The Big List of Credit Unions Open to Anyone

viking - #1, Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 2:47 PM

Do most credit unions try to verify that you are indeed eligble...?

Maecl - #2, Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 2:51 PM

http://www.thecatholiccreditunion.org/ASP/home.asp

This credit union is on Long Island, N.Y.

The rates aren't great.  There is an onling application.  I'm not a member but I hear their commercial on a major NY radio station.

I can't tell if it is open to every state.  But memberships are open to Catholics belonging to a parish, members of Knights of Columbus, and anyone attending a Catholic school.

Anonymous - #3, Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 5:37 PM

ONLY A HANDFULL ON THE LIST ARE WORTH JOINING.  MOST PAY VERY LOW INTEREST RATES ON C.D. ACCOUNTS.

ussr - #4, Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 6:09 PM

Thank you for choosing A Federal Credit Union as your financial partner. For your convenience, opening a savings, checking or certificate is available to you 24/7 from the comfort of your home or office

• You must be a Texas resident with Texas address

pdxmale - #5, Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 6:11 PM

Thanks for all of the hard work Ken.

Anonymous - #6, Friday, November 18, 2011 - 12:18 AM

Kinecta FCU in Manhattan Beach, CA is another credit union anyone can join.  One would join the Santa Monica Co-op and become eligible ($10.00).  Kinecta is also a member of the shared branch network.

 

http://www.kinecta.org

RJM - #9, Friday, November 18, 2011 - 4:58 AM

I joined Penfed years ago for good CD rates. I also wanted the gas card. Well, I had 2 credit cards maxed out on 0% balance transfers so my credit was only "good" as opposed to very good and i gor REJECTED for the card. I later tried again, pointing out how much I had on deposit and was approved. A low limit but thats fine.

Wish there would have been a way around the $10-15 it cost me to join that military orginization though.

Recently, I found a little tiny credit union NEAR me that had 1.25% money market but their field of memberships is only for people who live or work in that tiny little city. No "worship clause". So I havent bothered.

 

Plus, about as soon as I showed up with $200k, they'd lower their rates probably !

Anonymous - #10, Friday, November 18, 2011 - 3:45 PM

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union based in Minnesota is open to all and requires only a $10 minimum balance in savings (basically the membership fee).

They have excellent online banking and free checking.  I live a state away and wouldn't dream of changing banks.

4 real (anonymous) - #16, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 11:41 AM

adonde? do i recommend cap one i think we are eating to many of fluffys biscuits  

Paoli (anonymous) - #17, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 12:08 PM

#16:  I was referring to your post as #14 "ps bank at capital one".  What else does that mean?? Sometimes I think I am in the Twilight Zone when I post on this forum.  Maybe "you" need a few of Fluffy's dog biscuits.

KenBDG - #20, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 2:36 PM

I've removed the mystery text in Paoli's #17 comment. Sorry about that. I think you have to be careful when you copy into the comment text box. If the source has special formatting, the copy can cause the format code to be shown as text.

Paoli (anonymous) - #21, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 2:47 PM

Thank you so much Ken for your quick help!  I will try to be more careful when I post my posts or replies in the future.  Did not realize you work weekends too!  No wonder this is such a great forum!

gracias papi (anonymous) - #22, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 4:19 PM

did not want to make the mistake of serving the wrong pie on truduckin day  btw will ask my brother in law for those cds you are looking for he is a real whiz  and has mucho dinero 

Paoli (anonymous) - #23, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 5:11 PM

#22 How do you know about "Turducken Day"?  I bet you even know how it's done.  I don't think it matters what pie you serve as long as you do the Turducken the right way.  Yummy!  Thanks so much for thinking about me and my needed CDs when you see your brother-in-law "with mucho dinero".  But I will need the info for 2012.  You have a great "Turducken Day"! 

TURDUCKEN PREP (anonymous) - #24, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 5:58 PM

YEP  as fresh and as yummy as it gits my son in law goes huntin lives in north carolina and does the whole deal 

Paoli (anonymous) - #25, Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 6:23 PM

#24  What did you ever do to deserve a son-in-law who has "mucho dinero", hunts,  AND knows how to fix a Turducken!!  Do you know how expensive those are if one has to buy it already made?  What a feast you are going to have.  THAT would even be able to get my mine off of CDs for at least "one" day!  I'll be thinking about you and yours feasting while Fluffy and I will have to make do with a creepy fried chicken!  If 2012 goes well for me financially, maybe "I" can be eating Turducken next year!  Enjoy it while you can!

