ACFCU (TX) Has Two Competitive Short-Term CDs
In early May, ACFCU began offering 0.70% APY on all its Certificates. This change to a “uni-rate” involved rate increases (between 10-45 bps) for the majority of the Certificates, except the 60-month, which lost 10 bps. Of the five Certificates in the product line, the 6-month and 12-month Certificates are the most competitive. The minimum opening deposit is $1k, with no stated balance cap.
The Certificates are also offered as IRA Certificates (Traditional, Roth), earning the same 0.70% APY with the same deposit requirements.
ACFCU has a Rewards Program offering a variety of benefits to its members, including premium rates on its Certificates. The three Rewards levels, Bronze, Silver, and Gold offer an additional 10, 20, 30 bps, respectively, on Certificates.
There are five requirements to qualify for a specific Rewards level, four of which are the same for all three levels:
- Active checking account open for 60 days
- Active debit card with at least 5 transactions a month
- E-statements
- Direct Deposit/Auto Transfer/ACH more than $100 per month
The delineating requirement is the aggregate balance in loans/deposits:
- $1k minimum for Bronze
- $5k minimum for Silver
- $15k minimum for Gold
As stated in the Truth-in-Savings disclosure (page 21), the Early Withdrawal Penalty read as follows:
We will impose a penalty if you withdraw any of the principal amount of your Term Share Certificate Account before the maturity date. The amount of the penalty is based on the current term of your Account.
The penalty schedule is as follows: Term of 12 months or less – 90 Days Dividends.
Excess Share Insurance
In addition to the NCUA insurance coverage on funds up to $250k, ACFCU also provides insurance on funds up to an additional $250k through the Excess Share Insurance Corporation.
ESI allows qualifying credit unions to customize the protection provided to members with deposit account balances in excess of $250,000. ESI's Excess Share Insurance Coverage applies to any credit union account currently subject to the maximum level of $250,000 in coverage provided by NCUA.
Availability
Headquartered in Amarillo, Texas ACFCU’s field of membership (FOM) is community-based, with individuals who live, work, worship, or attend school in the Texas Panhandle counties of Gray, Potter, or Randall eligible to join.
Joining ACFCU and/or opening a Certificate can be done at any of the six full-service Texas branches, located in Amarillo (5) and Pampa. ACFCU also operates a Home Loan Center in Amarillo.
If none of the six branch locations are conveniently located, CSR suggested contacting the ACFCU Call Center (806.358.7561), Monday-Friday (9:00 am to 5:00 pm), to start a new membership application and/or begin the process of opening a CD. ACFCU’s website also has a “Contact Me” form that can be submitted online.
A regular Savings Account with a $5.00 minimum balance establishes your credit union membership. Dividends are calculated and paid quarterly using the average daily balance method when your balance meets or exceeds $200.
Credit Union Overview
ACFCU has an overall health grade of "A" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 1.07% (excellent) based on March 31, 2021 data. In the past year, ACFCU has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $40.22 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 17.88%. Please refer to our financial overview of ACFCU (NCUA Charter #5168) for more details.
Established in 1945 as the Amarillo U.S. Employees Federal Credit Union, the original FOM was exclusive to employees of the Bureau of Reclamation. (As part of the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Reclamation oversees water resource management in the western states, specifically irrigation, water supply, and hydroelectric power generation.) In the early 80s, the FOM began to expand, allowing other SEGs to join; when the number of SEGs surpassed 250, a community charter was adopted. 1998 was a pivotal year for the credit union: the charter was expanded to include the residents of three Texas Panhandle counties and the credit union rebranded as Amarillo Community Federal Credit Union. Two years ago, the ACFCU rebrand occurred: “a new brand, but the same great service.” ACFCU is currently the 81st largest credit union headquartered in Texas, with nearly 40,000 members and assets in excess of $291 million.
How the Certificates Compare
When compared to 233 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com that require a similar minimum deposit and are available within the FOM, ACFCU's 6-Month Certificate APY currently ranks second.
When compared to 245 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com that require a similar minimum deposit and are available within the FOM, ACFCU's 12-Month Certificate APY currently ranks third.
The above rates are accurate as of 8/27/2021.
To look for the best CD rates, either nationwide or state specific, please refer to our CD Rates Table page.