ValleyStar Credit Union (VA/NC) Ups 60-Month CD APY
Virginia-based ValleyStar Credit Union (ValleyStar) started the month off by raising the rate on its 60-month Share Certificate (3.30% APY). The minimum opening deposit is $2.5k, with no stated maximum balance cap.
DA has been tracking the 60-month Share Certificate since early 2011. For the majority of the past seven years, the APY has not been competitive, sinking to 1.26% in early 2013 and staying there for 2 ½ years. In the past two months, 98 bps have been added in two rate increases.
ValleyStar Share Certificates are also available as IRAs (Traditional, Roth, CESA), earning the same APYs, but only requiring a $500 minimum deposit.
According to CSR, the Early Withdrawal Penalty (EWP) is only three months’ interest for the 60-month Share Certificate. (Yes, I did ask CSR to double check.) Such a mild EWP results in quite competitive effective yields. Using DA’s Early Withdrawal Penalty Calculator, you can see on a month-by-month basis what the numbers look like. For example,
- 2.77% APY, closed at 18 months
- 2.91% APY, closed at 2 years
- 3.05% APY, closed at 3 years
- 3.11% APY, closed at 4 years
Availability
Headquartered in Martinsville, Virginia, ValleyStar Credit Union’s field of membership (FOM) is residency based with individuals who live, work, worship, or attend school in any of the following locations eligible to join.
Virginia Counties – Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bedford, Campbell, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Pittsylvania, Patrick, and Roanoke.
Virginia Cities – Danville, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton, and Waynesboro.
North Carolina Counties – Caswell, Rockingham, and Stokes.
North Carolina Cities – Eden, King, and Reidsville.
While you can apply for a variety of loans online, joining ValleyStar and/or opening a Share Certificate can only be done at any of eight full-service Virginia branches located in Collinsville, Danville, Danville North (new), Martinsville, Roanoke, Rocky Mount, South Boston (new) and Waynesboro.
Credit Union Overview
ValleyStar Credit Union has an overall health grade of "A" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 5.50% (excellent), based on March 31, 2018 data. In the past year, ValleyStar has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $79.73 million, an excellent annual growth rate of 30.16%. Please refer to our financial overview of ValleyStar Credit Union (NCUA Charter 66924) for more details.
Founded in 1953 as the Martinsville DuPont Employees Credit Union, the original FOM included workers at the DuPont nylon plant in Martinsville. More than 60 years later, the Credit Union re-branded in 2015 as “ValleyStar,” as it expanded the FOM to include three counties and cities in North Carolina. A merger with Piedmont Credit Union (Danville, VA) occurred earlier this year, and just a week ago, ValleyStar announced the finalization of the merger with Waynesboro Employees Credit Union (Waynesboro, VA). With more than 41,600 members and assets in excess of $383 million, ValleyStar is currently the 22nd largest credit union in Virginia.
How the Share Certificate Compares
When compared to 213 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com, requiring a similar minimum deposit and available within the FOM, ValleyStar Credit Union’s 60-month Share Certificate APY currently shares the top spot with CommunityWide Federal Credit Union’s 60-month Share Certificate APY.
The above rates are accurate as of 7/9/2018.
To look for the best CD rates, both nationwide and state specific, please refer to our CD Rates Table page.