RJM - #27, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 5:22 AM

Paoli

I am not at all worried about the information I posted.

I would suggest you might have paranoia issues !

LOL

Paoli (anonymous) - #28, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 8:56 AM

#26   You are soooo kind but I can't take you up on your offer.  You see #27 thinks I am "Paranoid" so I have to protect my info just in case he is right.  BTW, it is not KFC chicken.  I can't eat that stuff.  Fluffy and I are frying our own chicken.  I keep a small pan in the doghouse just for holidays!  You are so lucky to be moving to Virginia.  Great choice!

RJM:  You evidently don't watch the news enough or pay attention to the warnings about internet use.  You can post what you want.  Maybe I may see "you" in the news one day.  If you can live in our society and know what happens to innocent "unparanoid" people everyday and have the audacity to call "me" paranoid because I try to share a bit of info with you, I'm sure there is a better name for your problem but I won't lower myself into name calling on Ken's great forum.  You probably already know what it is.  Have a great day!

cd rates (anonymous) - #29, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 2:10 PM

hay papi going on holiday will check out the rates for you  dont eat to much of that crappe chikcen

Paoli (anonymous) - #30, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 2:40 PM

Hay Papo #26.  Have a great holiday!  BTW, "my" fried chicken is delicious!  It's made the "old fashion way"!  Thanks for offering to check out rates for me so maybe one day I can go on "holiday" too!

Anonymous - #32, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 4:04 PM

AILOI is a french garlic mayo sauce that goes really well with fried chicken

super committee (anonymous) - #33, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 4:17 PM

is a jokre fluffy and a blind baboon could do  a better job  of saving the economy

Paoli (anonymous) - #34, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 4:37 PM

I'm told Ailoi is a delicious sauce like you've indicated but I have never tasted it.  I don't like anything on "my" fried chicken.

#33  How I wished I didn't agree with you about Fluffy and the Blind Baboon and the economy.  I was just reading today how the Dems and Repubs both have "no" idea what to do.  I guess I will be voting "Independent" this go round.  What a mess they have gotten us in!

plain fried (anonymous) - #35, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 5:54 PM

what no grits or as we yanks call it polenta with some collards  and red eye gravy and a hunk of pecan pie  now that be some gooood eats yall 

Paoli (anonymous) - #36, Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 6:03 PM

We Southerners call it "grits" and we eat it for breakfast except if you are poor and you use it as a main dish with potatoes and ham in it.  I've had it both ways.  I never said I was only having fried chicken by itself.  Even people who can't get 6% CDs have side dishes with the chicken.  Mine is fried rice with fried mushrooms and water chestnuts and some yucky vegetable (for health's sake!).  Oh! And a pie is definitely a necessity!  I haven't decided what kind yet.  If Southerners know how to do one thing, it's how to enjoy good food!  If all else fails, there is always "Meals on Wheels"! (Just joking!)

Anonymous - #37, Saturday, November 26, 2011 - 5:31 PM

I was checking some of the "open" credit unions on the above list and on a couple of other sites I found through Google.  Unfortunately, most do not have good rates, imo.  What I am wondering, does Ken have a page in this forum which weeds out the worse and gives us the ones with the best rates?  It would make it easier on us rather than having to check every CU on the list.  Is this what is done when we go to the CD page?  Are the CUs listed the only ones with the best rates? Thanks for any advice or info.

pdxmale - #38, Saturday, November 26, 2011 - 5:39 PM

Ken's list is as good as you get in one place. There are some that are not on it ---- but very few.

 

Hard to find "good" rates anywhere.

I assume you are looking at the correct list/s.

Eagle (anonymous) - #39, Thursday, December 1, 2011 - 7:58 AM

Nice list. I will check it out. Thanks!

DBulgher (anonymous) - #41, Thursday, May 24, 2012 - 7:35 PM

You forgot to include my credit union, Signal Financial Federal Credit Union in Kensington, MD.  I was able to join after I became a member of WABA (Washington Area Bicycling Association) and they even picked up the tab! Best of all I opened my account online and jointed WABA and Signal Financial at the same time.  Couldn't be happier with their great rates and service.

