Credit unions are not-for-profit organizations that exist to serve their members. Like banks, credit unions accept deposits, make loans and provide a wide array of other financial services. But as member-owned and cooperative institutions, credit unions provide a safe place to save and borrow at reasonable rates. What people are unaware of is that joining a credit union is easier than they think. The misconception people tend to have is that credit unions require members to meet strict criteria or pay high membership fees, but in many cases, it can be easy and cost-effective to join a credit union. Here at HustlerMoneyBlog, we have reviewed numerous credit unions across the country and complied a list of credit unions that anyone can join! So whether you are looking for reduced fees, higher savings rates or lower loan rates, click on our detailed reviews below and find the right credit union to meet your banking needs!
Ways To Join A Credit Union:
Members of a credit union share a common bond, also known as the credit union’s field of membership. When credit unions first started, common bonds typically involved employers. This expanded to include community bonds in which anyone who lives or works in an area can qualify. Now many credit unions have fields of membership that include members of associations, and those associations can often be joined by anyone. See below of typical eligibility requirements to join:
- Employers – Many employers sponsor their own credit unions
- Family – Family Family Most credit unions allow members’ families to join
- Geographic Location – Many credit unions serve anyone that lives, works, worships or attends school in a particular geographic area
- Membership In a Group – Membership in a group, such as a place of worship, school, labor union or homeowner’s association may qualify you to join
- Anyone can join – Make certain amount of donation to a specific organization or join certain association that’s in the Credit Union’s Field of Membership list
Why Join A Credit Union:
If you are currently in the market looking for banking products that offer an attractive rates, you could consider joining a credit union that’s not in your city is to take advantage of competitive banking products that they have to offer. Many of these credit unions have online applications which make it easy for new members to join. Also, the credit unions’ online banking can make managing accounts easy without having to visit an actual branch. However, if you do need to visit a branch, many belong to the shared branch network which allows you to conduct many banking transactions at any credit union in the network as if it were your own. If you happened to know a credit union that anyone can join that’s not on our list, feel free to drop us a line below and we’ll update our list. Also, don’t forget to check out our full list of Bank Bonuses nationwide for your chance to earn some cash bonuses!
Credit Union | Headquarter/Branches | How To Join | Review |
---|---|---|---|
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union | Saint Paul, MN Locator- [28] | One time $25 donation to Affinity Plus Foundation | Review |
Agricultural Federal Credit Union | Washington, DC Locator - [7] | Join The Friends of CityDance Association for $20. | Review |
Air Force Federal Credit Union | San Antonio, TX Locator - [8] | One time $25 donation to the Airman Heritage Museum | Review |
Alliant Credit Union | Chicago, IL Locator - [12] | Make minimum of $10 donation to Foster Care to Success (FCS) | Review |
Altra Federal Credit Union | Onalaska, WI Locator - [20] | Be a member of Altra Foundation with $5 dues | Review |
America’s Christian Credit Union | Glendora, CA Locator - [2] | One time membership fee of $5 plus initial deposit of $25 and $100 into share savings account | Review |
American Heritage Federal Credit Union | Philadelphia, PA Locator - [31] | Deposit and maintain $15 balance into a share savings account | Review |
America's Credit Union | DuPont, WA Locator - [14] | Minimum deposit of $25 to a savings account and a submission of notarized copies of two forms of ID | Review |
Andrew's Federal Credit Union | Suitland, MD Locator - [15] | $5 donation if you have no military affiliation Lifetime membership costs $15 | Review |
Aspire Federal Credit Union | Clark, NJ Locator - [1] | $5 fee to join their partner association, the American Consumer Council, will ensure your qualifications for a membership | Review |
Bethpage Federal Credit Union | Bethpage, NY Locator - [35] | Open a savings account for $5. | Review |
Capital Educators Federal Credit Union | Meridian, ID Locator - [9] | Join the Idaho CapEd Foundation as a volunteer, minimum donations of $1 for students and $10 for non-students | Review |
Chartway Federal Credit Union | Virginia Beach, VA Locator - [48] | Make a $10 donation to the We Promise Foundation | Review |
CommmunityWide Federal Credit Union | Southbend, IN Locator - [11] | Become a donor member of Michiana Goodwill Boosters & Marine Corps League | Review |
Connexus Credit Union | Wausau, WI Locator - [19] | $5 donation to Connexuscu Association. | Review |
Corporate America Family Credit Union | Elgin, IL Locator - [21] | $5 donation to The Hope Group | Review |
Credit Union Of New Jersey | Ewing, NJ Locator - [6] | Affiliation with one of over 200 groups for eligibilty | Review |
Digital Credit Union | Marlborough, MA Locator - [23] | Join an organization with range in membership cost from $25 to $120 | Review |
First Flight Federal Credit Union | Cary, NC Locator - [8] | Donation of $5-$10 to qualify for First Flight membership | Review |
First Technology Federal Credit Union | Palo Alto, CA Locator - [41] | Join the Financial Fitness Association for $8. Join the Computer History Museum for $15. | Review |
Finex Credit Union | East Hartford, CT Locator - [2] | Join East Hartford Friends of the Library with $10 membership fee | Review |
