Best Credit Unions

Credit unions are the financial backbone of many communities. Their localized nature means they understand the needs of customers and, because members are part owners too, they can offer benefits that large national banks can’t.

They often boast higher annual percentage yields (APYs) and lower fees than traditional banks, making them a good option if you're shopping for a new account. In the U.S., there are over 4,500 federally-insured credit unions. Although some serve customers nationwide, many credit unions are more limited, working only with consumers in certain geographic areas or who work for particular employers.

To help you find the best credit union for your needs, we researched the top credit unions in the U.S. based on their consolidated assets, account options, fees, rates and customer service to identify the top seven credit unions for 2025:

• PenFed Credit Union – Best Overall
• Navy Federal Credit Union – Best for Members of the Military
• Golden1 Credit Union – Best for Seniors
• Alliant Credit Union – Best for Rewards
• Mountain America Credit Union – Best for Membership Perks
• Digital Federal Credit Union – Best for Innovation
• First Tech Federal Credit Union – Best for Share Certificates

*Rates and APYs are subject to change. All information provided was accurate as of Oct. 8, 2024.

While many credit unions have limited service areas and strict membership eligibility requirements, PenFed is open to the general public. Regardless of your employment or location, you can become a member of the credit union and take advantage of its low fee accounts. PenFed has checking and savings accounts with low minimum deposit amounts and no monthly fees. With its premium savings account, you can earn a substantially higher-than-average APY.

The credit union also offers other benefits to its members, such as discounts on car insurance, car rentals and even tax preparation software while boasting stellar customer satisfaction ratings. On TrustPilot, it has a TrustScore of 4.1 out of 5 based on over 1,400 reviews — a much higher-than-usual rating for a bank or credit union.

Although PenFed's membership is open to anyone, it does require you to open a savings account and deposit at least $5 to join. PenFed doesn't offer traditional share certificates — the credit union version of a certificate of deposit (CD) — nor does it have money market accounts.

If you're a military service member, veteran or a qualifying family member of a service member, Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCC) offers accounts with low fees and higher-than-average APYs on money market accounts and share certificates. Those who qualify for NFCC membership can take advantage of the credit union's interest-bearing checking accounts, and the NFCC is also notable for its exceptional customer satisfaction ratings; on TrustPilot, it has a 4.5 out of 5 rating based on over 32,000 reviews — a stellar rating.

Unfortunately, not everyone will be eligible for membership with the NFCC. If you aren't a service member, veteran or the family member of a qualifying member, you'll have to work with another credit union.

Golden1 has a variety of banking products, including free checking accounts, interest-bearing checking accounts, high-yield savings accounts and share certificates. It boasts low fees and higher-than-usual APYs, and members can qualify for other perks like special discounts on tickets for sports events.

However, Golden1's membership isn't open to the general public. It primarily serves people who live or work in California. You may be able to join if you work for an eligible employer or have a family member who is a current member; otherwise, you're ineligible for membership.

For those who need an added incentive to save, Alliant Credit Union's Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account is a great option. If you deposit $100 into your account every month for 12 consecutive months, Alliant will give you a $100 bonus reward. Since the account has no monthly fees, this bonus is especially generous.

Alliant Credit Union is one of the few credit unions that serves customers nationwide; anyone can join, regardless of their location or employment. The credit union offers savings accounts and share certificates with higher-than-usual APYs, and it even has an interest-bearing checking account. However, it doesn't operate any physical locations, which can be inconvenient if you prefer to visit a branch in person to complete your banking tasks. Additionally, if you want to receive paper statements, you'll have to pay an added fee.

If you qualify for membership with the Mountain America Credit Union, you're eligible for some significant benefits. Those who sign up for the MyStyle Checking account can qualify for valuable benefits like zero-cost tele-health services, mobile phone insurance and identity monitoring. You can even earn points that you can redeem for travel or gift cards.

Mountain America Credit Union offers a range of checking and savings accounts, including options for kids and teens. Its savings, money market and share certificate accounts boast high APYs, and its share certificates have lower-than-usual deposit minimums. Some of its accounts, such as the MyStyle CHecking account, have monthly fees, and membership isn't available to the general public. To become a member, you must live in a qualifying county in Utah, work for a qualifying employer or have a relative who is a current member.

Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is known for innovation, and not only for its mobile app or online platforms. DCU also gives its members valuable tools, such as a savings round up tool, financial coaching and a cash sweep account to maximize the interest you can earn in your checking account. With DCU, you can take advantage of higher-than-average APYs on savings accounts, money market accounts and share certificates. DCU has several share certificate options, including jumbo certificates and certificates intended for young adults with low minimum deposits.

DCU's membership is open to the general public, and you can take advantage of other perks, such as financial coaching and educational courses. There are some limitations, though. For example, DCU boasts a much higher-than-usual APY on its savings accounts, but the highest rate only applies to the first $1,000. The remainder of your account will earn a much lower APY.

With many CDs and share certificates, you need a substantial sum to open an account — in many cases, $1,000 or more. But that's not the case with First Tech Federal Credit Union. With First Tech, you can open a share certificate account with as little as $500, and you'll earn a much higher-than-average APY.

First Tech offers high-yield savings accounts and share certificates, and you can also qualify for interest-bearing checking accounts without monthly fees. The credit union also has several share certificate options, including "bump up" certificates — certificate accounts that allow you to increase your APY during the certificate's term. With share certificates, the rate is usually locked for the duration of the certificate term, so a bump up CD can be advantageous when rates increase.

However, First Tech doesn't offer money market accounts. Though anyone can join the credit union, you may have to become a member of one of its partner organizations — and pay an added membership fee — to qualify for credit union membership.

How we chose the Best Banks of 2025

To determine our list of Best Banks for 2025, Money evaluated hundreds of the largest retail banks, credit unions, regional and state banks, ranked by assets, and dozens of the most popular online banks. To identify the best credit unions of 2024-2025, we researched the top 20 credit unions based on their consolidated assets. We evaluated each credit union based on their deposit account options, APYs, deposit requirements, fees and added benefits. We also considered customer satisfaction ratings and membership requirements to select the top credit unions. You can read our full methodology here.

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