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Gesa Credit Union might be a good option if you're searching for a local financial institution with a high-yield checking account or solid CDs. To become a member, you must live in Washington, select counties in Idaho, or select counties in Oregon. See how Gesa's rates compare to the best CD rates right now.
Gesa Federal Credit Union: Overall Rating
| Feature | Personal Finance Insider rating (out of 5) |
| Savings | 4.25 |
| Checking | 4.25 |
| Money market account | 3.5 |
| CD | 3.75 |
| Trustworthiness | 5 |
| Total | 4.25 |
Gesa Federal Credit Union Pros and Cons
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Gesa Federal Credit Union Bank Account Reviews
Gesa Federal Credit Union SmartPlus Savings Account
no monthly service fee
0.01% to 5.00%
$5
- High interest rate on the first $500 in your account if you meet the monthly requirements
- No monthly service fees
- Low minimum opening deposit
- Low interest rate on account balances over $500 or if you don't meet the monthly requirements
- About 30 Gesa branches in Washington
- Access to over 5,500 shared branches through the CO-OP Shared Branch network
- Become a member of Gesa Credit Union if you meet one of the following requirements: You or a family member live, work, worship, or go to school in Washington; You live in select Idaho or Oregon counties
- Earn 7.00% APY on the first $500 in your account if you meet the following monthly requirements: provide a valid email address and enroll in online statements
- Earn 0.01% APY on account balances over $500 or if you don't meet the monthly requirements
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
You may open the Gesa Credit Union Gesa Credit Union SmartPlus Savings Account to establish membership at Gesa Credit Union. The Gesa Credit Union Gesa Credit Union SmartPlus Savings Account offers a high interest rate on the first $500 of your account if you sign up for online statements and use a valid email address.
The main downside to the account is you'll only earn 0.01% APY on account balances over $500 or if you receive paper statements.
Gesa Federal Credit Union SmartPlus Checking Account
no monthly service fee
0.01% to 3.00%
$25
- High interest rate on the first $5,000 in your account if you meet the monthly requirements
- No monthly service fees
- No out-of-network ATM fees
- Low minimum opening deposit
- Early direct deposit
- Multiple overdraft protection plans available
- Unlimited ATM fee refunds if you fufill monthly requirements
- Rounds up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and deposits change to your savings account
- Low interest rate on account balances over $5,000 or if you don't meet the monthly requirements
- $29 overdraft fee
- $3.50 overdraft protection transfer fee
- About 30 Gesa branches in Washington
- Access to over 5,500 shared branches through the CO-OP Shared Branch network
- Access to over 70,000 surcharge free ATMs through the CU24 credit union ATM network
- Become a member of Gesa Credit Union if you meet one of the following requirements: You or a family member live, work, worship, or go to school in Washington; You live in select Idaho or Oregon counties
- Earn 3.00% APY on the first $5,000 in your account and get unlimited ATM fee refunds if you meet the following monthly requirements: enroll in online statements; make a monthly a monthly direct deposit of $200 or more; make at least 15 debit card transactions per month; provide a valid email address
- Earn 0.01% APY on account balances over $5,000 or if you don't meet the monthly requirements
- Overdraft protection that links your checking accounts to a savings account or lets you apply for a line of credit
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
The Gesa Credit Union Gesa Credit Union SmartPlus Checking Account is one of the credit union's strongest products. You may earn 5.00% APY on the first $5,000 in your account and receive unlimited ATM fee refunds if you meet the following requirements each month:
- Enroll in online statements and use a valid email address
- Make a monthly direct deposit of over $200
- Make 15 debit card transactions
This account also stands out because it offers early direct deposit and lets you round up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and deposit the change to your savings account.
Gesa Federal Credit Union Share Certificates
2.50% to 4.00%
$500
- High interest rates
- Earn a higher interest rate if you deposit $50,000 or $100,000 upfront
- Variety of terms
- Standard to high early withdrawal penalties
- About 30 Gesa branches in Washington
- Access to over 5,500 shared branches through the CO-OP Shared Branch network
- Become a member of Gesa Credit Union if you meet one of the following requirements: You or a family member live, work, worship, or go to school in Washington; You live in select Idaho or Oregon counties
- Terms range from 6 months to 7 years
- Earn a higher interest rate if you deposit $50,000 or $100,000 upfront
- Early withdrawal penalties: For CD terms under 1 year, the penalty is 90 day of interest; For terms between 1 year and 3 years, thepenalty is 180 days of interest; For terms between 3 year and 4 years, the penalty is 1 year of interest; For terms over 4 years, the penalty is 540 days of interest
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
Gesa Credit Union could be a great choice if you're looking for 1-year or 7-year CDs. These terms stand out because they pay competitive interest rates higher than the average CD. The 7-year CD also isn't a common term length at financial institutions. You'll also only need $500 to open Gesa Credit Union Gesa Credit Union Share Certificates.
Gesa Federal Credit Union Money Market Account
no monthly service fee
0.20% to 0.45%
$2,500
- No monthly service fees
- Paper checks included
- Low interest rate compared to online banks
- $2,500 minimum opening deposit
- Must maintain at least $2,500 in account to earn interest
- No debit card included
- About 30 Gesa branches in Washington
- Access to over 5,500 shared branches through the CO-OP Shared Branch network
- Become a member of Gesa Credit Union if you meet one of the following requirements: You or a family member live, work, worship or go to school in Washington; You live in select Idaho or Oregon counties
- Earn 0.20% APY on account balances between $2,500 and $9,999.99
- Earn 0.25% APY on account balances between $10,000 and $24,999.99
- Earn 0.30% APY on account balances between $25,000 and $49,999.99
- Earn 0.35% APY on account balances between $50,000 and $99,999.99
- Earn 0.40% APY on account balances between $100,000 and $249,999.99
- Earn 0.45% APY on account balances over $250,000
- Must maintain at least $2,500 in account to earn interest
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
The Gesa Credit Union Gesa Credit Union Money Market Account might be worthwhile if you'd like to open a money market account that doesn't charge monthly service fees. You'll need a minimum of $2,500 to open an account and earn interest, though.
