The best credit unions of 2026

Suncoast Credit Union combines a community focus with digital accessibility and is open to those who live, work or attend school in select Florida counties. The credit union operates around 80 branches, and accounts can also be opened online.

Its mobile app allows you to send money to family and friends, deposit checks and locate ATMs and branches. With these digital offerings, Suncoast offers a strong mix of local service and modern banking features.

• Suncoast’s Smart Checking account charges no monthly maintenance fee and has no minimum balance.
• You can get fee-free access to more than 30,000 ATMs.
• Suncoast offers seven terms of share certificates, all of which earn competitive yields.

• Suncoast’s savings account has a low APY.
• You’ll pay a steep $29 for NSF fees, which is higher than what many other institutions charge.

Chicago-based Alliant Credit Union is known for its consistently decent rates, extensive fee-free ATM network and easy membership eligibility requirements that make it so that anyone can join.

Alliant’s mobile app comes well rated, and its savings account includes a helpful perk: customers can open up to 19 supplemental accounts, which all earn the same APY, making it easier to organize your funds and save for multiple goals.

• Alliant’s savings account earns an APY that’s well above the national average, and its share certificates and its two checking accounts also pay yields.
• The High-Rate Checking account offers up to $20 a month in rebates for ATM surcharges from other banks.
• Alliant’s accounts charge no monthly service fees.
• Alliant offers customer service Monday through Saturday, both online and over the phone.

• No specialty no-penalty or bump-up CDs, though it offers jumbo and IRA certificates.
• The savings account needs a balance of at least $100 to earn interest.

Membership in America First Credit Union is a strong choice for those looking for high CD rates but you have to live in the Western U.S., since this credit union is only open to those who live or work in select areas of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon, and Utah. It offers over 120 branches, and accounts can also be opened online, combining local presence with convenience. Its mobile app also includes a helpful feature: it allows you to see a full picture of your finances by linking accounts from other financial institutions.

• Most of America First’s deposit accounts don’t charge monthly service fees.
• America First’s CDs earn top notch rates.
• The credit union’s mobile app receives high ratings on the Apple app store and Google Play.

• The Share Savings account earns an APY that’s pretty low, and far below the national average.
• The Premium Checking account bears interest, although you’ll need a minimum balance of $500 to earn interest.

Quorum offers accounts nationwide, serving nearly 80,000 members. It’s easy for anyone to become a member — you just need to become a member of the American Consumer Council, which is free, and you can do this during the Quorum membership application process.

With Quorum, you can access more than 90,000 fee-free ATMs throughout the U.S., making it not only easy to open an account, but also to manage your money anywhere. The mobile app comes highly rated, which can make your digital banking life easier, and all checking account holders can receive early access to direct deposit.

• The credit union either doesn’t charge a service fee or makes them easy to avoid.
• The HighQ Savings account and CDs earn rates that are above national averages.

• Quorum doesn’t offer a money market account.
• Customer service representatives aren’t available by phone on weekends.

State Employees’ Credit Union offers share certificates that earn around twice the national average rate for many terms, although membership is mostly restricted to employees of specific departments in the state of North Carolina and their family members. It maintains 275 branches and more than 1,000 ATMs throughout the state. The credit union offers a full range of deposit accounts with relatively low or no minimum deposit requirements.

• The checking account requires no minimum deposit to open, and it earns some interest.
• Customer support is available by phone on a 24/7 basis.
• The mobile app is highly rated by both Android and Apple users.

• The credit union’s Share savings account earns an APY that’s below the national average.
• You need to have a connection to North Carolina through employment to be eligible for membership.

Those who live, work or attend church or school in Florida or Michigan’s lower peninsula — and their family members — are eligible for membership in Lake Michigan Credit Union. You can also join from anywhere by making a $5 contribution to the ALS Foundation.

The credit union maintains 75 locations in Florida and Michigan, which can make it a good choice for those who value branch access. Its share certificates earn solid rates — as do its Max Savings and money market accounts, although those require a relatively high balance in order to earn the top APY.

• The Member Savings account lets you categorize portions of your savings for purposes such as emergencies, vacations and education.
• The credit union also offers loans, credit cards and insurance, which can make it a one-stop shop for members’ personal finance needs.

• The Member Savings account earns an APY below the national average.
• The credit union’s mobile app receives low ratings across app stores.

Navy Federal Credit Union is open to families nationwide with military ties, and its offerings include share certificates that almost all have competitive rates and several interest-bearing checking accounts. The credit union maintains nearly 400 branches, many of which are located on or near military bases, and members have access to more than 30,000 no-fee ATMs as well as 24/7 phone support.

• In addition to its standard share certificates, there are EasyStart Certificates, which allow you to add money at any time until maturity.
• Various accounts offered for saving for education, and your money can grow tax-free when it’s used for qualified expenses.

• The Share Savings account offers an APY that’s well below what you can find elsewhere.
• Membership is only available to those with a military affiliation.

Patelco Credit Union has more than 500,000 members. Membership is open to those who live in northern California, as well as employees of more than 1,100 businesses nationwide. It offers a large shared branch network, more than 30,000 fee-free ATMs and a highly rated mobile app.

• The Regular Savings and Free Checking accounts require no minimum balance and charge no monthly service fees.
• Free and Interest Checking account holders can receive direct deposit of paychecks up to two days early.
• Patelco’s CDs earn decent to competitive rates that are higher than national averages, and they require a low minimum opening deposit.

• Patelco’s savings account earns a low yield; lower than the national average.
• The Money Market Select account only earns an above-average APY on balances of up to $10,000.
• The Interest Checking account charges a $5 monthly service fee if your average daily balance falls under $500.

Boeing Employees’ Credit Union (BECU) is one of the largest credit unions in the U.S. and is known for its low-cost, member-first approach. Among those eligible for membership are Boeing employees and people who live, attend school or church or work in Washington or parts of Idaho and Oregon. It’s also open to those who are part of affiliated organizations, including ones you can join online. Most BECU accounts require no or low minimum deposit requirements, although higher rates can often be found elsewhere.

• Most BECU accounts have no minimum balance requirements or monthly maintenance fees.
• Members have fee-free access to more than 77,000 ATMs, including those in the Co-op network.
• BECU offers a wide range of CD terms between three and 60 months, as well as two bump-up CDs.

• While the Member Advantage Savings account earns a top-notch rate on balances up to $500, any remaining balance portion earns a very low APY.
• To earn the highest money market account APY, you’ll need to have Member Advantage checking and savings accounts and deposit at least $500,000 into the account.