Altra Federal Credit Union is headquartered in ONALASKA and is the 10th largest credit union in the state of Wisconsin. It is also the 189th largest credit union in the nation. It was established in 1934 and as of June of 2021, it had grown to 436 employees and 120,996 members at 16 locations. Altra Federal Credit Union's money market rates are 14% higher than the national average, and it boasts an A+ health rating.
Field of Membership Restrictions
Altra Federal Credit Union offers membership to those who attend school, worship, live, or work in specific census tracts in La Crosse, Wisconsin; Winona or Rochester, Minnesota; city of Clarksville or Montgomery County, Tennessee; or city or Tyler or Smith County, Texas.
See current membership details
Related Posts
10/4/16 - Altra FCU $85 Checking Bonus - Easy Membership
11/20/14 - A+ Checking’s Long History as a Top Reward Checking Account
2/3/13 - Altra Federal CU Increases Rate On A+ Checking RCA But Decreases Cap (2.0%APY, $25K) To (2.25%APY, $15K)
4/27/11 - Special 18-Month CD Rate at Altra Federal Credit Union in Parts of WI, MN, TN & TX
5/10/10 - Competitive 18-Month CD Rate at Altra FCU in Parts of WI, MN, TN & TX
9/7/09 - High-Yield Reward Checking Account at a Multi-State CU (Altra)
Correction To Review Re: Posting Order
The previous review is not correct. Altra posts credit before debits. All ACH credits are posted first, then debits. Checks that come in for a particular day are cleared in numeric order at the end of that business day. We do everything possible to give the member most advantageous posting order.
The only exception is Debit card PIN purchases or ATM withdrawals are posted as they occur and a check cashed at one of our branches will clear immediately.
If the member would like to discuss, please stop in or call our Member Service center. We'd be happy to discuss further.
P.S. The comment system would not let me reply to the previous review or post this without a star rating - I am not trying to skew the ratings!
Good Overall, Dislike Interest-Rate Swings In High Interest Checking
Joined this credit union in 2018 from a friend's recommendation and was not disappointed based on their high-interest checking accounts.
Easy to join even if outside field of membership requirements. The donation for $5 or so isn't so bad since you'll more than make up for it with interest rates on your balance.
Downsides are:
1. If you use this account to save money, they make it a little annoying to move money out. Outbound external transfers cost $5 each, but they offer "Altra Pay", which is their brand of "Payzur P2P" payments. You can do these for free in any amount up to $1000 per 24-hour period. They also participate in the credit union co-op shared branching/ATM. You can withdraw up to $500 from your debit card per day. Or just walk into the branch of another participating credit union to withdraw or deposit money without getting hit by fees like you would at the ATM.
2. Their interest rates are less stable compared to other big Midwestern credit unions such as Evansville Teachers FCU or Lake Michigan Credit Union. Altra used to only have A+ checking until 2019, when they came up with A+ platinum checking. The A+ checking makes you do 20 transactions. They don't have minimum required transaction amounts so if you want to do $0.50 gift card reloads on Amazon, pump tiny amounts of gas or find a store willing to do penny transactions, the account can still yield ~2% annually. Also slightly annoyed they are offering promotional rates for new members to join A+ platinum checking. Wish they'd prioritize current members first because dedicated savers like us are the ones who recommend friends and family to join. If they cut their interest rate on deposits, they should also cut the required transaction limit too. Otherwise it feels like a bit of a money grab.
3. Last time I checked, they don't offer personal checks for free outside of the first 8 they provide when signing up for a new account.
Altra Will Not Add Beneficiary Without Notarized Paperwork
I have been a customer at Altra FCU for years and on my original app long ago had included my beneficiaries. However when buying two new CDs this year, they would not guarantee my beneficiaries apply to the new CDs until I send in notarized documents. Their rates are good but not good enough for that hassle, and also the fact they did not notify me that my existing beneficiaries are suddenly not applicable is unprofessional at the least.
NOT ACCOMODATING
If you're looking for interest rates that can't be beat once you jump through some hoops, this is your bank as long as you don't mind the absence of the "personal" interaction.
Data as of Q2 2021
Learn why bank health mattersHealth Grade Components
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| NCUA # | 24077 |
| Year Chartered | 1934 |
| Employees | 436 |
| Primary Regulator | |
| Profit Margin | |
|---|---|
| Return on Assets - YTD | 1.77% |
| Return on Equity - YTD | 15.96% |
| Annual Interest Income | $34.2MM |
| Assets and Liabilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Assets | Q2 2021vs Q2 2020 | $2.13B$1.87B |
| Loans | Q2 2021vs Q2 2020 | $1.67B$1.49B |
| Deposits | Q2 2021vs Q2 2020 | $1.80B$1.56B |
| Equity Capital | Q2 2021vs Q2 2020 | $236.0MM$201.4MM |
| Loan Loss Allowance | Q2 2021vs Q2 2020 | $15.4MM$10.5MM |
| Unbacked Noncurrent Loans | Q2 2021vs Q2 2020 | $6.8MM$7.4MM |
| Real Estate Owned | Q2 2021vs Q2 2020 | $431.00K$431.00K |
