Summary: Alliant Credit Union was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Chicago. It offers competitive rates on CDs and above-average rates on its no-fee checking and savings accounts. The credit union, which went fully digital in 2020, is open for anyone to join. It’s our second-highest pick among the 10 best credit unions of 2025.
Alliant offers checking accounts with no minimum balance requirement and no monthly maintenance fee, including its high-yield checking. The 0.25% APY might not sound like much, but it certainly beats the national average rate of 0.07%.
Keep in mind, however, that you have to meet both of the following requirements to earn interest on the account:
For this and other checking and savings accounts, the credit union reimburses up to $20 in monthly ATM fees. Alliant offers various forms of overdraft protection for all checking accounts, but you’ll have to opt in.
Do you have a child between 13 and 17 years old? If so, you can open a teen checking account for them and add yourself as a joint owner.
With teen checking, there’s no minimum balance or monthly account fee. Similar to Alliant’s high-yield checking account, you’ll have to opt into eStatements or receive at least one electronic deposit per month to earn interest, and the current rate is 0.25% APY.
Read more: Choosing the best bank accounts for teens: 5 key features to consider
Alliant offers above-average interest rates on savings accounts, but you typically have to meet one or more requirements to earn interest. With the High-Rate Savings account, you can earn 3.10% APY if you maintain an average daily balance of $100 or more.
Account holders will want to be mindful of how many transfers they make from an Alliant savings account. Like some other banks and credit unions, you’re limited to six transfers a month.
New Alliant CU members can earn a $100 bonus by opening an Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account and depositing at least $100 a month for 12 consecutive months. Sure, it takes a while to collect your reward, but in the meantime, you’ll earn 3.10% APY on your deposits.
Read more: 16 new bank account promotions: Earn up to $3,000
Alliant’s supplemental savings account is similar to the credit union’s other offerings. You can earn 3.10% APY if you maintain an average daily balance of at least $100, and there are no monthly fees when you choose eStatements.
This particular account can be good for someone who wants to start one or more sinking funds — or funds saved for specific upcoming expenses. You can open as many as 19 separate supplemental savings accounts and give each one a name of your choosing. For example, you may want to name one “Summer Vacation Fund” and another “Car Down Payment.”
The downside: You might end up with a few too many separate savings accounts to manage. And if your average balance dips below $100 on any of the accounts, you won’t earn interest in the account for the month.
Read more: Should I have more than one savings account?
If your child or grandchild is too young for a teen checking account, consider opening a kids savings account.
These accounts are available for kids up to age 12, and Alliant makes an initial $5 deposit to get your child started with saving. Then, if you keep an average daily balance of at least $100, your deposits will earn a competitive 3.10% APY.
Just make sure to set up eStatements — otherwise you’ll be charged a $1 fee for each paper statement.
Read more: How to open a savings account for a child
Alliant Credit Union offers some of the best CD rates on the market today. Their rates range from 3.10% to 4.10% APY, with the highest rate available on Alliant’s six-month CD. Regardless of the term, you’ll have to make a $1,000 minimum deposit to open an account.
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Home loans: The credit union offers a variety of home loan options, including conventional mortgages; FHA, VA, and USDA loans; and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). There’s no application fee, but the mortgage origination fee is $1,200 and rate ranges are not disclosed.
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Personal loans: Same-day funding is available on Alliant’s personal loans, which range from $1,000 to $100,000. Payment terms are between one and five years. Same-day funding is available, and rates start at 8.99% APR.
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Auto loans: Alliant offers loans for new and used cars, refinancing, RVs, and Tesla-specific loans, with same-day approval available. Rates start at 5.84% APR, and you can get a 0.50% discount if you use Alliant’s car-buying service.
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Alliant Visa Platinum Card: This $0 annual fee Visa Platinum card gives you 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months. One stand-out feature is the card’s 2% balance transfer fee, which is low compared to most other cards (typically 3% to 5%).
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Alliant Cashback Signature Credit Card: Earn up to 2.5% cash back on your first $10,000 in qualified purchases and 1.5% after that. This card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
Alliant Credit Union offers checking and savings accounts with no fees. But some of their bank accounts do have minimum deposit requirements to earn interest, and/or they require you to sign up for eStatements, so you’ll want to take a close look at the account terms before applying.
Alliant has many benefits, but there are some drawbacks to consider, too.
Pros:
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Anyone can join: Unlike most credit unions, Alliant has options for anyone to join. Even if you don’t live or work near Alliant’s Chicago headquarters, you can opt to become an Alliant Credit Union Foundation digital inclusion advocate (it’s free), which qualifies you for membership.
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No monthly account fees: Alliant offers both checking and savings accounts that have no monthly fees.
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Large ATM network: Members can visit one of over 80,000 fee-free ATMs, or get reimbursed up to $20 a month when using out-of-network ATMs.
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Complimentary credit scores: You can log in to your online account or use Alliant’s mobile app to monitor your VantageScore credit score.
Cons:
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No in-person banking: Alliant is an online-only credit union, which means you can’t visit a physical branch to access your accounts. Additionally, not all in-network ATMs accept deposits, which can create obstacles for customers who want to deposit cash to their accounts.
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Zelle is not currently available: The credit union doesn’t have Zelle, which means your transfers to outside banks could take a bit more time and effort.
Alliant offers their services online only, meaning you can’t get in-person support. However, to speak to an agent, you can call 800-328-1935. You can also text 224-285-6800 or send a message through the app or your online account.
Since Alliant offers online-only banking, their mobile app will likely play a big role in your experience as a customer. In addition to viewing your account activity, you can use Alliant’s Android or iPhone app to do the following:
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Make mobile check deposits
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Transfer funds to internal and external bank accounts
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Monitor your VantageScore (based on your TransUnion credit report)
Both of Alliant’s apps are well-rated: The Android app has 4.5 out of 5 stars, and the iPhone app has 4.7 out of 5 stars. A common complaint from customers, however, is that they’ve recently had challenges with the log-in process for the apps, particularly with Android.
Alliant gives back in a number of ways. One of the main focus areas of philanthropy for the credit union is digital inclusion, or bringing internet access to remote and underserved areas. For example, in 2024, the Alliant Credit Union Foundation donated $1.6 million to organizations that provide free internet service, computers, and technology equipment to communities in need.
If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly financial institution, Alliant has that too. The credit union has the highest rating available from Green Bank, an organization that scores financial institutions on their commitment to climate safety.
In addition to being low waste — since its operations are all digital — Alliant discourages the use of paper statements by charging a $1 fee for each, and by making eStatements a condition for earning interest or avoiding fees on some accounts.
Read more: What is sustainable banking?
In order to bank with Alliant, you’ll have to become a member, which means you’ll have to meet at least one of the credit union’s eligibility requirements. But there’s an option for everyone, regardless of where you live or work.
Here are the ways you can be eligible to join:
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You work or have worked for one of the organizations that partners with Alliant.
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Your domestic partner or immediate family member is an Alliant member.
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You live or work near Chicago (see all eligible communities).
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You agree to become an Alliant Credit Union Foundation digital inclusion advocate.
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For non-U.S. residents, you meet one of the above requirements, and you can provide a Social Security number or current ITIN.
Yes, Alliant Credit Union provides National Credit Union Alliance (NCUA) insurance for their customers’ deposit accounts.
Alliant Credit Union’s routing number is 271081528.
Yes, Alliant is a real credit union that has been operating since 1935.
Anyone can join Alliant Credit Union. Even if you’re not affiliated with one of Alliant’s partnering employers, there are other ways you can qualify for membership.
Read more: 7 credit unions anyone can join
