Update 1/14/24: Deal is back and valid until December 31, 2024.
Update 8/3/23: Alliant is back on Swagbucks/MyPoints for around $75-$84. As we’ve noted before, anecdotally, it’s been possible to stack the Swagbucks with the $100 offer by clicking through Swagbucks and then navigating to the $100 offer link. (Note: it appears only the below-mentioned Suze Orman version is still available. The slightly easier variant offer mentioned in the updates below is expired, let us know if you find an updated link to those offers.)
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $100
- Availability: Nationwide, must be new member
- Direct deposit required: No
- Additional requirements: Deposit $100 each month
- Hard/soft pull: Soft
- ChexSystems: Yes, some reports of chexsystems sensitivity in the comments but lots approved as well
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: None with eStatements
- Early account termination fee: Unknown
- Household limit: None listed
- Expiration date:
12/31/21December 31, 2022
Contents
The Offer
- Alliant Credit Union is offering a bonus of $100 when new Alliant Credit Union Members open an Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account and complete the following requirements:
- Deposit at least $100 a month for 12 consecutive months
- Must have a balance of at least $1,200 at the end of the 12 month period
The Fine Print
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
- This promotion is for new Alliant Credit Union members only.
- New Alliant Credit Union members can earn a $100 bonus deposit by joining Alliant through Suze Orman’s The Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account promotion and meeting the following requirements.
- Offer valid for one new Alliant Credit Union savings account (“account”) opened from January 10, 2021, through March 31, 2021; funded by transfers and/or deposits totaling $100 or more each month for 12 consecutive months; and opened by applying online from this page or by phone at 800-328-1935 and mentioning “Suze Orman’s The Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account promotion.”
- Existing Alliant members, customers who are a joint owner on an Alliant savings account, and former Alliant members who closed an Alliant savings account within 180 days of applying for the new account are not eligible.
- The first $100 must be transferred and/or deposited within 30 days of account opening, and each calendar month after the first $100 transfer/deposit, funds need to post to the account by the last day of the month.
- Account must remain open and in good standing, maintain an average daily minimum balance of $100, and the balance at the end of the 12-calendar-month period must be $1,200 or more in order to receive the $100 bonus deposit.
- Accounts will be reviewed 12 months from the date of the first transfer/deposit to determine eligibility.
- If all requirements have been met after 12 months, please allow 4 weeks for the $100 bonus deposit to post to your account.
- You will be responsible for any tax liability. Offer is not transferable and not valid for trusts, UTMAs, IRAs or other tax-exempt accounts.
- Limit one offer per new Alliant member.
- All account applications are subject to approval.
- You must apply for the account by 11:59 p.m. CT on March 31, 2021, to be eligible.
- Must be 18 or older at time of account opening and a legal U.S. Resident or U.S. Person (including a U.S. Resident Alien) to be eligible.
- Alliant employees are not eligible for this promotion.
- This promotion is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations and governed by Illinois law. Promotion is sponsored by Alliant Credit Union, 11545 W. Touhy Ave., Chicago, IL 60666.
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
This account has no monthly fees as long as you opt for eStatements.
Early Account Termination Fee
Our Verdict
Looks like you need a minimum of $100 in the account at any time and then must have $1,200 in the account at the end of the promo period, I’d probably just keep the money in there the whole time if possible as the account earns 0.55% 1.00% APY anyway (not terrible compared to other high interest savings accounts).
As far as I know Alliant last ran a checking bonus in 2014 and that was targeted. Some readers might already be members from signing up for Alliant credit cards, but if you’re not already a member then this is an easy bonus and well worth doing. Will add this to our best savings bonuses.
Hat tip to reader Ashley R
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- Bank Account Quick Reference Table (Spreadsheet) (very useful for sorting bonuses by different parameters)
- PSA: Don’t Call The Bank
- Introduction To ChexSystems
- Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive
- What Banks & Credit Unions Do/Don’t Pull ChexSystems?
- How To Use Our Direct Deposit Page For Bank Bonuses Page
- Common Bank Bonus Misconceptions + Why You Should Give Them A Go
- How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?
- Affiliate Links & Bank Bonuses – We Won’t Be Using Them
- Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank
- Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications
- Bank Bonus Posting Times
Update History:
- Update 2/20/23: There is a new variation that just requires a $1,000 deposit and just needs to be maintained until May 31, 2023. Link here. Probably best to wait for a Swagbucks bonus to return. Hat tip to reader Woody. Looks like you might need to use one of these links to be eligible?
