High-Yield Checking Account

Checking benefits that move at the speed of your life.

We believe your checking account should reward you, not penalize you. That's why we’ve created our High-Yield Checking Account, a simplified checking account option with higher earning potential. Open an account today and enjoy exceptional checking benefits and easy access from anywhere.

Pays premium monthly dividends
No minimum balance
No monthly service fee
Free Black VISA Debit Card
Access to 85,000+ free nationwide ATMs
Free Overdraft Protection from Personal Savings

Overdraft Privilege¹
Free Digital Banking with bill pay and alerts
Free text message fraud alerts
Free E-Statements with check images
Free 24-Hour Phone Banking

Pays premium monthly dividends
No minimum balance
No monthly service fee
Free Black VISA Debit Card
Access to 85,000+ free nationwide ATMs
Free Overdraft Protection from Personal Savings
Overdraft Privilege¹
Free Digital Banking with bill pay and alerts
Free text message fraud alerts
Free E-Statements with check images
Free 24-Hour Phone Banking

High-Yield Checking Account Qualifications

Earn 4.00% APY* on your account balance when you meet three simple requirements each month:

Have at least 12 debit card purchases post and clear
Have at least one (1) direct deposit or automatic payment post and clear
Receive your monthly statements electronically

Open an Account

High-Yield Checking Dividend Rates
Account Type	Dividend Rate	APY	Compound Frequency	Minimum Deposit
Qualifications Met, Balance ≤ $10,000	3.93%	4.00%	Monthly	$0
Qualifications Met, Balance > $10,000	0.10%	0.10%	Monthly	$0
Qualifications Not Met, All Balances	0.05%	0.05%	Monthly	$0

Rates as of 05/17/2025.
*The rate and Annual Percentage Yield (APY) stated for Share Draft Checking Accounts is declared by the Board of Directors and is subject to change at any time. Fees may reduce earnings. Qualifying transactions must post and clear the account during the monthly qualification cycle. Transactions may take one or more business days from the transaction date to post to an account from the date the transaction is made. Intra-bank transfers do not count as qualifying ACH transactions.

I liked that I could open the account 100% online without coming into a branch.

Drew S

High-Yield Checking Earnings Calculator

If your account has 5000 at 4.00%.

In one year you'd have… with a Gulf Winds High-Yield Checking Account

Overdraft Protection

Whether it's a flat tire or an unexpected bill, our Overdraft Protection gives you peace of mind. By automatically transferring any necessary funds from a designated source to your checking account, our free service means you don't have to worry about fees or if you have enough money to cover a purchase. There is no charge, no transfer fee, and no non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee for use of this service when activated on your account.

Overdraft Privilege

Gulf Winds discretionary Overdraft Privilege¹ is a financial resource that can cover an overdraft should you make a mistake with your account. Rather than returning a payment that normally would not clear your account because funds are not available to cover it, we cover the item. While there is a $29.50 fee per item, this resource may protect you from merchant returned check charges or other fees.

^{Only avaliable for Gulf Winds High-Yield and MyFree Checking Products. Subject to approval.}

Move Your Payday Forward... By Two Days!

It's your money, why wait for it? With direct deposit, you could get your paycheck up to two days early.^**

Learn More

Text Message Fraud Alerts

Members that use Gulf Winds Visa Debit Cards may receive text messages from us if we need to confirm account activity. How does it work?

Step 1 - Our fraud monitoring system will keep an eye on your transaction activity. If it sees something unusual, you'll get a text notification.

Step 2 - If the transaction is legitimate, simply reply YES to the text message to unlock your card. If you did not make the transaction, reply NO. If the transaction is confirmed as fraud with a “NO” text reply, the card will be blocked immediately and we will respond with the next step necessary.

You are automatically enrolled in this free service when getting a Gulf Winds Debit Card, however, you can opt-out at any time. If a transaction has been posted to your account that you did not authorize, easily report it in digital banking, in a branch or over the phone. Our digital system makes the claim-filing process simple.

Release of Liability: Alerts sent via the SMS may not be delivered to you if your phone is out of range or if sufficient network capacity is not available at a particular time. Gulf Winds Credit Union cannot guarantee and is not responsible for the availability of data services provided by your mobile carrier.

Ready to Open an Account?

Higher savings rates, better loan rates and lower fees. We believe banking should move you forward. Your future self will thank you.

Open an Account Make an Appointment

Additional Checking Options

MyFree Checking

Convenient, secure, and perfect for daily needs.

No Minimum Balance
No Monthly Service Fee
Overdraft Privilege Protection¹

MyOpportunity Checking

Your opportunity for a fresh start.

$25 Minimum Balance
$10.95 Monthly Service Fee
Free Overdraft Protection from Personal Savings

MyMoney Teens Checking

Helps teens learn valuable financial skills.

No Minimum Balance
No Monthly Service Fee
Free Overdraft Protection from Personal Savings

Account opening subject to approval. Monthly qualifications will be waived and earnings are automatically awarded during first month as High-Yield Checking account holder. All monthly qualifications need to be met following first month to receive all High-Yield Checking benefits.
¹Subject to account qualification after 30 days. A fee will be incurred for use of this service.
**Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.

High-Yield Checking Accounts