How to Find a Good Credit Union
NEW YORK (MainStreet) — Credit unions continue to remain a popular choice among Americans following the Bank Transfer Day movement, which encouraged customers of big banks to switch their accounts to smaller financial institutions. But while current credit union customers attest to lower fees, better interest rates and quality customer service, other prospective members may be refraining from making the switch because of the legwork involved.
Fortunately, there are several websites that make it much easier to find a credit union in your area that you are eligible to join. Here are a few of our favorites.
CULookup.com
This locator associated with the National Association of Federal Credit Unions allows users to search for credit unions by plugging in their address or existing affiliations or by searching for a specific credit union by name. Basic eligibility requirements are provided and you can request directions to the credit unions you are interested in.
The website also has a feature that lets users compare the rates between credit unions and banks in their state on various banking products (loans, mortgages, credit cards, etc.), and provides personal finance calculators to help prospective members learn more about mortgage rates, auto loans or retirement options.
aSmarterChoice.org
This website, affiliated with the Credit Union National Association, allows prospective credit union members to plug in their address to generate a list of credit unions in their area. You can also search for a credit union by name or an affiliation you may already have. Basic membership eligibility requirements and contact information is provided, and users can also send each credit union an email directly from the website if they need more details.
MyCreditUnion.gov
The National Credit Union Administration’s locator allows you to search by city, state or ZIP code and provides some basic information on whether ATMs and drive-through services are provided. Eligibility requirements are not always clear, but you are provided with contact information for each credit union in your search results. You can request directions to the ones you are interested in, and there are also personal finance calculators on this site.
CreditCardConnection.org
Prospective credit union members can also access the NCUA’s locator from this website, which provides detailed information on the credit cards being offered by local credit unions. The site makes it easier to compare and contrast credit union credit cards by annual percentage rates, rewards programs and the fees associated with the card. Links to all the credit unions evaluated on the site are included so users can get more information on a product they may be interested in.
What are some of the better credit cards being offered by large credit unions in the U.S.? Find out in this MainStreet roundup.
—Jeanine Skowronski is staff reporter for MainStreet. You can reach her by email at Skowronski.jeanine@thestreet.com, or follow her on Twitter at @JeanineSko.
