How can I open an account with a credit union if my employer is not affiliated?

Question

I live in Georgia. I have savings and checking accounts with 2 major banks but I always wanted to open an account with a credit union to take advantage of low intrest rates, low checking fees, etc. I heard the only way you can open an account with a credit union is if your employer, church or social organization is a member with that particular credit union. The only problem is I don't belong to or work for anyone or anything that is afflilated with a credit union.

Are there any credit unions that allow membership from outsiders or can you only get an account with them if you "belong" to a company or orgaization that has an account or affilation?

Answer 1

Look for a credit union with a community charter. Their field of membership is based on where people live, work, and worship. Here is a link to a list of credit unions in Georgia. Look for those with the same area code where you live and try to avoid the ones that have a company name or occupation in their name. Such as Atlanta Teachers FCU or Atlanta Postal CU. http://www.gcua.org/consumers/cudirectory.html

Answer 2

By law, credit unions must set membership rules before allowing individuals to join. But, the rules are very open. Sometimes all you need to do is live in a certain city or county, have someone ANYONE you are related to, even distant relatives, be employed or part of an ogranization of company. There are many credit unions based on colleges that you can join if you or any member of your family works for or ever attended the college. You don't need to be attending now, just have attended in the past. You can check our http://www.CUNA.org for more information and other links.

Answer 3

Lots of credit unions offer membership to those living in a particular area, without having to be affiliated with a church, employer or other organization. To find the nearest credit union, just go to CU Locator at http://www.creditunion.coop/cu_locator/index.html

Good luck!

Answer 4

Get a membership to a store like Costco or Sam's Club and that will qualify you to join most credit unions.

Answer 5

Maybe you should call the local credit union and ask them. I would think the rules would vary by company.

Answer 6

I don't know about Georgia but here some CU's are regional. As long as you live in a specific area you can get in.