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BCU Credit Union $500 Checking Bonus
Offer at a glance
- Maximum bonus amount: $500
- Availability: Nationwide via Life. Money. You.® subscription
- Direct deposit required: Yes, $3,000+
- Additional requirements: See below
- Hard/soft pull: Soft pull, requires TransUnion unfrozen
- ChexSystems: Unknown
- Credit card funding: None
- Monthly fees: None
- Early account termination fee: None
- Household limit: None
- Expiration date: 5/15/26
The Offer
Direct link to offer
- BCU Credit Union is offering a $500 checking bonus when you open a new PowerPlus checking account and complete the following requirements:
- Use promo code BOOST
- Set up $3,000 in direct deposits within 60 days
- Make 30 transactions within 60 days
- BCU Debit and Credit card transactions (purchases and payments), Online Bill Pay or ACH payments, BCU Zelle transactions, paper and electronic check payments, and BCU loan payments (credit card, loan, and mortgage)
The Fine Print
- Offer available to eligible non-members who are legal U.S. residents 18 years of age or older unless prohibited by law.
- Offer valid 4/1/2026 – 5/15/2026 (Offer Period). Non-members joining with promo code BOOST, receive a $500 deposit for opening a new Credit Union membership with PowerPlus™ Checking, minimum qualifying direct deposit totaling at least $3,000 and at least 30 qualifying transactions into the PowerPlus Checking account within the first 60 days of membership opening.
- A qualifying direct deposit is a recurring monthly deposit like regular monthly income, such as your salary, pension or Social Security benefit or other eligible regular monthly income, electronically deposited by an employer or other third-party payer into your checking account and BCU Zelle deposits.
- A transfer completed by ATM, online or teller, paper check deposits, and wire deposits are not a qualifying direct deposit. Qualifying transactions include any combination of the following: BCU Debit and Credit card transactions (purchases and payments), Online Bill Pay or ACH payments, BCU Zelle transactions, paper and electronic check payments, and BCU loan payments (credit card, loan, and mortgage) which will apply toward the monthly requirements in the month they post to your account. Credit card transactions that are posted on the last day of the month will be applied toward the following month’s transaction total.
- A person seeking Credit Union membership must meet at least one of the criteria found at BCU.org/Membership-Eligibility.
- New Credit Union membership and PowerPlus Checking must be opened by 5/15/2026 to be eligible for offer.
- New members will receive the $500 as a deposit into their PowerPlus Checking account by 7/31/2026 with transaction comment ”CHECKPROMOREBATE“.
- The incentive deposit to the new member is considered a bonus and may be reportable to the IRS on Form 1099-MISC (or Form 1042-S, if applicable).
- The new membership must be in good standing to receive the cash deposit.
- To be in good standing requires at a minimum: You are not in default of any loan or other obligation to BCU, you are not subject to any legal or administrative order or levy, and you have not caused a loss to BCU as stated in our Expulsion Policy found at BCU.org/Legal-Terms-of-Use.
- Existing members are not eligible for the offer.
- No substitutions for deposit allowed.
- Offer limited to one (1) deposit per membership.
- Void where prohibited. BCU’s decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to this offer. BCU, at its sole discretion, may terminate, in whole or part, and or modify, amend, or suspend this promotion in any way, at any time, for any reason without prior notice.
- BCU employees and immediate family members are not eligible to participate in this offer. Sponsored by BCU, 340 N Milwaukee Ave, Vernon Hills, IL 60061.
- All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them
Avoiding Fees
Monthly Fees
This account has no monthly fees to worry about.
Early Account Termination Fee
No EATF according to the fee schedule.
Our Verdict
Power Plus has 8% APY for the first 3 months on balances up to $15,000 as well (requires being level 2 and that is direct deposits totaling at least $3,000 in your account, eStatements and 30 qualifying transactions).
It seems that a lot of people get their accounts opened, restricted and then unrestricted so I wouldn’t worry too much if that happens to you (previous $150 bonus has many mentions of this). We will add this to our list of the best bank bonuses. I’d be very surprised if this lasts long so act ASAP.
Applying requires a selfie upload for those who care about those sort of things. Requires TransUnion to be unfrozen.
Hat tip to reader wilsonhammer
Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:
- A Beginners Guide To Bank Account Bonuses
- Bank Account Quick Reference Table (Spreadsheet) (very useful for sorting bonuses by different parameters)
- PSA: Don’t Call The Bank
- Introduction To ChexSystems
- Banks & Credit Unions That Are ChexSystems Inquiry Sensitive
- What Banks & Credit Unions Do/Don’t Pull ChexSystems?
