Wings Financial Credit Union is an aviation industry-focused credit union primarily serving consumers in the Minneapolis, Seattle, and Atlanta areas. Wings Financial mainly focuses on personal consumer banking, like deposit accounts and mortgages, but it does offer some business banking as well.
In terms of interest-bearing deposit accounts, CDs, and MMAs, Wings offers some very competitive rates — although very high minimum balances are required to get the best APYs. Additionally, the credit union falls a bit short in terms of convenience. It has limited customer service hours and its online website and mobile app are a bit clunky and unwieldy.
About Wings Financial
Wings Financial CU is a state-chartered credit union with headquarters in Apple Valley, Minnesota near the MSP Airport. The credit union was founded in 1938 as an airline employee credit union.
In 2010, Wings merged with Minneapolis-based City County Financial Credit Union and more than doubled its branch presence. Outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Twin Cities area, Wings Financial has branches in Michigan, Florida, Georgia, and Washington State.
Wings Financial is the largest, state-headquartered credit union in Minnesota, where it has more than $8.8 billion in assets and over 760,000 customer accounts under management.
Known primarily as a consumer bank, Wings Financial offers checking, savings, and money market accounts, car loans, aircraft loans, home loans, college savings accounts, IRAs, youth savings, student loans, and more. Wings’s products are designed to meet the full spectrum of consumer banking needs at every life stage.
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Wings Financial: Checking Accounts
Wings Financial Credit Union has three member checking account options. A $5 minimum opening deposit is required for each one.
1. First Class Checking
This is Wings Financial’s base-level and most popular checking account. Balances earn a 0.01% APY, pay no monthly service fees, receive free bill payer service, and get their first box of checks free. Additionally, account holders enjoy access to a network of over 80,000+ surcharge-free ATMs.
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2. High-Yield Checking
Designed for members who want to maximize their dividend earnings, balances up to $25,000 earn an APY of 3.04%. Above $25,000, funds earn a variable rate APY ranging from 0.01% to 3.04%.
To qualify for the 3.04% APY on the first $25,000, accountholders must be enrolled in eStatements, receive at least $300 in ACH direct deposits in the 34 calendar days preceding the last day of the month, and have completed 15 net PIN debit card transactions of $5 or greater in the same period.
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3. Student Spend Account
A no-frills account designed to meet the basic checking account needs of students. The account balance earns interest at 0.01% APY, and there are no monthly service fees if enrolled in online statements.
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Wings Financial: Savings Accounts
Wings offers three traditional deposit savings account options.
1. Share Savings
A low-yield savings account, Share Savings requires a $5 deposit to open. Balances earn a 0.15% APY, with interest compounded and credited quarterly. There are no minimum daily balance requirements and allows up to 10 free withdrawals per month at ATMs not in the Wings Financial network.
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2. Platinum Plus Savings
For high-net-worth individuals, the Platinum Plus Savings account may be an excellent choice. A minimum deposit of $25,000 is required to open an account, but balances of $25,000 or higher earn a 4.75% APY. Interest is compounded and credited monthly.
A monthly ACH deposit of $300 is required to get the 4.75% APY rate, otherwise, the balance will earn a 0.25% APY. ACH deposits from “gig economy jobs” or self-employment do not qualify.
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3. High-Yield Savings
The high-yield savings account offers a tiered rate of interest ranging from 0.10% to 1.56%. A balance of at least $250,000 is required to get the highest-tier APY. Interest is compounded and credited monthly, and unlike the Platinum Plus Savings, there are no monthly deposit requirements.
Wings Financial: CDs
Wings Financial offers certificates of deposit at attractive rates, with term rates ranging from three (3) months to five (5) years.
Additionally, the credit union regularly offers CD specials. Currently, Wings is offering APYs of 4.65% to 5.40% for CD terms from six (6) to 18 months.
A minimum deposit of $500 is required to open a regular or promotional-rate CD.
There are no monthly service fees for CD accounts, but there are penalties for early withdrawal. For CDs with terms of fewer than 24 months, the penalty is an amount equivalent to 6 months’ dividends. For CDs with terms of 24 months or greater, the penalty is equivalent to 2 years’ dividends.
Upon a CD’s maturation at the end of term, members have 10 calendar days to withdraw the funds without penalty. After the first 10 days, the CD will automatically be renewed for the same term lengths although the annual percentage yield will be adjusted to reflect the new current rate.
