Looking for a good Chicago credit union
September 29, 2011 7:25 PM Subscribe
Are there any good credit unions in Chicago that have no membership restrictions?
On the heels of this post on the blue, I find myself interested in credit unions again. Is there such a thing as an open-membership credit union in Chicago? I am not a member of any trade unions, corporations (I am self-employed) or other such things that they frequently limit membership by, and I live in the UIC area.
On the heels of this post on the blue, I find myself interested in credit unions again. Is there such a thing as an open-membership credit union in Chicago? I am not a member of any trade unions, corporations (I am self-employed) or other such things that they frequently limit membership by, and I live in the UIC area.
Anyone in the US is eligible to join Consumers Credit Union for a $5 buy-in. I adore them. It all began with milk prices...
posted by evariste at 7:51 PM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by evariste at 7:51 PM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you live south of Harrison you might be able to join Access Credit Union. I'm a member, but just for savings and CDs.
posted by hydrophonic at 8:15 PM on September 29, 2011
posted by hydrophonic at 8:15 PM on September 29, 2011
I am a member of Alliant Credit Union which is based in Chicago and is open to Chicagoland residents and also has an extensive list of organizations that you qualify if you're associated with.
I LOVE THEM. Their checking and savings both have interest which is among the highest in the country (which is why I joined, I keep all my savings there) and their other products are competitive as well.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:33 PM on September 29, 2011
I LOVE THEM. Their checking and savings both have interest which is among the highest in the country (which is why I joined, I keep all my savings there) and their other products are competitive as well.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:33 PM on September 29, 2011
Oh, PS: I joined because on the list of associations is "PTA Member" -- so I joined the local PTA.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:01 PM on September 29, 2011
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:01 PM on September 29, 2011
Do you have any family members that belong to a credit union? My credit union allows relatives to join.
posted by Requiax at 4:08 PM on September 30, 2011
posted by Requiax at 4:08 PM on September 30, 2011
I was with Corporate America Family Credit Union for a while, they let me in even though I fit all the categories you mentioned. They were nice, I only left them because I remembered I qualified for USAA.
posted by Evilspork at 6:19 PM on October 1, 2011
posted by Evilspork at 6:19 PM on October 1, 2011
I live in Chicago and have been a member of Consumers (also mentioned by evariste) for about 18 years now. I used to live in the northern suburbs, so that's how I got started with them, but refused to give them up when I moved to Chicago proper.
All of their branches are up north, so that's a bit of a pain, and they have no ATM's in Chicago (that I know of). That being said, I have everything with them - car loan, checking, savings, credit card. My primary reasons for using them are as follows:
* No-fee checking and only a $5 minimum balance for a savings account
* Overdraft protection - if I accidentally overdraw my checking account, they'll move money from my savings automatically (for a $10 fee, if savings are available), and/or just cover the purchase so nothing bounces or gets rejected (no overdraft fee!)
* Everyone is super friendly and they're really easy to work with - I had a check for my last car loan in a matter of hours
* Online bill payment is easy to use and you can set up anyone you want to pay (I've heard that other banks only let you set up payments to their 'approved' payees)
* Their fraud protection is good, but not overly sensitive - and they listen when I tell them I'm going on vacation so out of state purchases are approved
If you can handle an ATM fee for cash in the city (or just getting cash back at the grocery store or something) and mailing in any checks to deposit, you should certainly look into joining.
PS - Right now any Consumers member that refers a friend to sign up gets $50 - and the friend gets $50 too. Details here.
posted by youngergirl44 at 12:01 PM on October 4, 2011
All of their branches are up north, so that's a bit of a pain, and they have no ATM's in Chicago (that I know of). That being said, I have everything with them - car loan, checking, savings, credit card. My primary reasons for using them are as follows:
* No-fee checking and only a $5 minimum balance for a savings account
* Overdraft protection - if I accidentally overdraw my checking account, they'll move money from my savings automatically (for a $10 fee, if savings are available), and/or just cover the purchase so nothing bounces or gets rejected (no overdraft fee!)
* Everyone is super friendly and they're really easy to work with - I had a check for my last car loan in a matter of hours
* Online bill payment is easy to use and you can set up anyone you want to pay (I've heard that other banks only let you set up payments to their 'approved' payees)
* Their fraud protection is good, but not overly sensitive - and they listen when I tell them I'm going on vacation so out of state purchases are approved
If you can handle an ATM fee for cash in the city (or just getting cash back at the grocery store or something) and mailing in any checks to deposit, you should certainly look into joining.
PS - Right now any Consumers member that refers a friend to sign up gets $50 - and the friend gets $50 too. Details here.
posted by youngergirl44 at 12:01 PM on October 4, 2011
« Older Computer virus propagating to another network | Can I refuse to let them talk to anyone from my... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by COD at 7:35 PM on September 29, 2011