Andrews Federal Credit Union Review 2022
GOBankingRates Score
Andrews Federal Credit Union
-
APYs
4.8
-
Benefits
4.7
-
Products
4.9
-
Customer Service
4.7
Pros
- Competitive rates on CDs
- Free checking with no monthly fees or minimum balances and Early Pay Day to receive direct deposits one day earlier
- Although military-focused, plenty of alternatives are available for membership
- Branches in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, New Jersey, and overseas in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands
Cons
- Member-focused banking may exclude many interested consumers
- Holiday Club and Vacation Club accounts are similar to CDs, maturing annually on November 1 and May 1, respectively
Andrews Federal Credit Union Overview
Andrews FCU offers military and civilian members a variety of financial services and higher-interest rates on CDs. They’ve been around since 1948, and currently serve 140,000 members worldwide.
AFCU is insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, a version of FDIC for credit unions. This means your deposits are backed by the federal government for up to $250,000 per account holder.
Membership is available to employees — and family members — of specific companies throughout Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey. Military personnel and family in the areas of Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia can also join.
In addition, military and civilians at U.S. military bases overseas in central Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands will qualify. And if none of the available options help, anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Washington, D.C. or joins the American Consumer Council can qualify for membership.
Key Features
GOBankingRates scored AFCU with a 4.8 out of 5 stars based on four of its strongest features. They are:
APYs
AFCU’s interest rates may be one of its strongest features. Membership comes with a free Base Share Savings account. Your funds will earn a member dividend of APY. To compare, national brick-and-mortar banks typically offer 0.01% APY.
Money market account balances can earn between and based on the balance. Plus, upgrading from Free Checking to a Boost checking account gives you the opportunity to receive APY on balances over $1,500.
As for CDs, you can earn APY for a 12-month term, with rates increasing for longer terms up to 5 years. The minimum deposit is a fairly standard $1,000.
Benefits
Military personnel and their families might find AFCU’s military-focused programs of most use. AFCU provides tips and resources on its website for service members about to make major transitional moves within or out of the service. ACFU has financial service professionals with experience dealing with service members in the midst of deployments, permanent changes of station, separations and retirements.
Members stationed, living or traveling in Europe can take advantage of AFCU’s Online Euro Bill Pay, a convenient alternative to mailing your bills in-country.
Products
As a full-service credit union, members have access to a variety of bank accounts including checking, savings, money market accounts and CDs. Plus, AFCU offers credit cards, personal loans, car loans, VA home loans and mortgages and business banking.
Customer Service
Part of AFCU’s strength is its member-focused customer service. There are branches in the regional area it serves and overseas locations. There are toll-free hotlines for phone support in the U.S. and overseas. Or you can always reach out for help through the mobile app, email or by logging into the online platform.
How Andrews FCU Stands Out
AFCU stands out for its international presence and strong understanding of its military members’ needs. Members can find branches domestically in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and New Jersey, as well as internationally in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands.
AFCU is also a shared branch location, which means members can bank at participating locations, giving them more accessibility.
Comparable Andrews Federal Credit Union Options
There are comparable alternatives to AFCU. Two of the most popular are:
Navy Federal Credit Union
NFCU is considerably larger, serving 11 million members. The credit union offers many of the same low-cost, competitive-rate financial services as AFCU.
However, Navy Federal solely focuses on military personnel and family while AFCU also allows for other civilians to join.
USAA
USAA offers the most comprehensive list of services when compared to NFCU and AFCU. Besides banking and loans, they’re well-known for insurance products and a wide variety of exclusive member offers and discounts at everyday retailers.
As with NFCU, USAA is only available to military-affiliated individuals and their families, making AFCU the most accessible to everyone.
How To Open an Account
Before you can open an Andrews Federal Credit Union account, you’ll need to become a member through your geographic, work, living or military affiliation. Or you can join the American Consumer Council to qualify.
Opening an account can be done online or at a branch. Once you’re a member, you’ll need two forms of ID to open an account and at least $5 to fund a Share Savings Account, which comes with AFCU membership.
Who Andrews Federal Credit Union Is Best For
Due to its geographic focus, banking with Andrews Federal Credit Union makes the most sense if you’re living in the Washington D.C. area. Once you’re a member, though, you’re in for life, which means you can always take advantage of the credit union’s high-APY share certificates.
Final Take
Andrews Federal Credit Union has ample experience helping military-affiliated customers. Overall, Andrews FCU’s usefulness and benefits might feel limited to a small number of members, but those who are able to take advantage of its offerings will find some competitive interest rates and support from a financial institution that understands their needs.
FAQ
- Is Andrews Federal Credit Union FDIC-insured?
- As a credit union, AFCU is insured by NCUA, the comparable version of FDIC. Funds are insured up to $250,000 per account holder.
- Is Andrews FCU black-owned?
- According to Business Insider, AFCU is black-0wned. However, neither the former CEO, Jim Hayes, nor the current President and CEO, Kenneth Orgeron, are black.
- AFCU also appears on several lists of black-owned banks and credit unions.
- How many members does Andrews Federal Credit Union have?
- AFCU is a smaller credit union. At this time, there are approximately 128,500 members.
- Does Andrews Federal Credit Union use Zelle?
- Andrews Federal Credit Union has partnered with Zelle to allow members to transfer money between friends and family quickly and for free.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of June 14, 2022.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by Andrews Federal Credit Union. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Andrews Federal Credit Union.
Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct. You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy.
- Business Insider. 2021. "Andrews Federal Credit Union review: Black-owned institution with low fees."
Is this your bank?
Take Advantage of our Best Offer(s)
