NASA Federal Credit Union
Is This Your Business?1.0
1.0
Author: Kaitlyn Short
LAST UPDATED: November 4th, 2024
NASA Federal Credit Union first opened its doors back in 1949, in Virginia. There are several locations statewide. Today, there are 249 employees throughout the many locations in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. It is one of the largest credit unions in the region.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Card benefits
- Membership
- Locations and ATMs
- Mobile technology
Card Benefits
Members receive the free NASA Federal debit card, with a choice of Visa or MasterCard. The card can be used to check out with Apple Pay. Using the debit card for purchases also allow certain cash back options within the checking account. Members can also apply for a credit card. Apply online for the credit card, and upon approval, choose the card design of your liking and expect the card to arrive within 5-7 business days.Membership
Registration is open to employees or retirees from NASA Headquarters, NAS or any NASA center facility. Additionally, a membership can be established by an employee or member of one of the 900 NASA Federal Credit Union partner companies or associations. Family members of a NASA credit union member are also eligible to join. The best part is that almost anyone can join through a complimentary membership to the National Space Society (NSS) that will allow you to join NASA Federal Credit Union.Locations and ATMs
ATM options are plentiful within the Virginia, Maryland and D.C. areas. To be exact, there are 5,000 branch network locations locally, with over 30,000 ATMS throughout the United States that offer fee-free transactions. Just look for the co-op logo.Mobile Technology
NASA FCU has good mobile options for their customers. They offer a mobile app as well as mobile check deposit features which are both great convenience features. However, they are missing a mobile wallet feature that several other credit unions have already adopted.The Bad
- Checking and savings interest rates
- Overdraft fees
- Initial deposit
- Auto and personal interset rates
Checking and Savings Interest Rates
NASA Federal Credit Union does not score well when it comes to checking and savings account interest rates. In fact, they rank to have some of the lowest rates. Checking accounts only receive 0.05% and savings accounts only receive 0.18% back. You can find other credit unions that offer more than 1.0% on both accounts. If you are looking to try and earn some money on the funds you already have, NASA Federal Credit Union does not have the best options for this.Overdraft Fees
Even though NASA FCU does offer Overdraft Protection, in the case that a customer doesn't have enough funds in either their checking or savings account, they will be hit with a $32 fee. This is a high fee, especially if it occurs more than once. Other overdraft fees tend to be in the $20 range which makes NASA FCU not as favorable in this category.Initial Deposit
The amount required to open an account is $5. We found that a $5 initial deposit isn't the best option out there, but it is also not the worst. This is simply just another area that NASA Federal Credit Union can improve if they want to become a top-ranked credit union.Auto and Personal Interest Rates
Similar to their initial deposits, NASA Federal Credit Union only has average competing rates when it comes to automobiles and personal loans. Their rates are found between 2.49-4.14% for auto and at 10.90% for personal loans. These rates are terrible, but they certainly aren't the best rates either. We find NASA FCU to fit in right with the standard when it comes to any of their rates. They need to find ways to have a little more edge over their competition.The Bottom Line
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Bungo
A few months ago, I signed up for their "Premiere eChecking" account which said no monthly fee is charged if you make 3 BillPay payments. So I have been making 3 or more BillPay payments to my credit cards diligently every month. But I noticed that NASA FCU did charge me the $7 the monthly fee the last couple of months of September and October. I tried to dispute this through secure messaging, multiple times, but they just wouldn't acknowledge that they're outright dishonoring what they publicized on their website "No monthly maintenance fee - With direct deposit or BillPay+ and eStatements". The original account description page has vanished mysteriously but it's still recorded on the Wayback Machine site. I always keep screenshots for my records. They employ a very sneaky way to take money from their customers knowing some customers just won't monitor account activities carefully.
4 weeks ago
Suehail Issa McLean, VA
I have been a member of NASAFCU for over 10 years and I have seen the degradation in their service hands on. Now I am about to pull my money out and go elsewhere. In short, I am not sure I can trust my money in the hands of such incompetent organization. Just as simple as setting your pin on my debt card took 30 minutes and could not resolve the issue. I have spoken to 4 reps and they keep sending me in circles and still not resolved. For all that stay with them, good luck!
1 year ago
