Save Smarter with Our Personal Checking Accounts

Applying online is simple and quick.

Trusted for over 80 years, our holistic approach to personal checking accounts offer members a smarter and faster way to save. We keep banking simple so our members can bank anywhere, anytime and from any device. Open your checking account online today!

personal checking accounts

Rates Effective December 20th, 2024

GO Checking

Earn 3.00% APY* on GO Checking¹ account balances up to $10,000!

Member benefits:

  • ATM fee rebates
  • No monthly maintenance fee
  • First order of checks free
  • Free Online Banking with check images
  • Bill Pay with no monthly fee

New Member >

Existing Member >

Bright Future Checking

Enjoy the great benefits of our checking account² for ages 14 to 28! Turn your small change into big savings!

Member benefits:

  • No minimum balance
  • ATM fee rebates
  • Use “Grow My Change” to round up your debit card transactions to the nearest whole dollar

New Member >

Existing Member >

ComplimenTREE Checking

Our ComplimenTREE Checking account is full of great features and benefits for the member with Direct Deposit, including no minimum balance and no monthly maintenance fee!

Member benefits:

  • All ATM transactions are free³, excluding surcharge imposed by the owner of foreign ATMs
  • Free Online Banking with check images
  • Free checks
  • Direct Deposit is required to maintain account

New Member >

Existing Member >

Simply Checking

Our Simply Checking account requires no minimum balance to open and no monthly maintenance fees!

Member benefits:

  • First order of 40 checks free
  • 10 free check clearing /cash withdrawals per month ($0.50 per check/withdrawal after 10) – excludes debit card and ATM card transactions
  • Free ATM withdrawals at Charter Oak ATMs
  • Free Online Banking with check images
  • Bill Pay with no monthly fee

Contact us to open today.

SafeGuard eChecking

Our SafeGuard eChecking4 account offers the right flexibility and features for your busy life!

Member benefits:

  • Safely spend only what you have in your account
  • eBanking conveniences. Online Banking and e-Statement required.
  • Free ATM withdrawals at Charter Oak ATMs
  • No overdraft fees
  • No Checks, Mobile Deposit or Shared Branching
  • Only one SafeGuard eChecking per member
  • Monthly service fee of $4.00

Contact us to open today.

*APY = Annual Percentage Yield

1. GO Checking disclosure and rate information: The GO Checking Account is a “Split Rate Tiered” account. You will earn the stated APY only for the account balance within each tier. 3.00% APY is paid on balances up to $10,000. Balances over $10,000 earn 0.25% APY. The “Default APY Rate” of 0.05% will be applied to all tiered balances if account conditions are not met. This account will also rebate all Charter Oak foreign ATM fees and ATM surcharge fees by other financial institutions or networks up to $9.99 each to a maximum of $20 per month and rebated monthly if certain conditions are met. Account Conditions: To earn the stated APYs and rebate of ATM fees, you must have e-Statement, Online Banking, 10 Debit Card transactions posted per month (excluding ATM transactions) and have either Direct Deposit of $750 posted in each calendar month or have 4 unique “Bill Pays” cleared in each calendar month except for the month the account is opened. If you fail to meet these requirements your account will earn the “Default APY Rate” of 0.05% on all tiered balances and ATM fees will not be rebated. This account is a variable rate account and rates can change at any time. This offer can be withdrawn at any time. Limit of one GO Checking Account per qualified member number.

2. The Bright Future Checking Account is available for individuals between 14 and 28 years of age. Individuals age 14 through 17 require a parent/guardian as a joint account owner. At age 29, the Bright Future Checking Account will convert to Charter Oak’s GO Checking Account. See GO Checking Disclosure for account requirements. The Bright Future Checking Account will rebate all Charter Oak foreign ATM fees daily and ATM fees surcharged by other financial institutions or networks up to $9.99 each to a maximum of $10 per month will be rebated monthly if certain conditions are met. Account Conditions: To earn the rebate of ATM fees, you must have e-Statement, Online Banking, and 5 Debit Card transactions posted per month (excluding ATM transactions) and a Bright Future Savings Account. Failure to meet any one of these requirements during a calendar month will cause ATM fees surcharged by other financial institutions to not be rebated. This offer can be withdrawn at any time. Limit of one Bright Future Checking Account per Social Security number.

