FirstLight FCU (TX) Raises Rate on 2-Year Share Certificate

POSTED ON THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015 BY Ken Tumin

Availability: Residents of the Texas counties of El Paso and Dona Ana, and the Fort Bliss Community

FirstLight Federal Credit Union (FirstLight) recently raised the rate on its 2-year Share Certificate (1.56% APY). In the past 10 months, the rate on the 2-year Share Certificate has been increased five times, adding 66 basis points since September 2014.

The minimum opening deposit is $500, with no maximum balance cap. The 2-year Share Certificate also offered as an IRA (Traditional, Roth, and CESA) earning the same APY and with the same funding requirement.

According to CSR, the Early Withdrawal Penalty is 90 days interest.

APY	MIN	MAX	INSTITUTION	PRODUCT
1.66^*%	$100k	-	Firstlight Federal Credit Union	2 Year IRA (Traditional, Roth, CESA)
OTHER TIERS: 1.41% → $500 - $25k \| 1.46% → $25k - $50k \| 1.61% → $50k - $100k
1.66^*%	$100k	-	Firstlight Federal Credit Union	2 Year CD
OTHER TIERS: 1.41% → $500 - $25k \| 1.46% → $25k - $50k \| 1.61% → $50k - $100k
1.66^*%	$100k	-	Firstlight Federal Credit Union	2 Year Changeable CD
OTHER TIERS: 1.41% → $500 - $25k \| 1.46% → $25k - $50k \| 1.61% → $50k - $100k

Accounts mentioned in this post. Rates as of August 21, 2017.

The 2-year Share Certificate has three rate tiers, based on deposit balances of $500+, $25K+, and $50K+.

The 2-Year Share Certificate is also available as a "Changeable" Share Certificate, at the same APYs, but with a higher minimum deposit of $2.5K. As stated on FirstLight’s Rates page, the Changeable Share Certificate's:

Rate may be changed one time during the term to the existing rate at member's written request.

Availability

Headquartered in El Paso, FirstLight Federal Credit Union offers membership to individuals with a valid Social Security number who live, work, or worship in El Paso County and Dona Ana County, Texas, and the Fort Bliss Community.

Joining and/or opening a Share Certificate at FirstLight must be done in-person at any of seven Texas branches located in El Paso (6) and Fort Bliss, or at any of three New Mexico branches located in Las Cruces.

At this time, FirstLight’s online capabilities are limited to account management and bill pay services.

Credit Union Overview

FirstLight Federal Credit Union has an overall health grade of "B+" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 9.01% (excellent) based on March 31, 2015 data. In the past year, FirstLight has increased its total deposits by $23.87 Million, an excellent annual growth rate of 3.15%. Please refer to our financial overview of FirstLight Federal Credit Union for more details.

FirstLight Federal Credit Union (NCUA Charter # 10174) was originally chartered in 1955 as Frontier Federal Credit Union, for the benefit of military and civilian personnel of Biggs Air Force Base. Following a merger with Fort Bliss Federal Credit Union, the name was changed to Air Defense Center Federal Credit Union. In 1996, a community charter was granted, opening the Credit Union’s doors to local residents. The FirstLight name was introduced in 2005, and today FirstLight’s membership has grown to over 107,000 members, with assets in excess of $881 Million.

How the CD Compares

When compared to the 581 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com available to Texas residents, FirstLight Federal Credit Union’s 2-Year Share Certificate currently ranks 5th, regardless of minimum deposit.

The above rates are accurate as of 7/16/2015.

To search for nationwide CD rates and CD rates in your state, please refer to the CD rates section of DepositAccounts.com.