- How To Use Our Direct Deposit Page For Bank Bonuses Page
- Common Bank Bonus Misconceptions + Why You Should Give Them A Go
- How Many Bank Accounts Can I Safely Open Within A Year For Bank Bonus Purposes?
- Affiliate Links & Bank Bonuses – We Won’t Be Using Them
- Complete List Of Ways To Close Bank Accounts At Each Bank
- Banks That Allow/Don’t Allow Out Of State Checking Applications
- Bank Bonus Posting Times
Oil Surges, Fear Jumps, Markets Recover Off Lows: 3 Experts Weigh In on Stocks, Commodities & Crypto
Welcome to the ‘Market Mavericks’ Show, where action-packed analysis meets profitable trade setups, led by three of the world’s foremost chart technicians. This is your front-row seat to the fast-paced world of trading and investing, stocks, crypto, commodities, and more.
Meet the Maverick Traders:
Gareth Soloway, Mike McGlone, and Scott Melker, three trading legends with a combined wealth of knowledge spanning over half a century in the world of trading. Their unique trading strategies, diverse perspectives, and unparalleled knowledge are coming together to create a one-of-a-kind investing show that’s set to transform your financial journey. For this episode, they joined by cryptocurrency expert and trader Benjamin Cowen.
What to Expect:
– Stay ahead of the game with in-depth coverage of macro news events.
– Explore the world of stocks, crypto, and commodities like never before.
– Gain invaluable insights into economic data and its impact on your investments.
Buckle up, because the ‘Market Mavericks’ Show will propel you onto a path of profit you didn’t even know existed. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best and take your trading skills to new heights. Get ready to become a market maverick yourself!
Scott Melker-
Crypto Investor. Ex DJ + Producer. Host The Wolf Of All Streets Podcast & #CryptoTownHall, author The Wolf Den Newsletter.
YT: @ScottMelker
Twitter: @ScottMelker
Mike McGlone-
Senior Macro Strategist – Bloomberg Intelligence
Senior commodity strategist for Bloomberg Intelligence, driving the commodity dashboard BI COMD.
Twitter: @mikemcglone11
Gareth Soloway-
26 year technical trader, macro analyst and has been Chief Market Strategist of verifiedinvesting.com which provides stock day trading and swing trading services since 2007. He is also the President of VerifiedInvesting.com, where you can find his Crypto Swing Trading service as well as Course Education.
Benjamin Cowen-
An academic who approaches cryptocurrency from a practical perspective and uses his science/engineering/programmatic background to package crypto metrics in an easily digestible way for the community.
YT: @intothecryptoverse
Twitter: @intothecryptoverse
source
Aluminum Corp of China shares rise on strong Q1 profit forecast
Aluminum Corp of China shares rise on strong Q1 profit forecast
2 Monster AI Stocks to Hold for the Next 10 Years
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is just getting started.
Global consultancy McKinsey & Co. estimates that companies will invest “almost $7 trillion in global data center infrastructure capital expenditures by 2030.” The firm’s report observes that this spending figure is roughly the size of the combined GDP of Japan and Germany. “In the United States, AI-related capital expenditures account for about 5% of GDP and have been growing at high-single- to low-double-digit pace,” the report concludes. These elevated growth rates are estimated to persist well into the next decade, and perhaps beyond.
Want to take advantage? You can do so by buying AI stocks directly. But the smartest move may be to buy stocks not traditionally thought of as “AI stocks” but that still have direct AI exposure. This way, you expose your portfolio to the growth in artificial intelligence at a discount. To accomplish this, start your research with the two stocks below, both of which have monster growth potential thanks to AI.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. This Tesla competitor should benefit directly from AI
When it comes to electric vehicle (EV) stocks, Tesla (TSLA 1.08%) gets most of the attention. And it’s clear that Tesla believes the future of electric cars will be heavily influenced by AI. The company recently outlined its expected capital expenditures of 2026, and the budget is dominated by AI investments. Plus, the company recently agreed to invest $2 billion into xAI, Elon Musk’s AI start-up.
Why is Tesla investing so heavily into AI? Because AI is looking like a prime enabler of self-driving capabilities. By 2030, we could see tens of thousands of robotaxis roaming the streets of many major countries, the U.S. included. If an EV maker can’t offer fully autonomous vehicles, it will miss out on this growth opportunity, which some experts predict will ultimately be worth up to $10 trillion globally.
