Bounty

Verve, a CU Essential bonus: is $600 worth it?

What it adds over what your cash earns now, tier by tier. Change the rate to yours.

+$421: more than leaving it at 4.15%

With $10,000 for 396 days, the tier that adds the most.

With the bonus8.03%
Leave it where it is4.15%

Yearly rate on $10,000 while it's there, bonus included.

Every tier

A smaller tier often wins: less cash away from what it earns now.

  • $0
    $200 bonus · 396 days
    +$200
  • $10,000
    $400 bonus · 396 days
    +$221
  • $10,000Best for you
    $600 bonus · 396 days
    +$421

The math

Compared with leaving $10k at 4.15%

Bonus
+$600
Interest while it's there
2.5% for 396 days
+$271
What it'd earn at home
$10,000 at 4.15% for 396 days
−$450
Extra
+$421
Works out to 8% a year on that cash, vs 4.15% at home.

Get $1,000 in direct deposits within 92 days · Average $10,000 from day 1 to day 123 · Average $10,000 from day 1 to day 396. Terms checked Oct 10, 2026.

About this bonus

What it takes

  1. 1Get $1,000 in direct deposits within 92 days
  2. 2Average $10,000 from day 1 to day 123
  3. 3Average $10,000 from day 1 to day 396
Ends
Dec 31, 2026
Where
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois
Pays while it's there
2.5% a year
Monthly fee
None
Closing early
$25 within 90 days
Cash stays
About 396 days
Bonus paid
Usually within 30 days of finishing

Similar bonuses

The same kind of account, ranked by what each adds at 4.15%.

Questions

Is the Verve, a CU Essential bonus worth it?

At 4.15%, about what T-bills or a money market fund pay (as of Oct 12, 2026), the $10,000 tier adds +$421: the $600 bonus plus $271 interest, minus the $450 that cash would have earned in 396 days. The $10,000 tier adds +$221. At a different rate the answer changes; the calculator on this page works it out for yours.

What are the requirements?

Get $1,000 in direct deposits within 92 days; average $10,000 from day 1 to day 123; average $10,000 from day 1 to day 396. Open to residents of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois.

When does it end?

The offer ends Dec 31, 2026. The terms were last checked Oct 10, 2026.