Fort Knox FCU | Radcliff, KY Locator - [16] | Pay $5 to join the American Consumer Council / Kentucky | Review |
Garden Savings FCU | Parsippany, NJ Locator - [5] | $5 donation to join American Consumer Council if you have no military affiliation Lifetime membership costs $15 | Review |
Great Lakes Credit Union | Bannockburn, IL Locator - [14] | The online application system will automatically qualify you if you click “let us help” | Review |
GTE Financial CU | Tampa, FL Locator - [23] | $10 one-time membership fee | Review |
Hanscom Federal Credit Union | Hanscom Afb, MA Locator - [17] | Join Air Force Association for one year $45 membership cost or Nashua River Watershed Association for $35 | Review |
Hughes FCU | Tucson, AZ Locator - [7] | Small donation to one of the community Special interest groups, residential eligibility required | Review |
INOVA Federal Credit Union | Elkhart, IN Locator - [7] | $5 donation to Elkhart River Restoration | Review |
Justice FCU | Chantilly, VA Locator - [23] | $15 for National Sheriff’s Association membership first, then become a member of the Justice Federal Credit Union for a total of $20 | Review |
Kinecta Federal Credit Union | Manhattan Beach, CA Locator - [35] | Join with $10 through the Consumers Cooperative Society of Santa Monica. Kinecta will process the enrollment into CCSSM for you. | Review |
Lake Michigan Credit Union | Grand Rapids, MI Locator - [43] | Join with $5 donation to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association, West Michigan Chapter for eligibility | Review |
McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union | East Windsor, NJ Locator - [2] | One-time minimum donation of $25 to become a member of the Voice Foundation | Review |
Melrose Credit Union | Briarwood, NY Locator - [1] | $1 one-time membership fee and a $25 minimum opening deposit | Review |
Money One FCU | Upper Marlboro, MD Locator - [2] | One-time donation to Gifts for Easter Seals for eligibility. Bring Easter Seals donation form to any Money One location to complete your application | Review |
Mountain America Credit Union | West Jordan, UT Locator - [90] | Join the American Consumer Council for free. | Review |
NASA Federal Credit Union | Upper Marlboro, MD Locator - [12] | A complimentary membership to the National Space Society (NSS) entitles you to join NASA FCU | Review |
Northrop Grumman FCU | Gardena, CA Locator - [18] | Become a member of the Southern California Historical Aviation Foundation for a minimum of $50 | Review |
Northwest FCU | Herdon, VA Locator - [8] | Select employer/organization: Financial Awareness Network. They will sponsor you for a one-time $10 fee | Review |
Nusenda Credit Union | Albuquerque, NM Locator - [19] | Become a member of the La Montanita Food Co-op, which costs $15 for three adults who share a kitchen | Review |
NuVision Credit Union | Huntington Beach, CA Locator - [13] | $5 donation to join American Consumer Council if you have no military affiliation Lifetime membership costs $15 | Review |
Pen Air Federal Credit Union | Pensacola, FL Locator - [19] | Become a member of the Friends of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society by making a $3 donation | Review |
PenFed Credit Union | McLean, VA Locator - [51] | Join Voice For America's Troops for $14. Donate to National Military Family Association for $15. | Review |
People's Trust Credit Union | Houston, TX Locator - [8] | $5 minimum membership to the People’s Trust Foundation. | Review |
Pinnacle Federal Credit Union | Edison, NJ Locator - [2] | Join the American Consumer Council. | Review |
Premier America Credit Union | Chatsworth. CA Locator - [20] | Join the Alliance for the Arts for $50. | Review |
RTN Federal Credit Union | Waltham, MA Locator - [15] | Join the Amesbury Carriage Museum or the Danvers Historical Society. | Review |
Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union | Albuquerque, NM Locator - [108] | Join the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History for $40. | Review |
San Diego Country Credit Union | San Diego, CA Locator - [42] | Join Financial Fitness Association with a $8 membership fee | Review |
SCE Federal Credit Union | Irwindale, CA Locator - [9] | Make a $10 donation to the Center for Financial Empowerment. | Review |
Self-Help Credit Union | Durham, NC Locator - [23] | Join the Center for Community Self-Help for $5. | Review |
Signal Financial Federal Credit Union | Kensington, MD Locator - [7] | Join the Washington Area Bicyclist Association for $35. | Review |
South Division Credit Union | Evergreen Park, IL Locator - [4] | Open a Membership Share Savings Account with a $50 deposit. | Review |
Southeast Financial Federal Credit Union | Franklin, TN Locator - [15] | Donate $5 to the Autism Society of Middle Tennessee. | Review |
Stanford Federal Credit Union | Palo Alto, CA Locator - [5] | Join the Museum of American Heritage for $35 or Friends of the Palo Alto Library for $20. | Review |
State Department Federal Credit Union | Alexandria, VA Locator - [6] | Join the Museum of American Heritage for $35 or Friends of the Palo Alto Library for $20. | Review |
Unify Financial Credit Union | Torrance, CA Locator - [55] | Join the Surfrider Foundation or Friends of Hobbs. | Review |
United States Senate Federal Credit Union | Alexandria, VA Locator - [3] | Contribute to the US Capitol Historical Society and open a primary savings account with $5. | Review |
University Federal Credit Union | Austin, TX Locator - [22] | Join the University of Texas Longhorn Foundation for $20. | Review |
Wings Financial Credit Union | Apple Valley, MN Locator - [22] | Donate to the Wings Financial Foundation for $5. | Review |
Xceed Financial Credit Union | El Segundo, CA Locator - [14] | Join the Friends of the Webster Public Library for $8. | Review |
XCEL Credit Union | Bloomfield, NJ Locator - [3] | Select associate member or volunteer when filling out the application. | Review |