Pay attention Barry. His thing is churning short-term Certificates of Deposit. He finds banks that accept CC for CDs.
Hello barrytuneup
There is a thread I started a few years ago which goes into excruciating detail about what I’m up to:
It’s been a couple of months since I have posted over there since there is not much new to report. And with over 650 posts on that thread it’s a little much to expect anyone to read through all the blah blah blah.
Alliant has not given me any flack on my Visa Signature account spending. Documented in the aforementioned thread is my loss, in the past, of TWO credit cards not named Alliant. I lost those cards because of stupid spending patterns. I didn’t know any better . . . at the time. I have tried to be more careful at Alliant by interspersing non-hustle spending in among my CD purchases. I also have a stable of four counterparty institutions where I purchase my CDs. So you do not see me, in the Alliant Visa spending record, going constantly to the same counterparty with large purchases.
I have no knowledge whatsoever of VGCs. Never have used them. It’s because I prefer, given the pandemic, a hustle which does not require my presence in a store. My entire hustle activity, and almost all my Alliant spend, is accomplished at home. Why almost?
Well, when I must go out to purchase food or gasoline, I carry at least five credit cards, including my Alliant Visa Signature. And the spend is spread among those cards. It’s a small nuisance which becomes less so as experience is accumulated. But self-checkouts at the supermarkets, and gasoline pumps which accept credit cards, are my allies both for purposes of my hustle and also when the pandemic is taken into consideration. 
Thought something like that. But so many CD’s? For me, that would be hard to track, plus tying up funds, and probably low rates of returns on short-term CD’s. better the zero I suppose, and the 250.00 ain’t bad!!! Maybe a good thing after all.
Real short-term, like 1-3 months I think. If you can get 2.5% CB four (on a 3-mo CD) to twelve (on a 1-mo CD) times per year on the same amount of money, it’s a great ROI. Also if you ladder/stagger, you can pay off the CC bill with maturing CDs so you’re tying up even less of your own money. Though I think shinobi pre-pays so that the CC statement shows a $0 balance, so he’s not even relying on the grace period.
Major failure at Alliant this morning. Their website is FUBAR and service is not readily available.
What a F*****’ mess!!
It was fine about 1/2 hr ago, but I see what you mean. I can’t even login now.
I needed to move money from savings to checking to pay for my I bond; we have reached the time of the month to make that purchase.
Telephoned Alliant. The rep was able to move the funds for me without any drama whatsoever. So am happy camper.
The website problem? They’re working on it. 
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It has been funky for me today… Couldn’t get to bill pay etc. No rush but FYI for the group.
Maybe Suze broke it? 
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Patty: I had heard that you had a problem with Alliant last year where they put you on probabtion as far as making ach transfers and limited the amount you could do until you appealed it…
I have a good record as far as ach transfers with them but i made a “boo boo”…i transferred $75,000 on friday from another bank to Alliant which went through fine but i had forgotten i did it on friday and put it in again today (monday)… there aren’t enough funds at that other bank for it to go through…
This is the first time this ever happened…do you think i will have problem with them from this?
Your feedback appreciated…
Exactly what happened to me. Alliant doesn’t like it when you make this kind of error. Even a 20 year member.
Like you I discovered the mistake and called to report it before it posted. Not good enough!
First they charged me a penalty. Then put me on probation for a year of no ACH activity. After a couple months I called and they limited transfers to small amounts. Finally I started raising the amounts.
Very nerve racking. Probably if not a long time member Alliant would have dropped me. 
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Thanks Patty…i will have to see what happens now…Were you still able to transfer money out from them using other bank’s ach systems?
Craig, I was thinking on your first question about the $75k. You may be ok if the money transfers were both into Alliant. Transferring money out of Alliant that you don’t have is a big problem.
And yes using another bank’s system works fine.
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Thank you for the update Patty…yes the $75,000 transfer was into Alliant…so that is good to know…
A heads up for Alliant Visa Signature credit card holders:
Our statements closed. Go collect your rewards!
Yes a bit earlier than is customary. But they closed nevertheless. Go getchure money. 
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I finally got a reply from Alliant on the annual meeting. Prepare to be disappointed…
Hello [sullim4],
Thank you for contacting us. I am not sure what annual meeting you are referring to. Did you see this on our website or get an invite? I have forwarded this to my manager for further information for you and will let you know.
Please let us know if you need further assistance.
Anyone have the Illinois banking regulations offhand that I can point to which mandate the annual meeting?
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WOW…
Hello [sullim4],
This meeting was earlier today.
Please let us know if you need further assistance.
Ummm… OK I guess? I wouldn’t be surprised to see another round of shutdowns.
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Oh, I’m sure you are drooling over the prospect of being one of those kicked out… The law that allows a 2/3 vote to kick out a member also requires that the member first be given the chance to be heard, which it seems they actively and intentionally prevented you from doing. And you wont be crying about not knowing after-the-fact, you are on record trying to get the meeting date for over 2 months.
An annual shareholder meeting that their own employees have no clue is happening until suddenly right after it has concluded? I think I’m more inclined to believe the earth is flat, than take this at face value…
EDIT: I’m pretty sure these are the regulations in question
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I doubt I am in the shutdown list, but you never seem to know with them. I’ve moved away from Alliant for everyday checking purposes but still lazily maintain most of my liquid cash there to get the .55% rate. I don’t use Alliant to push/pull and have instead been relying on my Fidelity CMA for that, which is where my investments are.
I keep an Alliant account for two reasons - one, the member-to-member transfers are useful since my folks also have an account there. That makes it easy to pay each other for various things. The second reason is habit - I’ve had an account there for over 10 years and I’ve never been a rate chaser.
I will say, I appreciated all they did when I had an issue with a fraudulent ACH pull back in December. I imagine dealing with the fintechs would have been a disaster in that situation. The worrying thing for me is the unpredictability and the slow erosion of benefits and service that we’ve come to expect over the years.
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Today is the penultimate day of February . . . only a single day remaining hereafter. So it is timely to inquire:
Will Alliant raise our savings rate for March?
It would have to be an anticipatory hike. While highly likely, the March Fed Funds rate increase is not as yet a certainty.
So keep a weather eye tomorrow evening and Tuesday morning, and hope for the best.
Anything could happen.
Very few and far between have raised rates recently and their rate is relatively competitive. I see no reason for them to do anything now.
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