprofit groups.”
Educational: Students and alumni of the seven Minnesota State 4-year universities or any Minnesota State community/technical college are eligible to join, as are current students of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus and University of Minnesota Alumni Association members.
Relationship: Relatives or roommates of current Affinity Plus members or anyone who is membership-eligible are welcome to apply.
Joining Affinity Plus and/or opening a CD can be done online. Six of the 27 Minnesota branches remain temporarily closed, with the remaining 21 branches open with limited services.
The branch lobby and drive thru are open; use the drive thru for transactions. The lobby is open for questions and advising, but the teller lines remain closed. Scheduled appointments are available by calling (800)-322-7228, but not necessary. Need to pick up something at the branch? If you fill out an Order Pickup Request, we'll have your order ready waiting for you. Hours for the lobby and drive thru may differ, so check below for the latest information!
The Affinity Plus Services At Branches page provides information about all individual branch locations.
If a $25 Affinity Plus Foundation donation is what qualifies you for membership, please
note that the total minimum deposit (including your $10 member share) would be $35.
Affinity Plus participates in the CO-OP ATM network.
CO-OP's nearly 30,000 ATMs means you have more direct,
surcharge-free access to your money than most traditional bank customers do.
Credit Union Overview
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union has an overall health grade of "B+" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 5.32% (excellent) based on December 31, 2020 data. In the past year, Affinity Plus has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $788.86 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 36.8%. Please refer to our financial overview of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 24362) for more details.
Established in 1930 as the State Capitol Credit Union, the original FOM consisted of the employees of the state of Minnesota. The Affinity Plus rebrand occurred in 1999, following several acquisitions and expansions of the Credit Union’s charter. With more than 218,000 members and assets in excess of $3.2 billion, Affinity Plus is currently the third largest credit union and the sixth largest financial institution in Minnesota.
How the CD Compares
When compared to 168 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com, which are nationally available and require a minimum deposit of $5k or less, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union's 48-month CD APY currently ranks second.
The above rates are accurate as of 5/13/2021.
To look for the best CD rates, both nationwide and state specific, please refer to our CD Rates Table page.
