Brightstar Credit Union is headquartered in Sunrise and is the 32nd largest credit union in the state of Florida. It is also the 571st largest credit union in the nation. It was established in 1946 and as of December of 2019, it had grown to 176 employees and 59,207 members at 8 locations. Brightstar Credit Union's money market rates are 14% higher than the national average, and it has an A health rating.
Field of Membership Restrictions
BrightStar Credit Union offers membership to anyone who resides, works, or attends school in the Florida counties of Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, or St. Lucie. Membership is also open to individuals associated with educational institutions in Broward County, and to employees (and their family) of local partner organizations.
See current membership details
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Longstanding Brightstar Credit Union Platinum Star Member
I am a longstanding BrightStar Credit Union Member and current Platinum Star Member. The Platinum Star Membership requirements are clearly stated at BrightStar Credit Union | Serving Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida. You do need to establish a relationship with the credit union to become a member.( Read the fine print). That means you probably won't gain Platinum Star status immediately even if you meet the other requirements. It is reserved for customers who are loyal to the credit union. I have had bad experiences at other major banks and found myself coming back to BSCU because they have better rates and more free services offered in a more personal environment. All financial institutions can make errors. Over the 20 plus years I've banked with BrightStar (Broward Schools) Credit Union, I have only had one instance where a problem occurred due to the credit union's error. It was quickly corrected and no fees were accessed. There have been problems because of my error; they were also been quickly corrected and no fee accessments. As a Platinum Star member with a savings and checking, I have built in overdraft protection. When I opened my IRA CD's this year I also inquired about my son opening one. I was told that he could, but he would not have the preferred rate as a new customer. No bank is perfect, but I have little to complain about when it comes to BrightStar.
Bright Star
Free checking. Reasonable safe deposit fee.
Employees aren't especially helpful or friendly
Something To Think About With Bright Star
I called today to open an account with Brightstar. I wanted to have a Star preminum membership to take advantage of the 5yr cd rate for an Ira due in 60 days -jumbo cd. I qualified for the membership and had no problem with the requirements. One odd thing was you needed to use the Visa check card several times a month but she refused to tell me how many times
Now for the kicker- the rep told me that they might not be able to address my IRA( within my time frame) since I needed to established a relationship with them. I had no idea what she was talking about and said that I didn't undestand since I met all the requirements. She said they want people in the Star to have a strong relationship with them and this might take several months. This may mean car loans and things of that nature I have no idea.. I asked several more questions and finally gave up. She kept trying to direct me to their regular cd rates. I said I wasn't interested and that was that.
Customer Service
Wow! Melissa and the customer service team just don't care! They make a mistake, admit it but just don't care. Brightstar credit union has really shown how far they have fallen.
Data as of Q4 2019
Learn why bank health mattersHealth Grade Components
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| NCUA # | 67347 |
| Year Chartered | 1946 |
| Employees | 176 |
| Primary Regulator | |
| Profit Margin | |
|---|---|
| Return on Assets - YTD | 0.25% |
| Return on Equity - YTD | 2.45% |
| Annual Interest Income | $21.6MM |
| Assets and Liabilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Assets | Q4 2019vs Q4 2018 | $518.5MM$481.7MM |
| Loans | Q4 2019vs Q4 2018 | $379.6MM$358.8MM |
| Deposits | Q4 2019vs Q4 2018 | $459.1MM$424.4MM |
| Equity Capital | Q4 2019vs Q4 2018 | $52.4MM$50.6MM |
| Loan Loss Allowance | Q4 2019vs Q4 2018 | $4.1MM$3.3MM |
| Unbacked Noncurrent Loans | Q4 2019vs Q4 2018 | $1.9MM$1.4MM |
| Real Estate Owned | Q4 2019vs Q4 2018 | $0$0 |