DuPage Credit Union
Open to the collar counties around Cook County, Illinois, or family members of existing members, or in some cases people who live in certain states.
1. Get a promo code for checking your eligibility. Do this by scrolling to the bottom and taking the questionnaire. Then just copy the code it gives you and save a screenshot for later. DO NOT OPEN AN ACCOUNT YET. This code gives you $25 for opening the Membership Savings, which is mandatory for opening other accounts or credit lines with them.
Then get the $200 checking bonus: Open a Cash Back Checking account from the link here, and then select Membership Savings and Cash Back Checking together. Along the way on the application form there will be a place to put your promo code from checking eligibility for membership. Add it there.
Remember that after you're approved, to put at least $5 in your Membership Savings account.
Also, put in enough in the checking to Spend $1000 in 90 days from account opening, get $200 on the Cash Back Checking.
From the requirements page: "Open a Cash Back Checking account within the first 90 days of your membership. Enroll in Digital Banking and register for eStatements. Make at least $1,000 in debit card purchases within 90 days of opening your checking account."
Total: $225 when you do all of these things. No direct deposit required, no monthly fee or minimum balance (other than the $5 in your membership savings).
DuPage Credit Union is not federally chartered and is not a member of NCUA. It operates under the laws and authority of the State of Illinois.
Therefore it's not subject to most of the president's recent executive order on making banking difficult for non-citizens and the additional spying on bank accounts. (The parts that order the FDIC and NCUA to do things do not apply here, although possibly the parts directed at Treasury, CFPB, and Federal Reserve might.)
It's insured by a private insurance company called American Share Insurance.
I signed up for an account today to "opt out" of most of this executive order. Also, another account bonus is always nice.
