Patelco credit union got its start in 1936 with just $500 pooled together for the benefit of employees of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company (which is now a part of AT&T). Today, the credit union serves its over 300,000 members from over 30 branch locations in Southern California.
Patelco offers its members a full range of financial products and services, including quick, easy, and secure access to funds through online and mobile banking options. Its personal depository banking products include checking accounts, savings accounts, health savings accounts (HSAs), money market accounts, Certificates of Deposit (CDs), and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
There are both interest and non-interest-bearing checking accounts available, including an option with tiered interest rates for higher account balances. Patelco requires a basic savings account for membership, but also provides savings account options for youth and for specific saving goals, such as holiday spending. The credit union’s money market account yields tiered dividends, depending upon account balances.
Patelco CD terms go from 3 to 60 months. The credit union provides both Traditional and Roth IRAs, as well as Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) – all available as either CDs or money market accounts.
Field of Membership Restrictions
Patelco Credit Union is open to anyone through joining the Financial Fitness Association ($8 yearly membership), or who lives, works, goes to school or worships in Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Marin, Merced, Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, or Yolo counties or the cities of Bakersfield, Eureka, McKinleyville, or Santa Cruz in California. Membership also extends to Alumni of the University of California Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and California State University East Bay.
See current membership details
Related Posts
9/19 - Patelco Offering Competitive 11M 3.50% CD
3/15 - Interesting Bend Of Curve At Patelco
12/18 - Flexible Rising Rate Certificate
9/22 - Special Certificate : 3% For 3 Years, Minimum $1000
1/14 - Patelco Credit Union (CA) Hikes 24-35 Month CD
3/28/17 - Patelco CU Has Top Rated, 2.75% APY, 5 Year CD. Quick Look.
2/27/17 - Patelco Credit Union (CA) Offers 3-Year CD
2/27/17 - Patelco CU Has Top Rated 3 Year CD. Quick Look.
10/12/16 - Patelco CU (CA) Offers Tiered Money Market Select Account
4/28/16 - Patelco CU 5 Year CD Rate Drop.
1/11/16 - Patelco Credit Union (CA) Increases 60-Month CD APY
1/8/16 - Patelco New Rates, 2.5% 60 Month Certificate
10/23/15 - 3-Yr Rising Rate Certificate With Blended Rate Of 1.75% APY
4/8/15 - Patelco Delivers Up To 3% APY On New Money Market Accounts
10/18/12 - Last Chance for Patelco Credit Union's 7-Year CD
7/18/12 - Patelco Credit Union Launches Online Check Deposit Service
4/16/12 - Top 7-Year CD Rate at Patelco Credit Union - Easy Membership
3/25/12 - 12-Month CD At 5 % APY
12/5/10 - 5% 1-Year $1K Max New Member CD At Patelco Credit Union - Easy Membership
11/25/09 - High-Yield Low-Max CD Specials
4/3/09 - Update on Patelco Credit Union Deals - Checking Bonus, New Member 7% CD ($1K Max) and Others
3/15/09 - Health Savings Account Overview and Finding the Best HSA
5/10/08 - 4.07% 12-Month Special CD at Patelco Credit Union
3/11/08 - 5.00% 11-Month CD at a California CU (Cal State 9).
2/25/08 - $50 Checking Account Bonus at Patelco Credit Union
1/4/08 - Saturday Is Last Day for Patelco's 5.50% 9-Month CD
11/27/07 - 5.50% 9-Month CD at Patelco Credit Union (Available to All) - Update
11/4/07 - 6.00% 7-Month CD at a California CU (Cal State 9) - Update
11/4/07 - 6.00% 7-Month CD at a California CU - Updated Promo (Cal State 9).
