Altra Federal Credit Union Adds A+ Platinum Checking, 3.50% APY
Wisconsin-based Altra Federal Credit Union (Altra FCU) has added a new rewards checking account (RCA), A+ Platinum, which earns 3.50% APY on qualifying balances up to $15k. Qualifying balances above $15k earn 0.40% APY, with non-qualifying balances earning 0.10% APY.
Qualification Requirements
- Receive monthly A+ Platinum Report Card and eStatement via email.
- Log in to Online Banking or Mobile app at least once per cycle.
- At least one Direct Deposit of at least $250 per cycle.
- Have at least 20 Altra Visa Debit Card purchases per cycle.
The A+ Platinum account has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirement. One box of free checks is available to members age 60+ and a free welcome pack of checks will be given to students. There is a limit of one A+ Platinum account per member.
While there is no ATM fee reimbursement for the A+ Platinum account, Altra FCU participates in the CO-OP ATM and Shared Branch program, giving member access to nearly 30,000 ATMs and more than 5,000 shared branches across the country.
You can make a deposit, withdrawal, or loan payment at a Shared Service Center. You
will need a valid ID and your account number. Deposits generally have a two day hold.
A+ Checking
No, this is not the same RCA. I’m not a fan of the same type of accounts with very similar names because of the confusion factor. The A+ Checking is Altra FCU’s older RCA and is still being offered, earning 2.75% APY on qualifying balances up to $15k. Like the A+ Platinum account, qualifying balances above $15k earn 0.40% APY, with non-qualifying balances earning 0.10% APY.
The qualifying requirements are similar to that of the A+ Platinum account, with the following exceptions:
- At least one Direct Deposit of at least $50 per cycle.
- Have at least 10 Altra Visa Debit Card purchases per cycle.
Availability
Headquartered in Onalaska, Wisconsin, Altra Federal Credit Union until recently offered membership nationwide by joining the Altra Foundation.
The new smaller field of membership (FOM) includes individuals who live, work, worship, or attend school in specific census tracts in:
Wisconsin – La Crosse
Minnesota – Rochester or Winona
Tennessee – city of Clarkesville or Montgomery County
Texas – city of Tyler or Smith County
Employees of Trane and/or Trane Authorized Dealers qualify for membership, as do employees of many SEGs.
Individuals who work for or attend a variety of schools in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Texas are eligible to join, as are their immediate family and household members.
Immediate family (parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, including step- and adoptive) and household members (roommate, spouse/domestic partner, or foster child) of membership-eligible individual are also welcome to apply.
Joining Altra FCU and/or opening an A+ Platinum account can be done either online, or at any of the 15 branch locations in Colorado (1), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (3), New Jersey (1), Tennessee (2), Texas (2), and Wisconsin (5). Note: the Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey branches are located within a Trane facility and may have limited access.
Credit Union Overview
Altra Federal Credit Union has an overall health grade of "A" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas ratio of 5.27% (excellent), based on September 30, 2018 data. In the past year, Altra FCU has increased its total deposits by $91.48 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 8.08%. Please refer to our financial overview of Altra Federal Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 24077) for more details.
Altra Federal Credit Union was founded in 1931 as the Trane Employees Credit Union, by 33 Trane employees who pooled together $179. Altra Federal Credit Union is currently Wisconsin’s tenth largest credit, with more than 102,000 members and assets in excess of $1.5 billion. The “Altra” name in was chosen in 2005,
to reflect the increased diversity of our membership while honoring our
history by combining the words alliance, Trane, allegiance, and tradition.
How the A+ Platinum Compares
Since Altra FCU’s FOM includes several states, I’ve opted to use nationally available accounts for this comparison. Therefore, when compared to the High Yield Reward Checking Accounts tracked by DepositAccounts.com, which are nationally available and have maximum qualifying balances of at least $15k, Altra Federal Credit Union’s A+ Platinum APY currently ranks second.
The above rates are accurate as of 2/21/2019.
To look for the best Reward Checking Account rates, both nationwide and state specific, please refer to our High Yield Reward Checking Account Rates Table page.