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Wings Financial: MMAs
Wings Credit Union offers a money market account with a 0.15% APY. A $5 minimum deposit is due, but there are no minimum balance requirements. Interest is compounded and credited monthly. Referred to as a Money Manager Savings account, there are no monthly transaction limits for withdrawals or deposits.
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Additional Products
In addition to their MMAs, CDs, and deposit accounts, Wings Financial Credit Union has an extensive offering of financial products.
- Auto loans
- Aircraft loans
- Recreational loans
- Credit cards
- Personal loans
- Custodial (children’s) accounts
- Scholarships
- Student loans
- Personal loans
- Mortgages
- Home equity loans
- Home improvement loans
- Investment property loans
- Roth and traditional IRAs
- Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (CESA)
- Retirement planning
- Wealth management
- Insurance (life, auto, home, long-term care)
- Business checking and savings
- Commercial lending
Features
- Fee-free banking: Wings offers fee-free checking and savings accounts, with no minimum balance requirements.
- 36 branch locations: Store locations in Atlanta, Georgia, Seattle-Tacoma, Washington, Orlando Florida, Detroit, Michigan, and Minnesota. 32 of the locations are located in Minnesota and all other states have only one (1) branch.
- Highly-rated mobile app: The Wings mobile app has a 4.8-star rating on iTunes and a 4.5-star rating on Google Play.
- Outstanding products for young savers: Three (3) youth savings accounts to promote saving and financial literacy: Jr. JetSavers, SOAR EXPLORERS, and SOAR), scholarships for undergrad and post-grad member students, and the Wings Student Spend Account.
Pricing and Fees
Wings Financial has a schedule of fees for some of the services it provides. Below is a rundown of the most common fees impacting consumers.
- Returned Deposit Item: There is a $10 per item fee for returned deposited items. This might include a check you deposit in your account that does not clear. The check will be returned to the authorizing party and your account will incur a $10 fee.
- Returned Check or ACH for Non-Sufficient Funds (Return Check NFS): There is a $10 fee per item for checks, ACH, or debit card transactions returned because your account does not have a sufficient balance to cover the item. This could be a check or a debit card payment.
- Paid Non-Sufficient Funds Charge: There is a $30 fee per item when Wings pays an item that your balance does not have enough funds to cover. This is a check, debit card, or ACH transaction that is paid even though it draws your account (further) negative.
- Overdraft Protection Plus (OPP): This is added coverage to ensure that payments, debits, or ACH withdrawals are not declined at point of sale (POS) due to insufficient funds. It’s designed to provide an added layer of coverage beyond standard overdraft protection. Accountholders must actively sign up for OPP coverage and there’s no guarantee Wings will extend it to every NSF item.
- Stop Payment: There is a $30 fee per stop-payment request. There’s no guarantee that Wings will be successful in its attempt to prevent the payment from clearing; the fee is for the financial institution’s attempt.
- Paper Statement Fee: There is a $3 per month paper statement fee. Online or eStatements are free.
- Visa Debit Card Replacement Fee: There is a $10 replacement fee per debit card.
- Excessive Withdrawal Fee: For accounts with Investment Money Market and other accounts with withdrawal limits, there is a $10 service charge for each withdrawal in excess of monthly account limits.
- Dormant Account Fee: Wings assesses a $20 monthly charge for any account determined to be dormant or inactive.
- ATM Fees: The first 10 transactions made, per statement cycle, at an out-of-network ATM are free of charge. After the first 10, there is a $2.50 fee per transaction. Additionally, the machine owner may charge their own separate fees.
- Check Cashing: Check cashing is free with an active checking account, otherwise, Wings charges $5 per check.
- Cashier’s Check: Wings will issue up to one (1) cashier’s check for free per day for account holders with an active checking account. There is a $5 fee for each additional check.
- Wire Transfers: There is no fee for incoming wire transfers. For outgoing wires, there is a $30 fee for domestic transfers or a $50 fee for international ones.
- Legal Processing Order Fee: A fee of $100 per process order will be charged for any court order that Wings must carry out on your account(s), including levies, garnishments, or liens.
Getting Started
Consumers can open a Wings account at a bank location in their area or by visiting WingsFinancial.com.
Online, the process takes 5 to 15 minutes. You’ll need to provide basic information like your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number (SSN), and driver’s license or government ID number.