Tesla stock, however, appears to already price in much of this growth. Despite years of declining auto sales, shares still trade above 13 times sales. Fellow EV maker Rivian (RIVN +3.06%), meanwhile, trades closer to 3 times sales — a massive relative discount. And yet Rivian is also investing heavily into AI and autonomy. It’s investing so heavily, in fact, that management has pushed out its timeline for reaching profitability due to elevated levels of capex investment.
Today’s Change
(3.06%) $0.45
Current Price
$15.14
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$19B
Day’s Range
$14.88 – $15.62
52wk Range
$10.85 – $22.69
Volume
866K
Avg Vol
30M
Gross Margin
-276.59%
“The company is pouring resources into developing self-driving technology at a pace that makes its original profitability timeline impossible to hit,” reads a recent report from The Tech Buzz. “It’s the kind of move that reveals how the ground is shifting beneath the entire auto industry — build great electric vehicles and you’re still just another car company, but crack autonomous driving and you’re a mobility platform with trillion-dollar potential.”
The jury is still out on whether Rivian’s seismic bet on AI will pay off. But the upside potential is clear versus a relatively cheap valuation.
2. The $10 trillion nuclear renaissance has begun
NuScale Power (SMR +7.64%) is another promising stock that, while focused on the energy sector, has direct growth exposure to rising AI spending.
Today’s Change
(7.64%) $0.70
Current Price
$9.86
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$3.1B
Day’s Range
$9.65 – $10.21
52wk Range
$9.14 – $57.42
Volume
29M
Avg Vol
24M
Gross Margin
33.84%
Electricity demand in the U.S. is surging. Through 2030, electricity demand is expected to grow by around 4% annually. That may not seem like much, but from 2005 to 2020, annual growth averaged close to 0%.
What’s driving this demand? One thing: artificial intelligence. From 2024 to 2030, AI’s share of U.S. electricity demand is expected to triple, from 4.3% to 11.7%. Unless there’s a seismic shift in how data centers are designed and operated, the AI industry will need more and more energy on an annual basis. This is where NuScale Power hopes to capitalize.
NuScale Power’s approach to nuclear — specializing in SMR technology, which uses small modular reactors — still isn’t market tested at scale. There are significant concerns regarding costs, construction times, and customer appetite. But experts expect the nuclear renaissance to be worth up to $10 trillion globally, and SMR technology should play a large role in that opportunity.
Nuscale Power’s $3.4 billion market cap should prove a bargain if its technology takes off. But keep in mind that its first plant isn’t expected to generate power until 2030 at the earliest. So this monster stock opportunity will take plenty of patience to see through, with heavy share dilution along the way.
The Question That Exposes Weak Quant Models
“How did you decide which variables to include in your model, and which did you deliberately exclude?”
The value of the question lies in what it reveals. You are not asking for a list of variables. You are asking whether the inclusion and exclusion decisions were grounded in economic reasoning rather than statistical fit alone.
In my conversations with both allocators and managers, the responses fall into three distinct categories.
A strong answer: The manager explains the economic mechanism behind each variable’s inclusion. Crucially, they discuss variables they excluded and why, showing that specification was a deliberate design choice. They distinguish between variables that drive their target factor and variables that result from it. The strongest managers trace a chain of economic causality: how macro forces project onto stock-level signals, and why the model reflects those causal chains rather than mining for correlations.
A standard answer: The manager cites statistical criteria: information ratio, R-squared improvement, significance tests. This is current industry practice. It is not wrong, but it is incomplete. Statistical fit alone cannot distinguish between a variable that belongs in the model and one that introduces distortion while improving fit metrics. This is exactly the trap in the opening story.
A concerning answer takes one of two forms: “We use all available variables and let the model select” signals structural vulnerability to factor mirages. On the other hand, “Our variable selection process is proprietary” may reflect legitimate IP protection. But a manager who cannot explain the reasoning behind their specification, even without disclosing specific variables, cannot demonstrate that the reasoning exists.
Stocks Are Soaring, Gas Is Crashing: 6 Money Moves to Make Before the Iran Ceasefire Cracks
Your portfolio just got a reprieve. Don’t waste it. President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran late Tuesday, and within hours the entire financial world flipped on its head. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 2.95%, the S&P 500 gained 2.56%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite surged 3.46% at the open Wednesday. Oil? Crushed. West Texas Intermediate (WTI)…
Mortgage Rates Drop on Ceasefire, But Beware of the Bounce
Mortgage rates continue to move lower, extending the rally from last week due to a two-week “ceasefire” in the Middle East.
However, there have already been reports of multiple events including a massive bombardment in Lebanon since the ceasefire was apparently agreed to.
In other words, it’s unclear how much of a ceasefire this really is, and at this point I’m surprised the markets are still rallying as much as they are.