- Landing Page: http://www.alliantoffer.com/brain Promo Code: brain100
- Landing Page: http://www.alliantoffer.com/justb Promo Code: just100
- Landing Page: http://www.alliantoffer.com/john Promo Code: john100
- Landing Page: http://www.alliantoffer.com/tech Promo Code: tech100
- Update 1/15/23: Extended through December 31, 2023.
- Update 11/20/22: Swagbucks is up to $75 now. (ht FrankPL) Again, click through Swagbucks, then navigate to the $100 bonus, and hopefully the SB will still track.
- Update 10/19/22: Swagbucks is now 6,500 SB and MyPoints is at 12,000.
- Update 8/22/22: There’s also a 4,500 SB or 8,000 MP bonus when signing up for an Alliant savings account and depositing $25. Not known if this stacks with the $100 bonus or not, but you can try clicking through Swagbucks and then navigating to the $100 bonus page and hopefully the Swagbucks will still track. (ht Gadget) And this has been confirmed to work in the past. (ht Kyle)
- Update 7/7/22: There is another version of this offer that requires a $10,000 deposit. Much quicker to get the bonus but much higher balance required. The normal version of this offer is better in my opinion. Separately, there’s now $100 checking bonus as well.
- Update 1/20/22: Deal is back and valid until December 31, 2022.
Does Alliant Savings use Chex? Extrabux is offering $120 for opening an account, but my Chex is already super high.
Rakuten is offering $120 when opening a certificate with Alliant. Seems it requires a minimum of USD 1,000 and 60 days. Alliant offers 4.75% for 3 months, so that seems a good deal.
i dont mind the 6 month option. would that also comply with the rakuten deal?
Have no idea why would anyone still be obsessed with ACU’s 3% rate, I am glad closed my account longtime ago. There is a ton of other option around, let alone to mention their shady account purge/closure practices.
Oh how time flies. I opened one in summer 2022. All went well with the promo. They also had a super easy deposit $100 into a checking, and get $100 around that time.
I’ve been wanting to close my very old Alliant account. If I close now, would I be eligible in 6-7 months to try for this bonus with the 180 day wording? Then another 12 months to get the bonus. Sounds like a long ways off.
It looks like it is churnable only if the old account was opened before January 10, 2021:
“Offer valid for one new Alliant Credit Union savings account (“account”) opened from January 10, 2021, through December 31, 2024”
basically, in a 5.25% acct you get 63.00 in interest, plus no tying up 100.00 plus making sure your 100.00 deposit goes into the Alliant acct monthly. All for about $37.00 extra? And if SB was guaranteed to payout along with the Alliant bonus, then a great deal. No way you know if you would get the SB cash. Plus, correct me, but the 100.00 Alliant deal is expired.
You didn’t account for the 3.1% interest rate of the account.
barrytuneup I agree that it’s not a great deal, but as DoC posted the deal has been extended until 12/31/2024. The details at Alliant site say “Offer valid for one new Alliant Credit Union savings account (“account”) opened from January 10, 2021, through December 31, 2024”.
barrytuneup You don’t have to leave the money in the savings account, only deposit it. The fine print at DoC’s link says the offer is good through December 31, 2024. I also saw a 7500 SB offer for opening an Alliant CU savings account when I logged in just now.
This offer isn’t great, but it might be useful to those who have exhausted all other bonus offers; some states have few local offers.
The $5 Alliant deposits for the membership fee is non-withdrawable correct?
Current offer page: https://promo.alliantcreditunion.org/ultimate-opportunity-savings
“Deposit at least $100 a month for 12 consecutive months.¹ Not only will you earn the current interest rate of 3.10% APY², but after those 12 consecutive months, you’ll also get a $100 bonus!”
Is this a joke? Why would anyone want to do this?
Money is money. It essentially works out to an 8.3% return. Why not?
The irony is I’m back here because I’m considering opening an Alliant loan to do the savings loan technique to increase credit score https://www.doctorofcredit.com/strengthen-credit-installment-loan-using-secured-loan-technique/
I’m thinking if I’m gonna open any Alliant account I might as well start with this savings bonus deal, despite the high work to reward ratio.
After we received the $100 bonus, can we just leave $5 in the savings and withdraw the rest? I would like to keep it open.
Yes. That’s exactly what I did, although I didn’t withdraw in one fell swoop. It shouldn’t matter though. It’s your money.
“We’re sorry, but unfortunately, you did not qualify for an Alliant High-Rate Savings account because of information (or lack of information) on your financial history.” Maybe the number of Chexsystems inquiries.
Yes, they declined me for a checking account several months ago even though I already was a member. They are very Chex sensitive.