Featured
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Sierra Pacific Credit Union Membership
- Sierra Pacific Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Reno, Nevada and has been serving members since 1936.
- 10th largest credit union in the state of Nevada, managing $165.64 Million in assets and serving over 11,000 members.
Membership: Work with select employer groups or a member of specific groups such as the Nevada Alumni Association.
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Lake Trust Credit Union Membership
- Lake Trust Credit Union is headquartered in Brighton, Michigan and has been serving members since 1944.
- 8th largest credit union in the state of Michigan, managing $2.58 Billion in assets, serving over 178,000 members.
Membership: Live, work, worship, or attend school in Michigan.
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Lookout Credit Union Membership
- Lookout Credit Union is headquartered in Pocatello, Idaho, serving members since 1952.
- 9th largest credit union in the state of Idaho, manages $335.82 Million in assets and serves over 28,000 members.
Membership: Open to everyone who works with partner employers or is a member of specific associations and groups.
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1199 SEIU FCU Membership
- 1199 SEIU Federal Credit Union is headquartered in New York, NY, and has been serving members since 1940.
- Manages over $89.3 million in assets and serves over 15,000 members.
Membership: Must be an active 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers East member.
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121 Financial Credit Union Membership
- 121 Financial Credit Union is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and has been serving members since 1935 offering savings, checking, loans, credit and debit cards, online banking, and other related services.
- Manages $709.88 Million in assets and serves over 50,000 members.
Membership: 121 Financial offers financial products and services tailored to the unique needs of residents within Florida. Membership is also open to the immediate family of current members.
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1ST Bergen Federal Credit Union Membership
- 1st Bergen Credit Union is headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey and has been serving members since 2009.
- Manages $8.91 Million in assets and serves over 2,000 members.
Membership: Live, work, worship, volunteer, attend school, or conduct business in Bergen County, Ocean County, Paterson, or Jersey City, NJ.
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1st Choice Credit Union Membership
- 1st Choice Credit Union is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and has been serving members since 1991.
- Manages $37.42 Million in assets and serves over 6,000 members.
Membership: Eligibility includes those who live and work in designated areas in Georgia.
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1st Class Express Credit Union Membership
- 1st Class Express Credit Union headquarters is in Waukesha, Wisconsin and has served members since 1932.
- Manages $2,429,027 in assets and serves 648 members.
Membership: Open to serving residents within its charter in Wisconsin.
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1st Community Credit Union Membership
- 1st Community Credit Union is headquartered in Sparta, Wisconsin and has been serving members since 1961.
- Manages $262,800,144 in assets and serves 15,347.
Membership: Lives and works in specific Wisconsin counties.
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1st Mississippi Federal Credit Union Membership
- 1st Mississippi Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi and has been serving members since 1972.
- 15th largest credit union in the state of Mississippi, managing $78.05 Million in assets and serving over 11,000 members.
Membership: If you live, work, worship, or attend school in Lauderdale or Clarke County, Mississippi,
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705 Federal Credit Union Membership
- 705 Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana and has been serving members since 1968.
- Manages $43.49 million in assets, serves over 4,000 members, and employs 15 people as of February 2024.
Membership: Employee of one of a partnered companies or have a family member who is a member.
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Abbey Credit Union Membership
- Abbey Credit Union is headquartered in Vandalia, Ohio and has been serving members since 1937.
- Manages $150.2 Million in assets and serves over 12,000 members.
Membership: Eligibility includes if you live, work, and attend school in designated counties in Ohio.
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Abound Credit Union Membership
- Abound Credit Union headquarters is in Radcliff, Kentucky and has served members since 1950.
- Manages over $2.26 Billion in assets and serves over 135,000 members.
Membership: Living, working, worshiping, attending school, or conducting regular business in designated areas in Kentucky
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Abyssinian Baptist Church Federal Credit Union Membership
- Abyssinian Baptist Church Federal Credit Union is headquartered in New York, New York, serving members since 1940.