So while mortgage rates will be lower today, my guess is lenders will be cautious lowering rates too much.
That could also mean that any benefit seen today could wind up being short-lived.
Lower Mortgage Rates as Ceasefire Leads to Oil Price Dump
The two-week ceasefire reportedly agreed to yesterday at the eleventh hour has resulted in a global market rally.
Stock prices surged and bond yields came down as oil prices fell below $100 a barrel.
Of course, if we rewind back to the end of February, oil prices were around $70, well below the current price of $95.
And the 30-year fixed was sub-6%, far below the 6.375% or 6.5% quote you might see today.
So it’s a bit of a one step forward, two steps back situation. Sure, we can cheer the victory, but the bigger picture is still somewhat grim.
In addition, there have multiple reports of heavy fighting since the ceasefire was announced.
A major offensive in Lebanon carried out by Israel, reports of drone activity, uncertainty about the Strait of Hormuz and whether Iran will demand a toll, and now a closure of the Strait.
Once you start to dig into the details, and look at what’s happening versus what’s being said, it doesn’t look so great.
This might mean to take the win today, but be cautious if you’re trying to decide between locking and floating a mortgage rate.
Mortgage Rates Might Bounce Back After a Nice Rally
This all leads me to believe that mortgage rates might suffer another setback soon.
They’ve fallen from recent highs of around 6.625% to roughly 6.375%, meaning they’ve come down about 0.25%.
That’s a decent move lower, but they remain about 0.375% above those pre-war levels.
And with the ceasefire decidedly tenuous, it wouldn’t shock me to see a mortgage rate reversal sometime in the next few days or weeks.
While things may have deescalated in the near-term, the future looks very uncertain.
Even today, just less than 24 hours after the ceasefire, we’ve seen intense fighting and conflict.
For me, it kind of paints the picture that it’s not going to be a quick resolution, as hopeful as the markets might be right now.
Ultimately, all we did was pull ourselves off the brink of something really bad. We didn’t solve anything.
Remember that prior to this crisis, the Strait of Hormuz was wide open and oil/energy prices weren’t a concern.
Inflation was falling and everything appeared to be moving in the right direction.
You’d be hard-pressed to say that today.
Before creating this site, I worked as an account executive for a wholesale mortgage lender in Los Angeles. My hands-on experience in the early 2000s inspired me to begin writing about mortgages 19 years ago to help prospective (and existing) home buyers better navigate the home loan process. Follow me on X for hot takes.
Latest posts by Colin Robertson (see all)
Coinbase Entity Obtains Australian Financial Services License
Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) announced on April 7, 2026 that it had obtained a financial services license from Australia’s authorities via its local business entity. The digital assets exchange stated in its update that it is the first among its competitors to acquire the Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) and is said to be authorized to support retail derivatives trading in the country.
Coinbase Australia also stated that it will now provide cryptocurrency as well as equity perpetuals to Australian traders and investors. This will now be followed by futures as well as options trading.
Coinbase further explained that they are going to try to compete with traditional financial services on stock trading, digital payments, and other traditional financce products with the speed as well as efficiency of cryptocurrencies.
The AFSL now requires Coinbase Australia to follow the same conduct standards, disclosure guidelines, governance processes, as well as consumer protection rules as TradFi institutions operating across the country.
The latest authorization comes right before expected new legislation which reportedly includes that Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025. This update may require all digital assets exchanges to maintain a license.
Notably, Coinbase Australia was launched back in 2022.
It is now a key part of the so-called Digital Economy Council of Australia. And it is sharply focused on assisting with crypto regulation in the country.
Additionally, it’s further expanding its legal services, compliance-focused initiatives, marketing campaigns, as well as supporting operations teams.
It’s also worthwhile to note that Coinbase obtained conditional approval for a national trust company charter from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). This should enable continued innovation in order to integrate digital assets into TradFi ecosystems.
Secretly Distribution acquires music data and analytics firms Entertainment Intelligence and Babel Ops
Secretly Distribution has acquired Babel Ops, the technology company behind music data and analytics platform Entertainment Intelligence (Ei).
The deal, announced on Wednesday (April 8), brings both companies under the ownership of the independent distributor, which says Babel Ops will continue to serve its existing client base of independent labels and music businesses.
Babel Ops was founded in 2020 by Erik Gilbert and Greg Delaney, who previously co-founded Entertainment Intelligence (Ei) in 2014.
Ei’s Enterlytics platform currently powers reporting for more than 1.2 million artists across more than 55,000 labels, according to the company.