You may be asked to provide a copy of your ID, in which case you can take a photo of the front and back of your ID with your phone and then upload it to your application. You must also meet the member eligibility requirements in order to join.
You or an immediate family member must:
- Live or work in eligible cities or counties in Minnesota, Seattle-Tacoma, Detroit, Orlando, or Atlanta.
- Work for the aviation industry, including airlines, airports, air freight, or air couriers.
- Have an immediate family member who is a current member of Wings Credit Union.
- Make a $5 non-refundable donation to the Wings Financial Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Wings Credit Union that is dedicated to promoting financial literacy and supporting local community organizations.
Promotions
Wings Credit Union regularly has bank promotions and bonus offers for new and existing members. On the Wings website, you can navigate to the “Personal” banking option and then select “Current Promotions” under the “Save” header.
Here are some of Wings’ current promotions going on right now.
Security
Wings employees advanced methods to protect your money and your personal data. Deposits at Wings Credit Union are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for up to $250,000 per member per account type.
NCUA coverage protects customers of state-chartered and federal credit unions. This program is similar to FDIC coverage that is extended to bank customers.
In terms of data privacy, Wings uses advanced cybersecurity measures including encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and ongoing account surveillance.
Customer Support
Wings Financial offers customers several ways to reach a teller or customer support agent.
- Phone: Call or text 1-800-692-2274. Phone support is available on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Text support is available 24/7 but text messages are not encrypted.
- Email: Send electronic communication to info@wingsfinancial.com. It may take 1-2 business days to receive a reply.
- Chat: Wings offers chat support. Skye, the virtual agent (chatbot) can answer basic questions 24/7. Member service representatives are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST. If Skye cannot answer your question, you will be transferred to a member rep.
- FAQ pages: Wings has a support hub of articles and frequently asked questions. Members can find the answers to most questions on the FAQ
- Mail: Send post mail correspondence to Wings Financial Credit Union, 14985 Glazier Ave., Apple Valley, MN 5514.
Customer Reviews
Wings generally has high marks from banking experts and its members. Here’s a sampling of some online customer reviews from current members on TrustPilot, DepositAccounts, and WalletHub.
5-Star Review
This is my first experience with a credit union and I've been pleasantly surprised. I've found them to be more personalized than a bank and their digital/video teller option has been really helpful.J Thomas Trustpilot
4-Star Review
Very good bank. They worked with me when no one else would. They have helped me get me credit up just within the last 3 months.tammyhausen89 Trustpilot
3-Star Review
I got a car loan for about 19K that I got a 3.7% APR on which I felt was a good rate but looking at my documentation later...I learned that I had an expensive insurance plan for my loan that I do not recall agreeing to.Loree001 Trustpilot
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to become a member of Wings: It’s enough to live in a coverage area, work in the aviation industry, or make a $5 contribution to the Wings Financial Foundation to join, making membership open to anyone in the U.S.
- Relatively high APYS for deposit accounts: Earn APYs of up to 4.75% for savings accounts and up to 3.04% for checking accounts.
- No monthly account service fees: No monthly account service fees, however, there are minimum balance requirements to earn interest for certain accounts.
- Regular promotions and bonuses: Wings has regular, ongoing specials for new member sign-up bonuses, promotional rates on products, and other member savings.
Cons
- Limited branch locations: Wings Financial does have 36 branches in 5 states, but 32 of those branches are in Minnesota and the majority of those locations are concentrated in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul
- Limited customer service hours: Phone banker support is available during business hours on weekdays and half days on Saturdays. Hold times can be quite long and the feature to receive a return call is not always effective.
- Interest compounded monthly or quarterly (not daily): Interest is compounded monthly or quarterly for savings and money market accounts, not daily as many other financial institutions may offer.
- Lots of small fees to watch out for: Wings Financial has a large schedule of fees for NSFs, returned items, copies of statements, and more. Additionally, the fee schedule lists only the names of fees and the fee amount, not the conditions under which that fee is assessed.
Alternatives to Wings Financial
Wings Financial is a great credit union, but there are other outstanding financial institutions to consider if you live in Minnesota or other Wings coverage areas.
1. U.S. Bank
Global bank behemoth U.S. Bank is also a hometown bank with headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn. It far outclasses Wings when it comes to the range and depth of financial products, branch locations, ATM network, and customer service hours.
U.S. Bank does charge extremely high NSF fees ($36 per item), high overdraft protection fees ($12.50 per item), and CD rates are pretty dismal.
