Coulee Bank Continues Its Competitive Kasasa Cash Checking Account

POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2014 BY Ken Tumin

For the past seven years, Coulee Bank has been offering a Kasasa Cash Checking Account. During those seven years much has changed: interest rates, maximum qualifying balances, and availability. (See account history at the bottom.) Today's Kasasa Cash Checking Account has a 2.55% APY on qualifying balances up to $15K, for residents of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa; qualifying balances over $15K will earn 0.30% APY.

To earn the 2.55% APY, the following monthly qualifications must be met :

10 debit card purchases during monthly qualification cycle dates
Be enrolled in and receive e-statement notices
Make an automatic payment or have a direct deposit

If the monthly qualifications are not met, all balances will earn 0.10% APY.

Availability

In keeping with their philosophy to "provide local service by local people making local decisions," Coulee Bank only accepts Kasasa Cash Checking Account applications from applicants residing in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. This account can be opened online using Coulee Bank's website or in person at any of Coulee Bank's four branches. Coulee Bank has two branches in Wisconsin (La Crosse and Onalaska) and two branches in Minnesota (Saint Paul and Rochester).

Bank Overview

Coulee Bank (FDIC Certificate # 18361) has an overall health rating of A+ at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas ratio of 7.64% (excellent) based on March 31, 2014 data. In the past year, Coulee Bank has increased its total deposits by $7.17 Million, an excellent growth rate of 3.72%. Please refer to our financial overview of Coulee Bank for more details.

Headquartered in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Coulee Bank was founded in 1961 by a group of investors with $500K. One of the investors was Lorin Gasterland, grandfather of Coulee Bank's current Chairman, Dirk Gasterland. The bank is owned by 10 people, all members of the Gasterland family. While being a community focused bank for most its existence, Coulee Bank expanded into Minnesota in 2010, when it assumed the assets and deposits of the failed Pinehurst Bank.

How Coulee Bank's Kasasa Cash Checking Account Compares

Since this account is available only to residents of three different states, I have compared, on a state-by-state basis, those bank checking accounts that have a $15K maximum qualifying balance:

Wisconsin

3.05% APY The First National Bank – Fox Valley
3.00% APY Nicolet National Bank
2.55% APY Coulee Bank
2.25% APY Community Bank of Northern Wisconsin

Minnesota

3.01% APY American Trust & Savings
2.55% APY Coulee Bank
2.53% APY BankIowa of Cedar Rapids

Iowa

2.55% APY Coulee Bank
2.50% APY Profinium, Inc
2.99% APY Bank Vista

Coulee Bank's Kasasa Cash Checking Account History

05/01/12 – 2.55% APY up to $15K, 0.30% over $15K (name changed to Kasasa Cash)
06/01/11 – 2.55% APY up to $25K, 0.30% over $25K
04/01/11 – New accounts limited to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa
11/01/10 – 3.03% APY up to $25K, 0.30% over $25K
02/01/10 – 3.33% APY up to $25K
07/01/09 – 4.04% APY up to $25K, 0.51% over $25K, 0.10% base
12/01/08 – 5.01% APY up to $25K
08/01/07 – 6.01% APY up to $25K, 1.01% over $25K, 0.30% base

Searching for Other Reward Checking Accounts

To find the highest rates on reward checking accounts in your state and nationwide, please refer to our reward checking account rate table.

Comments

dunker | Aug 14, 2014 | Comment #1

I have been a customer of Coulee Bank for five years and have nothing but praise for their service. They also have a linked Kasasa Savings account that pays an interest rate of 1% APY on up to $15K. One special service they provide is free next day ACH both in and out. I currently have four RCAs and two Kasasa savings accounts and because of the ease of transferring money to and from Coulee, I use it as my primary bank.