Babel Ops builds bespoke data management, analytics and royalty processing tools for independent music companies. Its clients include Cargo Independent Distribution, Concord, Partisan Records, Reservoir Media, Secret City, MNRK and Exceleration, among others.
The firm is led by a team of 10 developers under the leadership of Gilbert and Delaney, alongside General Manager Phil Birch and Lead Developer Ryan Berry.
Two longtime Secretly database administrators, Ember Wyrdt and Reggie Provine, will join Babel Ops under the new arrangement.
“We believe independence is something you actively build and protect, not something you inherit.”
Greg Delaney and Erik Gilbert, Babel Ops
“We believe independence is something you actively build and protect, not something you inherit,” said Greg Delaney and Erik Gilbert.
“Babel Ops and Ei were created to give independent music companies the technological strength to operate, grow, and innovate on their own terms, especially as the industry consolidates.
“What drew us to Secretly is a genuinely shared ethos: a belief that independence should be supported and strengthened, not absorbed into dominant systems.”
Darius Van Arman, CEO of Secretly Distribution, framed the acquisition in the context of what he described as growing consolidation and the concentration of technology infrastructure among the industry’s largest companies.
He said: “At Secretly, we’ve long admired the team behind Babel Ops and Entertainment Intelligence, and we share their commitment to providing small and medium-sized companies with world-class analytics and other tools.
“We are proud to have these two companies as part of the Secretly ecosystem, not only so they can support our business, but also so that they can deliver world-class work for our peers and competitors.
“It’s not enough to safeguard independent routes to market; you must have access to market-leading technology that enables you to compete against the largest companies.”
Darius Van Arman
“We believe that the best way to secure our own independence is to support the independence of others.”
Writing on LinkedIn about the deal, Van Arman reiterated his stance: “With the rise of generative AI and other recent developments — such as the majors acquiring digital supply chain companies like FUGA and Revelator, and Bill Ackman’s attempt to acquire Universal Music Group — it is clear that we are moving into a new era of market concentration and algorithmic control.
“Now, more than ever, if you want to stay independent and help others stay independent, you must vigorously protect your ability to do business on your own terms, according to your own values.
“It’s not enough to safeguard independent routes to market; you must have access to market-leading technology that enables you to compete against the largest companies.”
Phil Birch, General Manager of Babel Ops, said in a press release: “Like SD, Babel Ops is built to enable independents to challenge the mainstream.
“In our case, it’s by creating technology tools that sets our clients on a level playing field with anyone in the industry when it comes to data management and analysis.”
Babel Ops has maintained a long-standing development relationship with Secretly Distribution, including building the distributor’s bespoke repertoire management system, RIOT, alongside SD Head of Digital Operations Kristian Downs.
The company also counts Cargo Independent Distribution — the UK-based distribution company launched in 2024 by Cargo Records, Secretly Distribution and Beggars Group — among its development clients.
“Working with the Babel Ops to build the [client] portal has been a really positive step,” said Jolan Bangina, Head of Operations at Cargo Independent Distribution.
“It gives our labels a far more transparent view of their physical releases through a live data feed with hourly updates, offering a level of visibility that simply hasn’t been available to labels before.”
Jackson Mercer, VP of Platform Operations at Concord, said: “Babel Ops have been a key partner in building, maintaining, and evolving two of our critical source-of-record systems during a time of rapid growth at Concord.
“We see them as an extension of our team and look forward to continuing to build great products together.”
The acquisition comes at a time of accelerating consolidation in music’s technology and distribution infrastructure.
Last week, Warner Music Group entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Revelator, the independent music platform specializing in digital distribution, rights management and analytics.
Earlier this year, Universal Music Group completed its $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, including its FUGA distribution technology subsidiary. On Tuesday (April 7), Bill Ackman‘s Pershing Square submitted a non-binding proposal to acquire UMG in a deal valued at approximately $64 billion.
Secretly Distribution’s move to bring Babel Ops in-house represents a different approach: rather than a major label group absorbing independent infrastructure, an independent distributor is investing in technology to strengthen its own operations — and those of its competitors.
Secretly Distribution is the in-house distribution arm of the Bloomington, Indiana-headquartered Secretly Group, which also includes labels such as Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, Secretly Canadian, and the Numero Group.
Secretly Distribution has been on an expansion trajectory in recent months, launching an Asia-Pacific division in November 2025 and adding label partners including Jack White‘s Third Man Records and Hayley Williams‘ Post-Atlantic.
Van Arman, who also serves as Chairperson of Merlin, the digital licensing agency for independent music companies, wrote an op-ed for MBW in February exploring the challenges posed by generative AI to independent music businesses.Music Business Worldwide