If you prefer a money market account with a lower minimum opening deposit or a higher interest rate, you might want one of the best money market accounts.
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About Gesa Credit Union
Gesa Credit Union is a community development financial institution (CDFI) with about 30 locations in Washington. It is also a part of the CO-OP Shared Branch network, which has over 5,500 shared branches throughout the US.
Members may use over 70,000 surcharge-free ATMs through the CU24 credit union ATM network.
To reach out to the Gesa Credit Union Member Contact Center, call or use live chat from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Saturday.
The credit union's mobile app is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars in the Apple store, and 4.4 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.
Gesa Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA. You may safely keep up to $250,000 in an individual bank account, or $500,000 in joint bank accounts.
How to Join Gesa Credit Union
You must be eligible for membership to open an account at Gesa Credit Union. To qualify for membership, you need to meet one of the following requirements:
- You or a family member live, work, worship, or attend school in the state of Washington
- You live in select counties in Idaho (Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, or Shoshone county)
- You live in select counties in Oregon (Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wasco, or Washington county)
All members must open a Gesa Credit Union savings account with at least $5.
The Role of Community Development Financial Institutions
Community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, serve low-income and disadvantaged communities. Banks and credit unions have to undergo certification by the US Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund and meet specific requirements to address banking barriers.
Gesa Credit Union has a scholarship program for entering freshmen and current college students. Since 1987, the credit union has awarded over $630,000 in college scholarships.
The credit union has also partnered with 12 high schools in Washington to create a student-run credit union program that teaches high school students about the financial industry.
Is Gesa Credit Union Trustworthy?
The Better Business Bureau assesses businesses to see how they address customer issues.
Gesa Credit Union received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
A BBB rating won't necessarily be the be-all and end-all. Talk to current customers or read online customer reviews to get a more well-rounded perspective on whether Gesa Credit Union is right for you.
How Gesa Federal Credit Union Compares
Gesa Credit Union vs. Kitsap Credit Union
Kitsap Credit Union is another CDFI in Washington. To become a member of Kitsap Credit Union, you or a family member must live, work, go to school, or worship in the state of Washington.
Both credit unions have solid high-yield checking accounts that do not charge monthly service fees. Your choice between the two might boil down to whether you qualify to earn a competitive interest rate at a particular institution.
At Kitsap Credit Union, you'll be able to earn 3.30% APY on the first $15,000 of your checking account balance if you enroll in online bank statements, make 12 debit card transactions each month, and make at least one ACH transfer, direct deposit, or bill payment per month.
Meanwhile, Gesa Credit Union lets you earn 5.00% APY on the first $5,000 in a Gesa Credit Union Gesa Credit Union SmartPlus Checking Account if you enroll in online statements and use a valid email address, make a monthly direct deposit of over $200, and make 15 debit card transactions per month.
Gesa Credit Union also might be an appealing choice if you are looking for CDs with high interest rates. The credit union's 1-year or 7-year CDs stand out because they pay competitive interest rates higher than the average CD.
Gesa Credit Union vs. HAPO Community Credit Union
Deciding between Gesa Credit Union and HAPO Community Credit Union could ultimately depend on where you live.
To become a member of Gesa Credit Union, you must live in Washington, select counties in Idaho, or select counties in Oregon. In comparison, HAPO Community Credit Union lets you become a member if you or a family member live or work in the state of Washington or select counties in Oregon (Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia Gillam, Hood River, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla Wasco, or Washington county).
You also want to consider which types of accounts you'd like to open. Gesa Credit Union has a high-yield checking account, while HAPO Community Credit Union doesn't.
You might lean more toward HAPO Community Credit Union if you'd like to get a share certificate with a low minimum opening deposit, though.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Gesa Federal Credit Union
For our Gesa Federal Credit Union review, we rated bank products and services using our editorial standards.
We rate products on a scale from one to five stars, and use a bank account methodology
For example, using our CD methodology we'll review interest rates, minimum opening deposit requirements, early withdrawal penalties, CD variety, customer support availability, mobile app ratings, miscellaneous features, security, and ethics of the overall company. Meanwhile, for checking accounts, we'll factor in the ATM network size and fees, overdraft protection options, customer support hours, mobile app ratings, ethics, security, miscellaneous features, minimum opening deposit requirements, and fees.
We use a weighted average to get our star rating, which means we weigh certain features, like interest rates and fees, at a higher weight percentage than others. We understand that these areas can more heavily impact a person's overall banking experience.
Gesa Federal Credit Union FAQs
Yes, Gesa Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA. Up to $250,000 is secure in an individual bank account, or $500,000 in joint bank accounts.
To become a member of Gesa Credit Union, you or a family member must live, work, worship, or attend school in the state of Washington. If you live in select counties in Idaho or Oregon, you may also be eligible for membership.
Gesa Credit Union has branches in Washington. Gesa Credit Union is also part of the CO-OP Shared Branch Network. At shared branches, you can deposit money, transfer funds between bank accounts, or make a loan payment. You won't be able to open new accounts specific to your credit union at a shared branch, though.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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