Connexus Credit Union review: Fee-free high-yield checking account with no minimum opening deposit

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Pros and cons

Connexus Credit Union Members Savings Account

The Connexus Credit Union Members Savings Account requires a Connexus Credit Union Members Savings Account minimum opening deposit and pays a decent interest rate. With a debit card included, it also provides easy access to your account, which isn't common among traditional savings accounts.

Connexus Xtraordinary Checking Account

The Connexus Xtraordinary Checking Account is an excellent high-yield checking account. There's no minimum opening deposit, monthly service fees, or out-of-network ATM fees. 

You'll get the most of the account if you maintain less than $25,000 in your account and do the following: subscribe to-e-statements, and either make 15 monthly debit transactions or spend $400 monthly with your debit card.

Connexus Credit Union Share Certificate

Connexus offers high interest rates on Connexus Credit Union Share Certificate but the minimum opening deposit is pretty steep at Connexus Credit Union Share Certificate. If you don't have that much money to deposit, you might want to go for one of the options in our best CD rates guide.

Connexus Credit Union Money Market Account

You'll prefer the Connexus Credit Union Money Market Account over the credit union's savings account if you're able to maintain a high balance in your account. The money market account pays a high interest rate if you deposit least $20,000 in your account. 

Watch out for excess withdrawal fees, though, because you're only allowed four free withdrawals per month.

How Connexus Credit Union works

Connexus Credit Union is an online financial institution with 15 branches in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. It's also part of the CO-OP and MoneyPass networks, which provide access to 6,000 shared branches and over 67,000 ATMs in Co-op and MoneyPass networks.

Customer service is available over the phone or through email. To reach out to the Member Contact Center, call from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or during limited hours on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 

The Connexus Credit Union mobile app received 4.7 out of 5 stars in the Google Play Store and Apple Store. 

The credit union is also federally insured by the NCUA, so up to $250,000 is secure in an individual bank account. 

How to join Connexus Credit Union 

There are several ways to be eligible for membership. To become a member, you'll need to meet any of the following requirements:

• You or a family member must work or be an alumnus of a group from this list
• Live in an eligible community or county in Minnesota, Ohio, or Wisconsin
• Have a family member who is a current member
• Become a member of the Connexus Association by making an initial $5 donation

Is Connexus Credit Union trustworthy?

Ratings from the Better Business Bureau look at several factors, including how an institution resolves customer issues and whether it has transparent business.  The BBB gave Connexus Credit Union an A+ rating.

A good BBB rating doesn't necessarily ensure that your experience with a credit union will be perfect, though. Chat with current members or read online customer reviews to get a better idea if a credit union will be a match for you.

On another note, Connexus has been involved in any recent public scandals. 

How Connexus Credit Union compares 

We compared Connexus Credit Union to two other financial institutions in our best credit unions guide: Alliant Credit Union and Wings Financial Credit Union.

Credit unions require membership to open a bank account. All three financial institutions offer an easy way to join —just donate $5 to their respective foundation. 

Choosing between these three credit unions will hinge on which account options appeal the most to you. 

Alliant Credit Union pays the highest interest rates on savings. However, you'll need to make sure you have at least $100 in your account to earn interest. 

If you're looking for a high-yield checking account, it'll be a toss-up between Connexus and Wings Financial. Both credit unions have a strong high-yield checking account, with no minimum opening deposit, monthly fees, and competitive interest rates.