Best Credit Unions

America First Credit Union was founded on March 16, 1939, at the Hotel Newhouse in Salt Lake City, Utah. Among the 59 who attended the charter meeting of what was then the Fort Douglas Civilian Employees Credit Union was R.D. (Ray) Hagen, a volunteer who eventually became their first full-time employee (treasurer/manager) and later president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). America First Credit Union was established in a small office housed in Fort Douglas' Building 207, with service hours on Fridays only from 3:30 to 4 p.m. A Prince Albert tobacco can was used to hold all cash deposits at the time; total assets and membership were $788 and 79, respectively.

Mountain America Credit Union was originally sanctioned as the Salt Lake Telephone Employees Credit Union in 1934. It wasn’t until 1984 when Mountain America Merged with Postal Workers Credit Union and acquired Entra Credit Union that they officially changed their name to Mountain America Credit Union. The new name would allow a better reflection of the diversity and range of their membership. Later, in 1988 Mountain America merged with Utah State Credit Union and became the second largest full-service credit union in Utah.

BECU Started in 1935 as Boeing Employee Credit Union, used to only be open to Boeing Employees and their family members, but have opened their enrollment to a include a wide variety of communities in Washington state. BECU is a cooperative society organized under Washington state law as a nonprofit corporation. BECU promotes thrift among its members and creates a source of credit for them at fair and reasonable rates of interest. BECU is dedicated to "people helping people" and will strive to serve its members by providing superior financial products and services.

Alliant Credit Union is an established, 80-year-strong company, with headquarters located in Chicago. With more than 45 locations nationwide, members have a few specific ways to become members. There are some specific companies, organizations, and associations that allow new accounts within the credit union.

In 1956, Security Service Federal Credit Union opened its doors with eight members and $25 in deposits. The credit union was founded as a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative to serve the fiscal needs of the members of the U.S. Air Force Security Service Command and their families. Since those humble beginnings, the credit union has expanded to include not only military members but a large and diverse number of members from companies, organizations and geographic areas throughout the southwestern United States in its field of membership. Security Service is the eighth largest credit union in the country, serving more than 700,000 members worldwide. There are now more than 2,600 ways to qualify for membership. They're headquartered in San Antonio, the credit union has 37 locations in Texas, 19 in Colorado and 14 in Utah. The credit union’s newest market is Utah, with locations in Salt Lake City, Provo, Riverton, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Springville, American Fork, and Payson.

Connexus first opened its doors in December 2014, in Wisconsin. The credit union offers a variety of checking and savings accounts, along with loans for homes, vehicles and student loans. Their website lays out all the specifics for joining, and offers a live chat option for any questions about becoming a member. Customers have a wide variety of options, including mobile deposit, direct deposit and online banking.

Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union was started over 80 years ago in 1933 during the Great Depression. While many people were struggling at this time with their finances, state workers could barely manage to make ends meet. Banks would not lend to state workers as they were viewed as a credit risk and had little to no collateral. That is when 22 state employees decided to take control of their finances and start making a better life for their families and each other. They pooled their money together and had a meager $90 and started Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union, or PSECU. Today they are a fully functioning credit union and offer various services to their members.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union, known as PenFed was established in 1935 in Alexandria, Virginia. Today, PenFed is one of the top competitor financial institutions with over 1 million members taking place as the 3rd largest in the nation.

Golden 1 started with a group of 11 California State employees in 1933 and a vision. This vision included the philosophy of “people helping people” which is the standard for many other credit unions. They have a strong desire to make high-quality products and services available to others all while strengthening their community. Golden 1 is California’s leading financial cooperative and the sixth largest credit union in the U.S. with over $9 billion in assets and 700,000 members. Golden 1 has about 80 branches and 30,000 ATM locations. Golden 1 is member-owned and offers a wide range of low-to-no fee financial products and services that offer higher yields on savings, lower rates on loans, and unmatched member service. Member deposits are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

Lake Michigan Credit Union has been providing checking accounts, home and refinance loans and saving accounts for the citizens of Michigan since October 1933. To gain membership, there are a few criteria. While there aren’t many LMCU ATMS to choose from, the credit union does refund ATM fee charges at the end of each month, up to $15.00 per account. Currently, there are 575 employees throughout approximately 40 branches in Michigan.