Gesa Credit Union Adds 17-Month CD Special And $300 Checking Bonus

Washington-based Gesa Credit Union (Gesa) is currently offering various promotions, including a 17-month Certificate Special and a $300 new checking bonus.

17-month Certificate Special

Earning 1.05% APY, the 17-month Certificate Special is the most competitive CD in Gesa’s product line. This limited-time Certificate Special requires a $500 minimum opening deposit. According to the small print of the promotions page, "total certificate balances at this term and rate are limited to $100,000 per member."

As stated on Gesa’s Certificate Accounts page, the Early Withdrawal Penalty reads as follows:

If your account has an original maturity (term) of 12-months or more – up to, but less than 36-months:
The penalty will equal 180 days interest on the amount withdrawn subject to penalty.

$300 Checking Bonus

For a limited time, Gesa is also offering a $300 checking bonus when opening a new Gesa Colossal or Addvantage checking account. As stated on the bonus landing page, the requirements are as follows:

• Open your new checking account
• Sign up for Online Banking and eStatements
• Complete 10 debit card purchases (excluding ATM transactions)
• Keep your account open with a positive balance for 1 year

If the debit card purchases and Online Banking/eStatements enrollment are completed within 60 days of checking account opening, $200 will be deposited in the member’s Primary Savings account within the next 30 days. To be eligible for the remaining $100, the checking account must remain open for 12 months following account opening and be in good standing. The $100 will be paid within 30 days of the checking account anniversary date.

There is a limit one of $300 bonus per member, with a limit of one Colossal or Addvantage Checking account per member. Those who have had a Gesa Checking account within the last 90 days are not eligible for this promotion. If the checking account is opened in-branch, the minimum opening deposit is $5; if opened online, a minimum $25 deposit is required.

Colossal Checking

The Colossal Checking is a rewards checking account that earns 1.50% APY on qualifying balances up to $10k; qualifying balances over $10k and non-qualifying balances both earn 0.01% APY. Domestic ATM fees are reimbursed up to $4.99 per withdrawal. There are no monthly fees or minimum monthly balance requirements.

The monthly qualifying requirements are as follows:

• Have at least 18 Visa debit card transactions.
• Have at least one Direct Deposit or external ACH debit transaction.
• Enroll in and receive e-Statements.
• Provide and maintain a valid e-mail address.

I first reported on the Colossal Checking account in 2008 when it paid over 6% APY. While the rate has dramatically fallen, the cap has remained at $10k. Even though the current rate is low compared to other reward checking accounts, it’s nice to see a reward checking account with such longevity.

Addvantage Checking

The Addvantage Checking account was added to Gesa’s product line about 18 months and is a rewards checking account of sorts, with an APY of 3.00% on qualifying balances up to $500. Qualifying balances over $500 and non-qualifying balances both earn 0.01% APY. There are no monthly fees or minimum monthly balance requirement.

There are only two monthly qualifying requirements:

• Have an ACH debit or credit of at least $100 post each month.
• Enroll in and receive e-Statements.

Availability

Headquartered in Richland, Washington, Gesa Credit Union’s field of membership (FOM) has expanded in the past two years. In addition to all individuals who live, work, worship, or attend school anywhere in Washington State, the FOM now includes the residents of the following ten Idaho counties and twelve Oregon counties.

Idaho counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shoshone.

Oregon counties: Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wasco, and Washington.

”Close relatives” of individuals who qualify for membership are also welcome to apply.

Joining Gesa and/or opening a Certificate or applying for the checking bonus can be done online or at any of 27 Washington branches located in Bremerton, Kennewick (2), Kirkland, Lynnwood, Moses Lake, Pasco (3), Puyallup, Richland (3), Seattle, Spokane (3), Spokane Valley (2), Tacoma, Tukwila, Walla Walla (2), Wenatchee, West Richland, and Yakima (2).

Become a member-owner of Gesa with as little as a $5 savings account deposit and enjoy the benefits.

Gesa participates in the MoneyPass surcharge-free ATM network, as well as the CO-OP Shared Branch network, which is.

the second largest branch network in the US. This gives Gesa members the ability to do your banking at a credit union conveniently located near you, with almost 200 locations in Washington State alone.

Credit Union Overview

Gesa Credit Union has an overall health grade of "A" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 1.91% (excellent) based on September 30, 2021 data. In the past year, Gesa has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $480.65 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 13.23%. Please refer to our financial overview of Gesa Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 68278) for more details.

”It started in a shoebox.” GESA Federal Credit Union was established in 1953 by members of General Electric Supervisor's Association (G.E.S.A.). The initial membership was exclusive to the 2,600 exempt employees of General Electric, with the first account receipts stored in a shoebox. Thirty years later, membership was opened to select employee groups who could not support a credit union of their own. Gesa converted from a federal to a state charter credit union in 1997, as a result of legislation which prevented all federal credit unions from expanding beyond their core membership.

According to a March 2021 CUTimes article,

The $4.3 billion Gesa Credit Union in Richland, Wash., said it signed an $11 million deal for the naming rights of the playing field at Washington State University’s Martin Stadium in Pullman over the next 10 years. In addition to the naming of Gesa Field, the credit union will have a significant visual presence within the football stadium, including digital and static signage, game entitlement opportunities, as well as branding within other WSU Athletic venues and satellite campuses, the credit union said in a prepared statement.

Under this new agreement, WSU co-branded Gesa VISA debit and credit cards will be available free for members who have a checking account. Each time cardholders swipe their co-branded cards, a donation will be made to the Cougar Athletic Fund that supports student-athletes in continuing their education.

Gesa Credit Union is currently the second largest credit union headquartered in Washington, with more than 268,000 members and assets in excess of $4.8 billion.

How the Certificate Compares

When compared to the similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com that require a similar minimum deposit and are available within the FOM, Gesa Credit Union’s 17-month Certificate APY currently ranks second.

The above information and rates are accurate as of 1/17/2022.

To look for the best CD rates, either nationwide and state specific, please refer to our CD Rates Table page.