3. Excludes surcharge imposed by the owner of foreign ATM's

4. Limit of one SafeGuard eChecking account per social security number.

Checking Account Helpful Resources

Checking Choices PDF >

Go Checking PDF >

Opt-in Overdraft Protection Form >

Checking Reconciliation Form >

Order checks online >

Charge for checks apply. If you are a Gold Rewards member or are part of a special program in which you receive free checks, please call our Contact Center at 860.446.8085 or stop by any of our conveniently located branches to order your checks at no cost to you.

Funds Availability Policy Disclosure effective July 1, 2020. This Disclosure describes your ability to withdraw funds from all of your accounts at Charter Oak Federal Credit Union except for funds deposited to certificate accounts The Credit Union reserves the right to delay the availability of funds deposited to certificate accounts for periods longer than those disclosed in this policy. Please ask us if you have a question about which accounts are affected by this policy.

1. General Policy — Our policy is to delay the availability of funds from your cash and check deposits. During the delay, you may not withdraw the funds in cash and we will not use the funds to pay checks that you have written.

2. Determining the availability of a deposit — When we delay the availability of a deposit the length of the delay is determined by counting the business days from the day of your deposit. Everyday is a business day except Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. If you make a deposit before 3:00 p.m. on a business day that we are open, we will consider that day to be the day of your deposit. However, if you make a deposit after our cutoff hour or on a day we are not open, we will consider that the deposit was made on the next business day we are open.The length of the delay varies depending on the type of deposit and is explained below.

3. Same-day availability — Funds from electronic direct deposits to your account as well as funds from the following deposits will be available on the same business day that we receive the deposit:

  • U.S. Treasury checks that are payable to you
  • Wire transfers
  • Checks drawn on Charter Oak Federal Credit Union

4. Same-day availability for certain deposits made in person — Funds from the following deposits are available the same business day we receive your deposit, if you make the deposit in person to one of our employees:

  • Cash
  • State and local government checks that are payable to you
  • Cashier’s, certified, and teller’s checks that are payable to you
  • Federal Reserve Bank checks, Federal Home Loan Bank checks, and postal money orders, if these items are payable to you
  • If you do not make your deposit in person to one of our employees (for example, if you mail the deposit), funds from these deposits will be available by the second business day after the day we receive your deposit.

5. Availability of other deposits — The first $225 from a deposit of other checks will be available by the first business day after the day of your deposit. The remaining funds will be available by the second business day after the day of your deposit. For example, if you deposit a local check of $700 on a Monday, $225 of the deposit will be available by Tuesday. The remaining $475 will be available by Wednesday.

6. Holds on other funds — If we cash a check for you that is drawn on another financial institution, we may withhold the availability of a corresponding amount of funds that are already in your account. Those funds will be available at the time funds from the check we cashed would have been available if you had deposited it. If we accept for deposit a check that is drawn on another financial institution, we may make funds from the deposit available for withdrawal immediately but delay your availability to withdraw a corresponding amount of funds that you have on deposit in another account with us. The funds in the other account would then not be available for withdrawal until the time periods that are described elsewhere in this Disclosure for the type of check that you deposited.

7. Longer delays may apply — We may delay your ability to withdraw funds deposited by check into your account an additional number of days for these reasons:

  • We believe a check you deposit will not be paid.
  • You deposit checks totaling more than $5,525 on any one (1) day.
  • You redeposit a check that has been returned unpaid.
  • You have overdrawn your account repeatedly in the last six (6) months.
  • There is an emergency, such as failure of communications or computer equipment.
  • We will notify you if we delay your ability to withdraw funds for any of these reasons and we will tell you when the funds will be available. They will generally be available no later than the seventh (7th) business day after the day of your deposit.