11/4/07 - 6.00% 7-Month CD at a California CU Continues (Cal State 9)
11/4/07 - 5.50% 7-Month CD at a California CU (Cal State 9)
9/5/07 - 8.00% Youth Savings Account at Patelco Credit Union - $1K Max
7/16/07 - $50 New Member Bonus at a Patelco Credit Union Branch Near Sacramento
7/10/07 - 5.50% 9-Month CD at Patelco Credit Union (Available to All)
6/5/07 - 7.00% 12-Month CD at Patelco - $1K Max (Easy Membership)
6/2/07 - 5.75% 12 to 23-Month IRA CD at Patelco Credit Union (Easy Membership)
5/19/07 - 5.75% 14-Month CD Continues at Patelco Credit Union (Available to All)
2/10/07 - 5.75% 14-Month CD at Patelco Credit Union
1/4/07 - 5.64% 12 to 23 Month CDs at Patelco CU - 5.75% IRAs
10/4/06 - Patelco's 5.70% Treasury Income Account
9/1/06 - 6.00% 12-Month to 23-Month CD at Patelco CU (Available to All)
8/30/06 - 6.00% 7-Month CD at a California CU (Cal State 9)
7/8/06 - 5.75% 8-Month CD a Patelco CU (Available to All)
6/9/06 - 5.35% 8-Month CD at Patelco CU (open to all)
3/16/06 - 5% 13-Month CD at a California CU.
3/16/06 - 5.25% 13-Month CD at a California CU
1/5/06 - 5% 12-Month CD Available to All
Unique Money Market And CD Accounts, Great Mobile App
Patelco has a unique money market account that allows an unlimited number of ACH transactions. I use it as a high yield checking account.
Patelco's Traditional IRA CD's are also unique in allowing early withdrawals for people above age 59.5 with no penalty. Patelco's CD rates haven't been competitive recently, but Patelco has a long history of offering CD promotions from time to time.
Patelco's mobile app is very reliable, customizable, and offers almost everything you need, but e-statements are only available through the website. External ACH transfer limits are low - $10k outbound and $20k inbound per month - but there is no limit on externally initiated ACH.
I've never been charged any fees, and adding beneficiaries can be accomplished by uploading a form through Patelco's secure messaging system.
Error In Patelco Statements
I like Patelco, as they have good CD rates. However, there is no way of knowing how the ownership of your accounts are registered except by calling them and taking their word for it. They told me you can get this info from the e-statements that are on their web portal, but the information in their statements is wrong, at least if you have POD designations. For example, if you have any POD designations, the statement will indicate a joint account owned by both the owners AND beneficiaries as joint owners. They should really correct this bug in their system as it can have legal implications if one of the beneficiaries wants to argue that they are in fact owners.
I'm Leaving Because Of Ridiculous Low Balance Fees
I recently withdrew my CD money from Patelco and now because I have only a regular savings account I'm being charged a low balance fee of $5.00 per month. According to the CSR you need a balance of at least $150.00 in your regular savings account if you have no other types of sub-accounts such as checking or a CD to go with it. They didn't mention this when I was arranging for the CD withdrawal, by the way. I don't appreciate being dinged in this petty manner so I'm pulling out. I usually keep my accounts open in cases like this to make it easy for me to come back if and when circumstances change but I don't really need Patelco that badly now or in the future.
Patelco: Miserable Experience
A friend and I both applied (separately) for Patelco memberships in order to open multiple Rising Rate CDs. Patelco appears entirely unprepared for the volume of applicants lured by their offer. Over the course of the past two weeks, they made an unending mess of both my and my friend's applications while wasting countless hours of our time. I no longer feel comfortable about the idea of doing business with them.
Data as of Q2 2022
Learn why bank health mattersHealth Grade Components
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| NCUA # | 68579 |
| Year Chartered | 1936 |
| Employees | 764 |
| Primary Regulator | |
| Profit Margin | |
|---|---|
| Return on Assets - YTD | 0.69% |
| Return on Equity - YTD | 7.94% |
| Annual Interest Income | $116.6MM |
| Assets and Liabilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Assets | Q2 2022vs Q2 2021 | $8.85B$8.82B |
| Loans | Q2 2022vs Q2 2021 | $6.19B$5.69B |
| Deposits | Q2 2022vs Q2 2021 | $7.79B$7.64B |
| Equity Capital | Q2 2022vs Q2 2021 | $771.6MM$809.8MM |
| Loan Loss Allowance | Q2 2022vs Q2 2021 | $36.0MM$38.0MM |
| Unbacked Noncurrent Loans | Q2 2022vs Q2 2021 | $16.8MM$9.8MM |
| Real Estate Owned | Q2 2022vs Q2 2021 | $0$0 |