Anonymous - #42, Wednesday, October 10, 2012 - 11:45 AM

I compared the most recent list of credit unions paying over 1.9% to this list and found only 3. Connexus, Riverland and Melrose. How do I ask a general question about credit Unions?

Anonymous - #43, Monday, October 15, 2012 - 12:25 AM

Becu?

KenBDG - #44, Thursday, October 18, 2012 - 2:00 PM

About BECU, it doesn't appear that there's an easy way for people outside of WA state to join. The only possible way I see from their membership page is through the Museum of Flight. However, BECU's membership page only says employees of Museum of Flight and not members of Museum of Flight.

Anonymous - #45, Monday, November 12, 2012 - 3:16 PM

20th Century Fox is NOT open to ANYONE. I live in LA and I do not qualify.

http://www.foxcredit.com/join.php 

KenBDG - #46, Thursday, December 13, 2012 - 5:22 AM

@Anonymous #45, you should be able to qualify for 20th Century Fox FCU by joining the Best Friends Animal Society-Los Angeles Chapter in Woodland Hills. However, it does appear that the credit union has made it more difficult to join compared to my last review in 2010. It's not clear if anyone in the nation can qualify for this Best Friends Animal Society and the other association which I mention in my review. These now appear limited to locals. Also, the credit union removed links to applications for these associations. Because of these changes, I've decided to remove 20th Centuty Fox FCU from the list.

Anonymous - #47, Thursday, December 13, 2012 - 4:11 PM

If you are looking for a rate on a 12 month certificate, do not bother going through this entire list.  Digital, FirstMark and Pentagon are about the only three of the 74that will have something of 'value' in this area.  Yes, I went through them all!

Some of the banks on this blog have similar rates and you do not have to jump through the hoops of becoming a member of some innocuous organization.

Anonymous - #49, Thursday, February 7, 2013 - 9:30 AM

I joined Northwest Federal Credit Union in Herndon. They have several Northern Virginia branches, one close to where I live and another close to where I work.  I became a member by joining the Financial Awareness Network, INC. for $10 - a great group that promotes financial education, so joining was a win-win. I called FAN to see how to join and they were very nice and told me I could do a one-step process at time of applying for membership with the crdit union. Northwest Federal Credit Union people are great. Very patient and courteous. CD rates are about what everyone is offering, but they do have promotions, just be sure to read all the fine print.

rwilmeth - #51, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 - 2:39 PM

Do not use Astera Credit Union! Astera Credit Union has kept from me my account number and bc of that: fined me, reported me to collections, and raped me for profits. I have tried for over 6 months to get my account number so that I could give them the insurance documents they already had on file, but Astera refused to give it to me no matter how many times I ask for it (up to 36 and now threatening legal action to get it). Without it, I cannot access any of my financial information at their bank, I don't know how much they fined me for or if I really am getting it all back. Their VP had to fix the collections issues and I still have no way of accessing my account statements or information, which is legally and morally wrong. It's been a nightmare, the only communication I get from Astera has been form letters and ignorance and all I want to view my account statement that wasn't even mailed to me, they lied and said that it's my fault for losing my address change when I changed it back in August.

ShondaJohnson - #52, Tuesday, March 12, 2013 - 2:16 PM

Xceed and Western Federal are employee based credit unions. Not open to everyone.

 

Anonymous - #53, Friday, March 29, 2013 - 5:20 PM

I went to the website for Justice Federal credit union and I don't think it's open to everyone.  Did I miss an easy way to join it?

pearlbrown - #54, Saturday, March 30, 2013 - 9:06 AM

This blog post from Ken, and the comments, will be helpful to you. 

Anonymous - #55, Wednesday, April 10, 2013 - 7:23 PM

Lockheed federal credit union stole my house I believe that they double dipped from the Feds. There was no reason not to work with we had pay timely for 10 years and now I was in the middle of a divorce. Debra made me and my broker jump through hoops for 6 months turned around and lied foreclosing on my home that I had been fighting for for 3 years alone as a single mom with family backing...They changed their name due to that fact that they are PURE FRAUDS.,,.....they are a complete disgrace I even went to NACA was approved for everything they told me if it wasn't a credit union I would D be walking away with my loan..MY LOGIX DROWN! Nicole....