8. Special rules for new accounts — If you are a new member, the following special rules will apply during the first 30 days your account is open. Funds from electronic direct deposits to your account will be available on the day we receive the deposit. Funds from deposits of cash, wire transfers, and the first $5,525 of a day’s total deposits of cashier’s, certified, teller’s, traveler’s, and federal, state, and local government checks will be available on the next business day after the day of your deposit if the deposit meets certain conditions. For example, the checks must be payable to you. The excess over $5,525 will be available on the ninth business day after the day of your deposit. If your deposit of these checks (other than a U.S. Treasury check) is not made in person to one of our employees, the first $5,525 will not be available until the second business day after the day of your deposit. Funds from all other check deposits will be available on the ninth business day after the day of your deposit.

9. Deposits and shared service centers — Funds from deposits of cash, U.S. Treasury, state and local government checks, Federal Reserve and Federal Home Loan Bank checks, U.S. Postal Money Orders as well as certain computer-generated payroll checks in amounts of $2,500.00 or less, will be available for withdrawal on the same business day as the date of your deposit. The first $225.00 from a deposit of other checks will be available by the first business day after the day of your deposit. The remaining funds will be available by the second business day after the day of your deposit. For example, if you deposit a check of $700.00 on a Monday, $225.00 of the deposit will be available by Tuesday. The remaining $475.00 will be available by Wednesday.For assistance in determining the availability of funds from a check you deposit at a service center, please contact Charter Oak Federal Credit Union.

10. Foreign checks — Checks drawn on financial institutions located outside the U.S. (foreign checks) cannot be processed the same as checks drawn on U.S. financial institutions. Foreign checks are exempt from the policies outlined in this Disclosure. Generally, the availability of funds for deposits of foreign checks will be delayed for the time it takes us to collect the funds from the financial institutions upon which it is drawn.

© CUNA Mutual Group, 2007, 08, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

You may stop into any Charter Oak branch location to receive an instant issue debit card. Requests can be made through a teller or member service representative. To expedite your request, call our Contact Center 860.446.8085 and request a card. If you are unable to stop into a branch during business hours, our Contact Center will have a debit card mailed to your address on file.

Call 1.800.992.3808 from the phone number associated with your account and you will be prompted to answer a few security questions. Once the questions are answered correctly your card will be activated.

Call 1.800.992.3808 from the phone number associated with your account and you will be prompted to answer a few security questions. Once the questions are answered correctly, the system will ask for a 4-digit PIN. Once accepted, the card can be used immediately

If your card is expiring there is no action required on your part to get a new one. A new card will be ordered for you automatically at the beginning of the month that your current card expires.

If you don’t recognize a charge from a merchant on your statement, please stop in to any of our branch locations and meet with a Member Service Representative to discuss it further, or please call our Contact Center at 860.446.8085 to discuss the charges.

Yes. The fee is 1.00% of each transaction in U.S dollars.

Yes. If you are traveling, please notify us so your Debit Card will work without any issues during your travels.

You can use your Debit Card as either Debit or Credit. If used as Debit, you will be required to enter your 4 digit PIN. If used as Credit, you will not have to enter a PIN but you will have to sign for the transaction.

Yes, there is a daily limit to the amount that you can use with your Debit Card. You are able to withdraw up to $500 from an ATM on a daily basis, and you can use your Debit Card in stores for up to $3,000.00 on a daily basis.

Yes. With Charter Oak’s Two-Way Text Alerts Fraud Monitoring, keeping your card safe is as easy as sending a text. With our interactive fraud alerts, if our system detects suspicious activity on your card, you will receive a text message to your cell phone with details about the suspected transaction. All you have to do is respond to the text with a “yes” or “no” to confirm or deny the transaction. You may also receive a call from 1.877.253.8964, which is our Fraud Detection company, trying to contact you to verify if the attempted transaction is legitimate. (If you haven’t updated your cell phone information with us, please send a secure message via our Online Banking service, call our Contact Center at 860.446.8085 or toll free at 800.962.3237, or visit any branch.)