USALLIANCE Financial Adds Two New Certificate Specials

USALLIANCE Financial (USALLIANCE) has added two limited-time Certificate Specials to its product line just in time for Cyber Monday. As DA reader, zz, pointed out in a Forum post, the new 18-month Certificate Special earns 1.15% APY, with the 36-month Certificate Special earning 1.25% APY. Like all USALLIANCE Certificates, the Certificate Specials require a $500 minimum opening deposit, with no stated balance cap.

As stated in USALLIANCE’s Certificate Accounts Disclosure, the Early Withdrawal Penalty reads as follows:

If your Certificate Account has an original maturity date of 18 months or longer,
the penalty amount will equal 360 days of dividends on the amount withdrawn.

According to the Certificate Accounts Disclosure, the ability to withdraw any of the principal before maturity is not necessarily guaranteed.

You may make withdrawals of principal on a Certificate
Account at the discretion and approval of USALLIANCE Financial.

Savings/Checking Relationship

The default for the Certificate Special online application for new members has the MyLife Savings (MLS) account automatically selected. If the MLS is unchecked, the following notification pops up:

In addition to your Certificate account, please select either a checking or savings account.

USALLIANCE has two savings accounts (MyLife Savings and High Dividend Savings) and a checking account (MyLife Checking) to choose from.

The MyLife Savings account currently earns 2.00% APY on the first $500 and 0.02% APY on any amounts over $500. The MLS can be opened with as little as $1.

USALLIANCE unveiled its High Dividend Savings (HDS) account in January 2019, with an initial 2.30% APY. Its rate remained competitive through the beginning of this year, but since January, there have been four rate decreases, with the HDS currently earning a disappointing 0.33% APY. DA reader, NYCDoug, posted a noteworthy comment about the HDS on my October 2, 2020 blog post.

Once again, be wary of choosing the High Dividend Savings (HDS) account, which charged me a $5 fee per withdrawal -- automatically, and irreversibly -- during the height of the pandemic, without any sympathy from the CSRs.

As stated on the Fee Schedule (dated May 15, 2020),

High Dividend/Business High Dividend Savings Withdrawal – $5.00 per withdrawal

The checking account listed on the Certificate Specials online application is the MyLife Checking, which is a free checking account with no minimum balance requirement or maintenance fees. It’s also a non-interest bearing account.

I have included the following paragraphs in several other USALLIANCE blog posts, but it’s still relevant and important information, whether you’re a long-time DA reader or new to the site.

POD Beneficiary

USALLIANCE allows unlimited POD beneficiaries to be named, but Social Security numbers are required for each named beneficiary, which can be a deal breaker for some investors. While not requiring Social Security numbers was more common in the past, asking for a beneficiary's Social Security number seems to becoming the norm.

Accessing Maturing Funds

USALLIANCE Certificates have a grace period of seven calendar days, beginning on the maturity date, although “all term accounts are available for a range of maturity days to permit you to schedule redemption for a business day.” While seven days is on the short side, USALLIANCE has provided an easy method for accessing maturing funds.

Transfer Upon Maturity: If prior to maturity you elect to redeem your Certificate Account
or the Credit Union does not automatically renew your account, the entire balance will be automatically transferred to your Share Management Checking, Share Management Savings, STAR Account or MyLife Account (Checking or Savings) for easy access.
Please note: Jumbo Certificates do not renew automatically.

Once the funds are in a checking or savings account, an ACH transfer can be initiated from another bank.

Right To Call

In previous blog posts, I have mentioned USALLIANCE’s “right to call” any of its Certificates early that, according to USALLIANCE, has never been exercised. Nonetheless, the “right to call” is spelled out in the Certificate Accounts Disclosure, and reads as follows:

The Credit Union may change its bylaws and any term of your account at anytime. We will give you reasonable notice in writing, unless circumstances beyond our control make such notice impractical or prior notice would represent an unreasonable security risk to the Credit Union.

