America First Credit Union Review 2026
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Edited by
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At a glance
Overview
America First Credit Union is best for those who live, work or are involved in eligible areas of the Western U.S. Its CDs and checking account stand out for their low fees and interest-earning potential.
Highlights:
Highly Rated App Low FeesHighlights:
CDs
Checking
Savings
MMA
Customer Experience
Offers featured here have been sponsored which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear. Not all offers are displayed on this page.
These are sponsored offers rated highly by us for competitive rates, fees, and minimums.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.6/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate Savings rating = 4.4/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate CD rating = 4.6/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
Offers featured here have been sponsored which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear. Not all offers are displayed on this page.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account.
Overall
Pros
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Members have access to more than 36,000 ATMs as well as extended in-store hours.
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CD rates are competitive.
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Most accounts have low monthly fees and minimum opening deposit requirements.
Cons
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Rates on savings and money market accounts are not very competitive.
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Branches are limited to a few states in the Western U.S.
America First Credit Union banking products
America First Credit Union Share Savings Account
Pros
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Only $1 is needed to open the account and maintain credit union membership.
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There’s no monthly fee.
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Account holders can make unlimited transactions.
Cons
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The APY is minimal.
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The account can’t be opened online.
To become a member of America First Credit Union, you must open a share savings account, and it must be opened at a branch. But the share savings account only requires a $1 balance to open and maintain. There’s no monthly fee. However, a $2.50 inactivity fee will be charged monthly if there have been no transactions for one year or more.
There is no transaction limitation on the share savings account. The rate earned, though, is very low.
Rate history for America First Credit Union's Savings account
See how rates for this account have changed over time. Interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.
America First Credit Union Regular Share Certificate Accounts
Pros
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Members can choose from a wide range of terms.
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Only $500 is needed to open a share certificate.
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APYs are competitive.
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Specialty options are available, including a bump-up option.
Cons
America First has a number of specialty certificate options. One is a 12-month flexible certificate, which allows members to deposit additional funds into the account each month. There are also IRA, bump-rate, dedicated savings and ladder certificates available. The amount of terms allow for greater control over how long your funds are tied up, and the strong APYs can help your savings outpace inflation.
Rate history for America First Credit Union's CD accounts
See how rates for this account have changed over time. Select the CD term length from the dropdown and interact with the trend lines to view APY by date.
America First Credit Union Money Market Savings Account
Pros
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There’s no minimum balance requirement or monthly fee.
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There’s no transaction limit.
Cons
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Rates are not competitive.
America First’s money market account comes with tiered APYs that increase with higher account balances. While rates for larger amounts are decent and higher than the share savings rate, there are better rates available elsewhere.
The money market account has no minimum balance requirement or monthly fees. There also is no transaction limit — members can make withdrawals at an ATM or credit union branch. And, unlike the share savings account, the money market account can be opened online.
America First Credit Union Classic Checking Account
Pros
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You can earn interest with at least $500 in the account.
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There’s no monthly fee or minimum deposit requirement to open.
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Members have access to over 30,000 ATMs through the CO-OP network.
Cons
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You won’t earn interest if your account balance falls below $500.
America First offers a regular checking, called the Classic Checking account, that comes with no monthly fee and no low balance fees. The overdraft fee is $25, which is slightly below average for banks that do charge one, though many banks have gone away from charging them at all.
A Premium Checking account option is also available for a $6 monthly fee, though this fee is waived when members receive at least $500 in direct deposits, make at least 20 debit card transactions and maintain a balance of at least $1,500 each month. The Premium account comes with added benefits, such as rewards points, ATM rebates provided as rewards points and a full identity theft protection suite.
Customer experience
Restricted membership. Like many credit unions, membership to America First Credit Union is restricted. To open an account here, you’ll need to live, work, attend church, volunteer or attend school in certain counties of certain Western states, including Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, California and Oregon. Other credit unions, like Alliant Credit Union, allow anyone to join.
Customer service. Member service representatives are available by phone on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. MT and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Members can also contact the credit union via email. Additionally, the credit union’s website offers helpful tools, such as a variety of calculators and guides.
Digital tools. Many digital services are offered through the credit union, including Zelle, online banking and bill pay and Card Guard, which allows you to instantly lock or unlock your debit card from a mobile app. The credit union’s mobile app has high ratings on the Apple app store and Google Play.
How America First Credit Union compares to other banks
Compare different account types offered by America First Credit Union. Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown were updated between March 25, 2026 and March 31, 2026.
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Selected bank
America First Credit Union savings account
Bankrate score
2.8
Bankrate Savings rating = 2.8/5 Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Annual percentage yields (APYs), minimum opening deposit requirements and minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
Most comparable
FourLeaf Federal Credit Union savings account
Bankrate score
2.7
Bankrate Savings rating = 2.7/5 Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Annual percentage yields (APYs), minimum opening deposit requirements and minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
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Bankrate score
Bankrate Savings rating Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Annual percentage yields (APYs), minimum opening deposit requirements and minimum balances to avoid monthly service fees are some of the things that make up Bankrate’s score. |
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APY
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest. APYs last updated between March 25, 2026 and March 31, 2026.
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| 0.05% | 0.10% | |
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Minimum balance for APY
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| $1.00 | $5.00 | |
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Estimated earnings
Interest earned calculation based on a $50,000 deposit amount for a period of 1 year and is rounded to the nearest dollar. Exact earnings are dependent on calendar year, balance, and compounding frequency. Minimum deposit rules may apply.
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| $25 | $50 | |
| America First Credit Union’s Share Savings account can be opened with just $1, which is also the amount needed to earn interest. All balances earn a paltry rate, however. | In terms of savings accounts, FourLeaf has a number of features that make it appealing, but falls down when it comes to arguably the most important part — the annual percentage yield (APY) offered. You can find much better yields elsewhere, often with similar benefits, like low minimum balance requirements and no monthly maintenance fees. | |
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N/A
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APY offering:
0.05%
1/5
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest.
Minimum deposit for APY:
$1.00
4/5
The minimum deposit amount a financial institution requires in order to open a savings account.
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
5/5
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account; can sometimes be waived if certain requirements are met.
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
The lowest balance an account must maintain to avoid a monthly fee.
Access to funds:
Great
5/5
Access to funds scores how many and which ways you can withdraw and deposit funds from a savings account.
Additional savings tools:
No
0/5
Additional savings tools include features such as sub-accounts, roundup savings or other automatic savings features.
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APY offering:
0.10%
1/5
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest.
Minimum deposit for APY:
$5.00
4/5
The minimum deposit amount a financial institution requires in order to open a savings account.
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
5/5
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account; can sometimes be waived if certain requirements are met.
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
5/5
The lowest balance an account must maintain to avoid a monthly fee.
Access to funds:
Average
4/5
Access to funds scores how many and which ways you can withdraw and deposit funds from a savings account.
Additional savings tools:
No
0/5
Additional savings tools include features such as sub-accounts, roundup savings or other automatic savings features.
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APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY includes the effects of compounding interest.
The minimum deposit amount a financial institution requires in order to open a savings account.
A monthly charge a financial institution deducts from an account; can sometimes be waived if certain requirements are met.
The lowest balance an account must maintain to avoid a monthly fee.
Access to funds scores how many and which ways you can withdraw and deposit funds from a savings account.
Additional savings tools include features such as sub-accounts, roundup savings or other automatic savings features.
Bankrate does not currently track additional product details for this bank.
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Review methodology
We assign a score to each type of account and its features, weigh them carefully based on importance to account holders and determine an overall score. Read our full review methodology.
