NASA Federal Credit Union Raises CD Special Rates
For the third time in less than three months, NASA Federal Credit Union (NASA Federal) has raised the rates on it Share Certificate Specials (SCS): 9-month (0.80% APY), 15-month (1.05% APY), and 49-month (1.70% APY). While this week’s increases are modest (5 bps and 10 bps), the 9-month SCS, 15-month SCS, and 49-month SCS have gained 20, 45, and 55 bps, respectively, since the end of September 2021.
The minimum opening deposit for any SCS is $10k, with no stated balance cap. As stated in the fine print on the Share Certificate Rates page, “new funds brought from an external source” are required for the opening deposit that must be made between December 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. No balance cap is specified, but the Rates page does state,
Credit Union reserves the right to limit deposits into this special Certificate.
This limited-time offer is subject to change at any time without notice.
While the 49-month SCS obviously offers the most competitive rate, the 15-month SCS rate is quite good, ranking at the top for nationally available 15-18 month CD term lengths. If committing to a 4 years doesn’t fit into your financial plan for the current low-rate environment, a shorter-term SCS might be a better option.
All three SCS are also offered as IRA SCS (Traditional and Roth), earning the same APYs with the same deposit requirements.
As stated in the Certificate Terms and Conditions document, the Early Withdrawal Penalty reads as follows:
182 days for certificate accounts with terms up to 24 months and
365 days for certificate accounts with terms greater than 24 months.
There is a 10-day grace period before a SCS automatically renews as a standard Share Certificate (SC) at the rate in effect at the time of renewal. The 49-month SCS renews as a 48-month SC; the 15-month SCS renews as a 12-month SC; and the 9-month SCS renews as a 6-month SC. If you withdraw the funds, no interest will be paid for the grace period.
Funding and Accessing Maturing Funds
A Share Certificate Special must be funded within ten days of opening, with the rate guaranteed during those ten days. Options for funding include ACH, wire transfer, or through a transfer from an existing NASA Federal checking or savings account. NASA Federal participates in the CO-OP Shared Branch network, making the transfer of funds relatively simple.
Maturing funds can be distributed by check, wire, or transferred into an existing NASA Federal checking or savings account.
Beneficiaries
Unlimited beneficiaries (equal shares) can be named, with a Social Security number required for each beneficiary.
Availability
Headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, NASA Federal Credit Union’s field of membership offers a way for virtually any U.S. citizen/resident to qualify:
Easy Membership: NASA Federal will provide a one-year complimentary affiliated membership in the National Space Society (NSS), which “entitles you to full NASA Federal membership.” Joining one of 14 affiliated associations also qualifies for credit union membership, but some of these associations have a fee to join, ranging from $20 to $50.
Employment: Employees or retirees of NASA Headquarters, any NASA Center or Facility, or National Academy of Sciences are eligible for membership. In addition, any employee or member of one of more than 900 NASA Federal partner companies also qualify for membership. (A complete list of partner companies can be found on the first page of the online application.)
Relationship: Relatives or household members of current NASA Federal members are eligible for membership (the online application requires the current member’s account number).
Joining NASA Federal and/or opening a Share Certificate Special can be done online. The Membership Certificate Application is also available as a download and specifically lists the SCSs at the top of application.
Mail Application and Check to: NASA Federal Credit Union, Special Offer, P.O. Box 1538,
Bowie, MD 20717-1538. Be sure to fund your Certificate within 10 days of account opening!
Seven NASA Federal branch lobbies are open to walk-in traffic: Maryland – Annapolis, Bowie, Columbia, Latham, Rockville, and Upper Marlboro, and Falls Church, Virginia. The remaining five branch locations continue to be “Closed Until Further Notice.”
Opening a Primary Savings account with a minimum $5 deposit is required to establish a NASA Federal membership.
NASA Federal is a member of the CO-OP Shared Branch network, giving members access to more than 5,000 branch locations across the country (including more than 120 locations in the Washington DC metro area) to conduct many business transactions.
Shared Branches allow members of participating credit unions across the country to conduct most of their financial transactions as if they were at their own credit union branch.
Credit Union Overview
NASA Federal Credit Union has an overall health grade of "A+" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 2.27% (excellent) based on June 30, 2021 data. In the past year, NASA Federal has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $132.16 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 5.13%. Please refer to our financial overview of NASA Federal Credit Union (NCUA Certificate # 6328) for more details.
NASA Federal Credit Union was established in 1949 when seven members of the scientific community (with just a total of $2 in deposits) received approval for a credit union charter serving NASA employees. NASA FCU is currently the third largest credit union headquartered in Maryland and the 107th largest credit union in the nation, with assets in excess of $3.4 billion and more than 201,000 members.
How the Share Certificate Specials Compare
When compared to 174 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com, which are nationally available and require a minimum deposit of $10k or less, NASA Federal Credit Union's 49-month Share Certificate Special APY currently ranks first.
When compared to 158 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com, which are nationally available and require a minimum deposit of $10k or less, NASA Federal Credit Union's 15-month Share Certificate Special APY currently ranks first.
When compared to 202 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com, which are nationally available and require a minimum deposit of $10k or less, NASA Federal Credit Union's 9-month Share Certificate Special APY currently ranks first.
The above information and rates are accurate as of 12/2/2021.
To find the best CD rates, both nationwide and state specific, please refer to our CD Rates Table page.