2. CIT Bank
If you don’t need a physical bank presence, CIT Bank may be an excellent option. An online-only bank, CIT consistently offers some of the nation’s best CD and money market rates. Currently, Wings’ CD has higher promotional CD rates but CIT has much better savings account APYs at balance thresholds easier to reach. Balances of $5,000 or greater can earn a higher APY whereas Wings Financial balance must be $25,000.
3. Spire Credit Union
Hometown credit union, Spire, offers virtually unbeatable customer service. Spire has been named Minnesota’s best in-state credit union by Forbes, a designation that only 3% of the nation’s credit unions receive with the award based on convenience, trust, digital services, in-branch services, financial advice, customer support, and overall member satisfaction.
Spire’s CD and MMA rates are comparable to Wings, and it offers additional products that Wings lacks like health savings accounts (HSAs) and 55+ checking accounts. With 23 branches, Spire has fewer locations than Wings. But half of those branches are in greater Minnesota outside of the Twin Cities metro area, giving Spire better overall coverage of the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions that consumers have about Wings Financial Credit Union.
Did Wings Financial Change Their Name?
Yes, Wings Financial has recently formally shortened its name to Wings and also updated its branding and logo. The name change was to modernize the brand. The new logo looks very similar. It has not been introduced everywhere and many may not even notice the change.
Beginning in early 2024, newly issued cards and checks will have the new branding, but the credit union routing number and member account numbers will remain unaffected. Signage at physical locations will also be slowly updated too, as part of broader branch remodels.
How Long Has Wings Financial Been in Business?
Wings Financial Credit Union has been in business since 1938. It was founded as a credit union for Northwest Airlines employees but over the decades its member base and airline affiliation have expanded.
What is the Limit on a Wings Debit Card?
The daily limit for a Wings debit card is $2,500 or 20 transactions. However, if you rarely use your debit card, and generally for small purchases only, a $2,500 transaction may not go through immediately even if your account has sufficient funds.
It may be flagged by Wings as potential fraud, in which case the credit union will reach out to you directly to ensure your authorization.
Can I Transfer Money from Wings Financial to Another Bank?
Yes, you can link an external account to your Wings Financial account online. This will enable you to transfer funds. Transfers to external accounts are limited to $2,500 per day or no more than $6,000 per rolling 30 days.
How Do I Make a Mobile Deposit at Wings Financial?
If you are a Wings member, you can make a mobile deposit through the app. Download the app to your phone if you do not already have it installed and select “Mobile Deposit” from the main dropdown menu.
You’ll then be prompted to endorse or sign the check and take a picture of it front and back with your phone camera.
Is Wings Financial Best for Your Needs?
Wings may be an excellent option if you are comfortable doing the bulk of your banking online. It offers a varied product line-up ranging from no-frills, basic checking accounts to high-yield savings accounts with APYs 10x higher than the nation’s average.
The credit union’s deposit accounts are fee-free and interest-bearing, but it does have a long list of fees and service charges. If you frequently overdraft your account or your balance often nears $0, then Wings may not be a good option.
But if you generally keep your bank accounts in good standing, Wings offers a solid way to earn interest on your everyday banking activities and a good complementary line-up of mortgage, loan, and credit card products.
Our Methodology
The BankBonus team has analyzed dozens of banks to provide our readers with thoroughly informed and accurate reviews.
We evaluate digital financial platforms, online banks, regional banks, and national banks across several metrics.
Our assessment of each bank factors in these considerations:
- Product lineup: We review the types of accounts, loans, and services offered by each bank, as well as the number of accounts.
- Fees and pricing: We also consider each institution’s fees, including monthly maintenance fees and other service charges.
- Account features: To compare banks, we take a close look at the features, limits, and capabilities each one has to offer.
- Interest: Along with these features, we consider whether or not the bank offers interest-bearing accounts and compare their rates to industry averages.
- Brand reputation: The bank accounts we recommend have been carefully vetted to ensure they are legitimate, secure, and backed by FDIC
- User experience: Additionally, we consider the ease of use and availability of resources on each bank’s website and factor in reviews of the mobile app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- Branch and ATM access: To gauge convenience, we also look at each bank’s branch and ATM availability and consider their ATM reimbursement policies.
- Customer service: In our review process, we also explore banks’ customer service channels, hours of availability, and third-party reviews.
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