Here’s Your PenFed Routing Number

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Routing numbers are used daily by banks across the country when their customers wire money between accounts. While knowing your routing number might not be as important as knowing, say, your Social Security number, it’s still a useful piece of financial knowledge you probably will need one day. Keep reading to learn what your Pentagon Federal Credit Union routing number is.

Pentagon Federal Routing Number

PenFed’s routing number is:

PenFed Routing Number
256078446

You’ll use this number to set up wire transfers between PenFed and another financial institution.

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What Is a Routing Number?

Routing numbers, or ABA numbers, were created by the American Bankers Association in 1910 as a way to identify check-processing endpoints — that is, where the money goes. More than a century later, financial institutions still rely on routing numbers for better business.

A routing number essentially directs funds to the proper bank during a transaction. You can see your nine-digit routing number on the lower-left corner of your checks.

The first two numbers represent one of 12 Federal Reserve Bank districts where the bank is located. The next two numbers indicate the Federal Reserve Bank district branch your bank falls under. The next four numbers identify the bank itself. The ninth number in a routing number is known as a “check digit,” which allows you to verify the accuracy of a routing number and can be used to prevent bad checks.

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Can Banks Have Multiple Routing Numbers?

Yes, banks can have multiple routing numbers. This can be for reasons of geography — Wells Fargo and Citibank, for example, have different routing numbers for different states — or functionality. In PenFed’s case, you’ll only use one routing number whether you’re facilitating a wire transfer or setting up online payments, or another activity that requires a routing number.

How Do You Find a Routing Number on a Check?

You can find the routing number on a check by looking at the bottom-left corner of the check. The routing number will be printed along with the account and check numbers. The bloated font the numbers are written in is what’s known as magnetic ink character recognition code, or MICR, for short. This font is also printed with a special MICR toner so machines can read and identify checks.

What Is the Routing Number for International Transfers?

SWIFT codes are used to facilitate international wire transfers. They function the same way as routing numbers in that they identify financial institutions that are party to the transfer. Not all banks or credit unions have SWIFT codes, however.

PenFed has no listed SWIFT code. On its website, PenFed says to call member services at 800-247-5626 in regards to wire transfers.

Up Next: Demystifying SWIFT Codes –What They Are and How To Find Them

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This content is not provided by PenFed. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by PenFed.

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