Genisys Credit Union 30-Month CD Special Has Rate-Leading APY
Michigan-based Genisys Credit Union (Genisys) has been offering a variety of Share Certificate Specials (SCS) for about a year. The current line-up includes three SCS: 30-month (4.84% APY), 19-month (4.58% APY), and 7-month (4.06% APY), with the 30-month SCS offering the most competitive rate. Any of the SCS can be opened with a $500 minimum deposit, with no stated balance cap.
The 30-month and 19-month SCS are also available as IRA SCS (Traditional, Roth and CESA), earning the same APYs with the same deposit requirements.
As stated on the Savings Certificates page,
Certificate specials are for a limited time and the credit union may end it at any time without notice.
As stated in the Share Certificate Savings page, the Early Withdrawal Penalty reads as follows:
182 days of earned dividends for terms longer than one year but less than five
Partial withdrawals are allowed, but if a withdrawal causes the balance to fall below the required minimum, the certificate will be closed. The principal may be reduced by the penalty if the earned dividends are less than the penalty.
Genius Checking
Genisys also significantly increased the rate on its competitive rewards checking account (RCA) Genius Checking this week. Following a 118 bps increase, the Genius Checking currently earns 5.25% APY on qualifying balances up to $7.5k. Qualifying balances over $7.5k earn 0.05% APY, with non-qualifying balances not earning any interest.
| APY | MIN | MAX | INSTITUTION | PRODUCT | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.25*% | - | $7.5k | Genisys Credit Union | Genius Checking | |
| OTHER TIERS: 0.05% → $7.5k+ | |||||
I’ve mentioned the Genuis Checking account in previous blog posts because it’s an excellent RCA opportunity for those who have limited funds, but want a great return with little effort. The Genius Checking’s maximum potential earnings (on a $7.5k balance) is approximately $394.
More details about the Genius Checking account can be found in an August 2021 blog post.
Availability
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Genisys Credit Union expanded its field of membership (FOM) about 18 months ago and now offers an easy membership requirement (called a “Contribution Eligibility”) that includes virtually any U.S. citizen (18 years or older) who has a valid Social Security number.
Contribution Eligibility – by making a minimum $5 contribution to the Arthritis Foundation or the Paint Creek Center for the Arts qualifies for membership in Genisys.
Location Eligibility – individuals who live, work, worship, attend school, or own a business in any of the following areas are eligible to join.
Michigan – all counties
Minnesota – Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties
Pennsylvania – Montgomery County
Family Eligibility – Immediate family members of a current Genisys member are welcome to apply, including parent, spouse, sibling, children, grandparent, grandchildren, including step-relations. Individuals who live in the same household as a Genisys member, “maintaining a single economic unit,” are also eligible.
Account Opening
Joining Genysis and/or opening a Share Certificate Special can be done online, or at any of 28 Michigan branches, located mainly in the greater Detroit metro area. Genisys also has three Minnesota branches (Minneapolis/St. Paul area) and a single Pennsylvania branch located in Blue Bell (Montgomery County).
Existing members can also open a Share Certificate Special using the Genisys Online Banking platform or by calling a Genisys Financial Services Representative (800.521.8400, extension 5).
The Membership Application is also available as a download and can be returned by mail or fax (248.322.6512).
You must complete a payment of $5.00 in your share savings account as a condition of admission to membership.
Genisys participates in the CO-OP Shared Branch and ATM networks, providing its members with access to more than 5,600 branches and more than 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide.
Funding and Other Details
The following information is from a conversation with CSR.
- Funding – ACH, Wire, internal transfer, Shared Branch transaction.
- CO-OP Shared Branch Participant – Yes.
- Dividends – Compounded/credited quarterly and can be can be reinvested or transferred to another Genisys account.
- Maturing Funds – Cashier’s check to address on file, internal transfer to Genisys Share Savings account.
- Beneficiaries – Unlimited, equal shares, Social Security numbers are required.
- Grace Period –10 calendar days before automatic renewal as regular 24-month Certificate.
- Credit Check – Soft pull.
Credit Union Overview
Genisys Credit Union has an overall health grade of "A+" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 1.84% (excellent) based on September 30, 2022 data. In the past year, Genisys has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $342.44 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 10.47%. Please refer to our financial overview of Genisys Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 68536) for more details.
Given the unique spelling, it should come as no surprise that “Genisys” is not the credit union’s original name. Genisys can trace its roots back to the General Motors Truck & Coach Federal Credit Union, which was established in 1936. In the past 30 years, there have been three re-brands: Unisys Federal Credit Union, USA Credit Union, and finally Genisys Credit Union. Currently the fourth largest credit union headquartered in Michigan and the 87th largest credit union in the country, Genisys has nearly 258,000 members and assets in excess of $4.3 billion.
How the 30-Month Share Certificate Special Compares
When compared to similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com that are available nationwide, have fixed rates, and have minimum deposit requirements of $10k or less, no banks or credit unions have higher rates than currently offered on the Genisys Credit Union 30-Month Share Certificate Special. The following table compares the 30-Month Share Certificate Special to the two highest-rate CDs from other credit unions and the two highest-rate CDs from banks.
| APY | CD Term (Early Withdrawal Penalty) | Credit Union/Bank |
|---|---|---|
| 4.84% | 30-Month Share Certificate Special (EWP=182 days) | Genisys Credit Union |
| 4.65% | 30-Month CD (EWP=180 days) | Crescent Bank |
| 4.60% | 36-Month CD (EWP=190 days) | CFG Bank |
| 4.60% | 36-Month Share CD (EWP=180 days) | Alliant Credit Union |
| 4.52% | 3-Year Fixed CD (EWP=360 days) | Lafayette Federal Credit Union |
The above information and rates are accurate as of 2/3/2022.
To look for the best CD rates, both nationwide and state specific, please refer to our CD Rates Table page.
Lots of CSRs will just casually tell you that you can do this, but they will not tell you that it can cause potentially problems and are probably not even aware of those problems. If you're going to do that I would recommend you check with your lawyer first if you haven't done so already. He will probably tell you that it's not recommended.
With a living trust for example, if the account owner is incapacitated for whatever reason, and unable to access the account, the trustee(s) will not have control of the account. The trustee(s) will only have control of the account if the account owner is deceased. So you could be left in a circumstance where no one can access the funds in that account.
You might think that if someone else who is not incapacitated has POA, they can take control the account. But banks have an aversion to POAs and may not accept them. That's not an uncommon situation.
So in that event, neither the owner of the account nor the trustees will have access to those funds or control over that account and it is essentially frozen.
There are other potential problems and although I know that it is not uncommon for bank personnel to recommend this, I think it is a risky practice that could lead to lengthy delays in accessing those funds for either you while you are still living or for the trustees or beneficiaries of your trust.
It's more difficult to title the accounts in the name of the trust, and many financial institutions will not even accept that so it also can limit your investment opportunities. But in the event that you are subject to an issue based on the way the account is titled, it can be very costly to resolve.
You can use your judgment, but I would recommend asking your attorney.
I just noticed that you said the guy who built the trust for you recommended that approach. I initially thought you meant the guy at the credit union who handled your trust application. But maybe you meant the person who created the trust. And if that person was your attorney, then it sounds like you already have their recommendation.
I do not title any of the trusts I manage that way because I think it subjects them to risk and that it is safer to always title the account to the trust. Most attorneys I know recommend against titling accounts the way you described. But I am also aware that some don't. From my own practical experience I would have to go with the ones who are against naming the trust as a beneficiary. A problem is never a problem until it's a problem. And then it's often too late.