If the Credit Union calls or redeems your account early, we will provide 60 days written notice to you. Should we exercise this option, your Certificate Account will be redeemed without penalty on the day specified in the notice, and the entire balance, including earned dividends, will be automatically transferred to your Share Management Checking, Share Management Savings, STAR Account or MyLife Account (Checking or Savings) for easy access.

Note, the above "right to call" wording has changed from previous disclosures, but the "right to call" continues to be spelled out.

Availability

Headquartered in Rye (Westchester County), New York, USALLIANCE Financial's field of membership (FOM) is wide and varied, providing a path to membership for almost any U.S. citizen or resident alien, with a valid Social Security number.

USALLIANCE revamped their online application almost a year ago and the latest version does not detail the various ways to join on the first page. According to CSR, the different ways to join have not changed and still include,

Easy Membership Requirement: Members of the following associations/charitable organizations qualify.

• American Consumer Council (ACC)
• AOPA
• Arc of Westchester
• Council of Community Service
• New York Historical Society Museum and Library
• The Rye Arts Center
• St. Thomas Orchestra of Mamaroneck
• Sullivan ARC (Sullivan County residents only)
• The Bill Fish Foundation
• Tread Lightly!
• Unite Here

Residency: Individuals who live, work, or worship in the Massachusetts counties of Barnstable, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, or Worcester are eligible for membership. In addition, individuals who live, work, or worship in the city of West Haven, Connecticut, and qualifying districts in Manhattan, Mount Vernon, and The Bronx, are welcome to join. Following the 2018 assumption of First Jersey Credit Union, individuals who live, work, or worship in the New Jersey counties of Bergan and Passaic qualify for membership.

Employment: Employees of over 175 companies are eligible to join, including employees or retirees of the state or local government in the New York counties of Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, or Westchester.

Education: Registered students, staff, and faculty members of Columbia University and Manhattanville College (both in NYC) qualify for membership, as do members of Columbia University’s Alumni Association.

Religious Affiliation: Members of ten named houses of worship in the New York counties of Bronx, Sullivan, and Westchester are eligible to join.

Joining USALLIANCE and/or opening a Certificate Special can be done online. According to USALLIANCE’s COVID-19 Updates page,

To best accommodate our members, we will be offering limited in-branch appointments (at the locations listed below) for transactions that cannot be completed electronically through one of our alternative delivery channels (Online and Mobile Banking, ATMs, or Call Center).

• 1032 Eastern Avenue, Malden, MA
• 71 Station Landing, Medford, MA
• Boston Post Road, Port Chester, NY
• 350 W 31st Street, New York, NY
• Walmart, 7500 Route 209, Napanoch, NY

Unlike most credit unions, USALLIANCE does not have a Share Account that must be opened with a small deposit to establish membership. The only deposit requirement was at least $1 in the account you wish to open. Based on the new online application, it now appears that either a checking or savings account must be opened.

USALLIANCE participates in the CO-OP Shared Branching network, providing members access to more than 5,600 branches throughout the country.

Credit Union Overview

USALLIANCE Financial has an overall health grade of "B+" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 8.53% (excellent) based on June 30, 2020 data. In the past year, USALLIANCE has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $76.23 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 6.28%. Please refer to our financial overview of USALLIANCE Financial (NCUA Charter # 17587) for more details.

USALLIANCE Financial was chartered in 1966 as a credit union for IBM employees. Formerly known as USAlliance Federal Credit Union, the Credit Union did a rebrand in September 2015 to "help drive home all that we have to offer to potential members." From humble beginnings in the company's basement cafeteria, USALLIANCE is currently the 14^th largest credit union headquartered in New York State, with more than 121,000 members and assets in excess of $1.9 billion.

How the Certificate Specials Compare

When compared to 158 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com that require a similar minimum deposit and are available nationwide, USALLIANCE Financial’s 18-month Certificate Special APY currently ranks first.

When compared to 207 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com that require a similar minimum deposit and are available nationwide, USALLIANCE Financial’s 36-month Certificate Special APY currently ranks first.

The above rates are accurate as of 11/30/2020.

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