Get this Citibank monkey off my back

December 14, 2005 9:07 AM

I would like to find the best credit union in or around Westchester, NY, that I am eligible to join

I've googled and researched, but you can only learn so much that way. What I'm really looking for are recommendations from people who actually belong to what they feel are good credit unions in the area. I don't want to go through all the trouble of switching over my life and then discover that I'm in a worse situation than I was in before.

Are you a member of a credit union in Westchester, NY, or the surrounding area (even NYC)? Are you happy with your credit union?

posted by ducksauce to Work & Money (11 answers total)

USAA.
posted by phearlez at 9:14 AM on December 14, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for the answer, phearlez, but I am not connected to the military in any way, so I am not eligible to join USAA.
posted by ducksauce at 9:20 AM on December 14, 2005

Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union. Not 100% sure of the membership requirements, but this used to be the IBM Employees Credit Union, I believe, then when IBM hit the shitter in the 90s and effectively cut the legs out from under Dutchess County, the HVFC opened up its membership. I'd check it out. I belong to it, but my Dad wore blue for 30 years.
posted by spicynuts at 9:56 AM on December 14, 2005

*sigh* did you open the link? Right at the top:

Eligibility Requirements
To get property or casualty insurance from USAA, you have to have a military affiliation.

However, anyone can bank with USAA, even those with no military affiliation at all. Just call 1-800-531-2265 and ask for a member number to gain access to the full website.

I called and did the signup 2 weeks ago and have no affiliation. No problem.
posted by phearlez at 10:11 AM on December 14, 2005

Note: for those not familiar with USAA - it is not a credit union (nor is its bank a credit union), but, like a credit union, it is member-owned.

USAA started out as an insurance company for military officers only. It has since expanded to offer insurance to enlisted members of the military and to children of the military.

But the bank is open to anyone, as a customer.
posted by WestCoaster at 10:48 AM on December 14, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for the answer, spicynuts. It looks like HCFCU is open to:

anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Dutchess, Ulster or Orange County

I live and work in Westchester, but if I volunteer or join a church or something along those lines in Dutchess it looks like I might be eligible. Thanks!

phearlez, thank you for trying to help me but I do not understand why you assume the worst about me based on my one sentence reply. I read the message forum you linked to, then followed the official link posted in that forum. The official website has an eligibility quiz you can take, which I did not pass successfully. Furthermore, the consensus in the forum seemed to be that applicants needed some military affiliation, be it personal, family, or something similar. I have none at all.

But I will follow up by calling the 800 number you generously posted to find out more information. Why did you decide to join USAA?
posted by ducksauce at 10:54 AM on December 14, 2005

Woah sparky, "assume the worst about" you? I just figured you didn't read the message at the link, not that you drown puppies. I swear I didn't order any hits or atomic wedgies on you. I just thought the message I linked to was pretty clear that anyone is eligible but you'd have to make a phone call.

I went with them because of their 0.5% rebate on debit card purchases. Since I kicked the credit habit years ago, all my non-cash purchases are with a debit card. Why not pay myself for what I'm doing anyways? Additionally the payback for ATM fees from other banks is wonderfully freeing - no more looking around for a no-fee ATM or making purchases I can get cash back with.
posted by phearlez at 11:19 AM on December 14, 2005

I've happy been a member of the USAlliance FCU for many years. It used to be called the IAG FCU and was the credit union for IBM employees in Westchester County, but has since branched out/merged to be more inclusive. Here's the list of qualifications to join.
posted by bemis at 11:35 AM on December 14, 2005

Response by poster: Very insightful. I, too, use debit purchases for everything these days after having bad (pretty much forced) credit card experiences a few years back, so this sounds pretty sweet.

And the "assume the worst" comment was meant to be light hyperbole. Apparently if it did not come across as such.
posted by ducksauce at 11:38 AM on December 14, 2005

Oh, ducksauce I'm sorry about that. I would have checked the requirements myself before posting but I was multi-tasking. Maybe they are pretty loose with their interpretation of 'worshipping' - are there any Buddhist temples close to the Putnam/Westchester border?
posted by spicynuts at 1:14 PM on December 14, 2005

Response by poster: It's okay -- I was looking to volunteer somehow, anyway -- this just gives me added incentive and focus (somewhere in Duchess). There's got to be some large park preserve up there I can help clean up, or something like that, and secure better banking at the same time. I'll have to look into this.
posted by ducksauce at 7:57 AM on December 15, 2005