Northern Skies Fed Credit Union (AK) Offers Rewards Checking Statewide
Alaska-based Northern Skies Federal Credit Union (NSFCU) now offers its Peak Rewards Checking on a statewide basis. The Peak Rewards Checking has been earning 5.00% APY on qualifying balances up to $15k since the end of 2017. Qualifying balances greater that $15k earn 0.15% APY, with non-qualifying balances earning 0.01% APY.
The monthly qualification requirements include,
- At least 12 signature-based debit card purchases ($5 minimum)
- At least one direct deposit or ACH credit ($100 minimum)
- Be enrolled in to receive eStatements and activate the email address for the account
- Be enrolled in and log into online bank at least once per month
The Peak Rewards Checking offers unlimited check writing and a free Visa debit card will be issued following account opening. Nationwide ATM fees will be reimbursed up to $10 per month, if the qualifying requirements are met. (NSFCU participates in the CO-OP ATM network.) There is a limit of one Peak Rewards Checking account per member. ePay is free for all active user accounts, if at least one bill is paid through ePay per month. While there is no monthly service charge per se,
A monthly fee of $4.95 will be charged to your share draft account if the account becomes inactive or if you have not paid at least one (1) bill during the monthly period [using ePay].
Availability
Headquartered in Anchorage, Northern Skies Federal Credit Union’s field of membership (FOM) is quite simple: any U.S. citizen/resident alien who lives, works, worships, attends school, or volunteers anywhere in Alaska qualifies for membership.
Immediate family members of current NSFCU membership are also eligible to join.
Joining NSFCU and/or opening a Peak Rewards Checking account can be done online, or in person at either of two Alaska branches, both located in Anchorage. As stated on NSFCU’s Locations page,
As we ease our way back into full operations, we will be limiting the number of people in our lobbies and making changes to the flow of traffic.
The Benson branch will have no more than 7 (seven) members in the branch at any given time and will have one-way traffic. Please enter from the east side (Village Inn) of the building and exit through the west side door (Fred Meyer).
The O'Malley branch will have no more than 5 (five) non-employees in the branch at any given time and members will enter and exit through the main lobby doors.
A $5 minimum deposit in a Member Savings account establishes a NSFCU membership.
Northern Skies participates in the CO-OP ATM network, but not the Shared Branch network.
Credit Union Overview
Northern Skies Federal Credit Union has an overall health grade of "A+" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 2.09% (excellent), based on December 31, 2020 data. In the past year, NSFCU has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $13.94 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 12.96%. Please refer to our financial overview of Northern Skies Federal Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 18204) for more details.
Established in 1967, Northern Skies Federal Credit Union’s original FOM was exclusive to the residents of Anchorage, Alaska. The FOM was recently expanded to cover the entire state. NSFCU is currently the seventh largest credit union headquartered in Alaska, with nearly 11,000 members and assets in excess of $152 million.
How Peak Rewards Checking Compares
When compared to the High Yield Rewards Checking Accounts tracked by DepositAccounts.com that are available to all residents of Alaska and have maximum qualifying balances of at least $15k, Northern Skies Federal Credit Union’s Peak Rewards Checking APY currently ranks first.
The above information and rates are accurate as of 5/20/2021.
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.