What You Need to Know

There are a variety of accounts available from GTE Financial. They offer personal savings, checking, and money market accounts. They offer personal CDs, loans, and credit cards. They also offer business accounts and accounts specifically for students.

GTE offers CDs and a checking account with competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with online accounts. These account interest rates are much higher than typical bank rates. To earn the most competitive rate on the checking account, you must meet set requirements. That includes receiving eStatements, having a direct deposit over $500, and 15 debit card transactions each month.

GTE accounts have low amounts required to open. The savings accounts only require $5 to open. To earn interest requires $100. Each of the CD terms require $500 to open. The checking accounts do not have a required amount to open.

GTE Financial CDs offer an Add-On Feature. This allows you to add money any time during the CD term. You must add at least $20 each time you add money to the CD. Sometimes there is a limit of $6,000 you can add to the CD. GTE Financial offers promotions where there is not a cap on the amount you can add to the CD.

Before you can open an account with GTE Financial, you must first become a member of the credit union. You are eligible to join if a family member is a member of the credit union or if you work for a specific company. Your business can join, and living in certain areas makes you eligible to join. If these don’t work, you can join CU Savers, a non-profit educational financial club. There is a one-time $10 fee to become a member.

GTE Financial has daily withdrawal limits. You can withdraw up to $500 per 24-hour period from an ATM. There is a $5,000 limit that you can transfer from another bank into a GTE Financial CD.

The money market account with GTE Financial has tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive rate on your money requires a balance of $100,000. Balances below this amount earn interest, just not the most competitive rate.

Most GTE Financial accounts have monthly maintenance fees. The checking account fees range from $4.95 to $9.95 each month. The Go Premium checking account has a fee of $4.95. There is no way to waive this fee. You can pay the fee with Go Points, but you cannot waive the monthly fee. There are ways to waive the other checking account fees.

Cool Things

Go Points

This program is a customer loyalty program. Any member older than 16, in good standing, is eligible to earn Go Points. There is not a cost to earn or use go points. You must sign up online for the program. You then earn points on debit and credit card purchases. You earn points by opening new accounts and for specific account features. Points do expire after three years.

History

GTE Financial started in 1935 in the Bay area. It started when GT&E bought the Peninsula Telephone Company. In 1935, they received their credit union charter. By 1958, GTE had more than $1 million in assets. By the 1970s their assets were over $36 million.

In 2012, the name was officially changed to GTE Financial. This year their online banking and website received an overhaul. By 2013, they had over 200,000 members.

Today, GTE Financial is one of the largest credit unions in the United States. GTE Financial has over 250,000 members. They have 23 branch locations and over 30,000 free ATMs.

Awards and Recognition

• Top Workplace in Tampa Bay by Tampa Bay Times in 2018
• Diamond Award from CUNA in 2018

Giving Back

In 2017, GTE Financial awarded 36 high school students’ scholarships. They awarded $90,000 in scholarships. Each of the students received $2,500 towards college.

The GTE Foundation contributes to the Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, and the American Heart Association. Their employees donate time and money to charities around the area. They choose a different charity each month to donate to. Employees of GTE Financial get to help choose what charities they donate to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bank Contact Information