- Manages $1.09 Million in assets and serves over 300 members.
Membership: Open to all members of the Abyssinian Baptist Church.
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Acadia Federal Credit Union Membership
- Acadia Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Fort Kent, Maine and has been serving members since 1963.
- 13th largest credit union in the state of Maine manages $323.03 Million in assets and serves over 16,000 members.
Membership: If you live, work, worship, or attend school in either Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis or Washington County.
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Achieva Credit Union Membership
- Achieva Credit Union headquarters is in Dunedin, Florida and has been serving members since 1937.
- Manages $2.78 billion in assets and serves over 192,000 members.
Membership: Live or work in select Florida counties.
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Acorns Banking / High-Yield Checking Account and Emergency Fund
Acorns banking is a checking account, emergency savings, and debit card that saves, invests, and earns money for you.
- No minimum balance or overdraft fees.
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Addition Financial Credit Union Membership
- Addition Financial Credit Union headquarters is in Lake Mary, Florida and has been serving members since 1937.
- Manages $2.83 billion in assets and serves over 174,000 members.
Membership: Lives, works, worships, attends school or vocational training in select Florida counties.
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AERO Federal Credit Union Membership
- AERO Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Glendale, Arizona and has been serving members since 1958
- 16th largest credit union in Arizona, managing $305.47 Million in assets and serving over 23,000 members.
Membership: Everyone is eligible to join.
What is Banking?
Banking is a form of money management using products and services related to savings and loans.
Different Types of Financial Institutions
Banks
Banks are what we typically associate with banking. They come in different sizes: local, national, traditional and online-only. Federal or state agencies supervise banks. The FDIC insures deposits of participating banks.
Credit Unions
Credit unions are not-for-profit financial institutions. They offer products and services similar to banks with a focus on member service, not profit. The NCUA insures deposits from participating credit unions.
Alternative Financial Services
Many fintechs are non-chartered financial services companies that offer banking services. You might think of them as an app offering checking and savings accounts, debit cards, payments, etc. They are not banks but work with partner banks or credit unions to hold your deposits.
Types of Banking Accounts
Banking accounts help make financial transactions convenient.
Savings Account
A savings account helps you save your money. You’re storing your money for future use and hopefully earning a reasonable interest rate. Interest is the money you earn for letting the bank keep your money. Some financial institutions impose minimum deposits, withdrawal limits, and fees.
Checking Account
A checking account is a transactional account that allows you to make deposits and withdrawals of your money anytime. Checking accounts is not the best place to store your money, as the goal of the account is for use, not saving.Most checking accounts do not pay interest, but some do. Be mindful of transaction limits, minimum balance requirements, and fees.
Debit Card
Checking accounts come with a debit card enabling you to spend your money conveniently. A debit card allows for making purchases at stores and online shopping. You can only spend the money that’s in your checking account. Additionally, you can use your debit card at ATMs to make deposits, withdrawals, check balances, and transfers between accounts.
Money Market Account
A money market account is a type of hybrid savings and checking account. It tends to have higher deposit requirements but often pays more interest than a savings account.
Certificate of Deposit (CD)
A certificate of deposit, also known as a CD, helps you save money with a set interest rate for a specific amount of time. Your cash is term-locked. In exchange, you get a higher interest rate compared to a traditional savings account. Certificate terms can start at 30 days and go to 5 or more years.
How to Choose the Best Banking Service
You have many choices on the type of account to use and the variety of financial institutions available. So, shop around. Ask the following questions to help you narrow down your choices:
- What are the products and services offered?
- What are the fees?
- Are there minimum balance requirements?
- Do I need a physical location (like a branch) or prefer better mobile app services?
- Does local banking matter or is national big bank convenient?
- Are deposits FDIC or NCUA insured?
- How to access your money?
- Debit card? ATM network?
- Can I set auto-transfers, auto-payments, and alerts?
You want to determine how the banking provider aligns with your needs, the cost of services, safety, security, and overall convenience.