First Tech Federal Credit Union Review 2023
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At a glance
CDs
Checking
Savings
About Bankrate Score
Overview
First Tech Federal Credit Union is likely best for customers on the west coast, where most of its branches are located. It’s easy to open an account since there are no monthly fees and minimum deposits are relatively low. Moreover, the credit union offers competitive yields on its share certificates.
Highlights
- No Monthly Fees
- Low Min Deposit
- 24/7 Customer Service
Offers featured here have been sponsored by our partners, which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear.
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 = 3.5/5
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 = 4.7/5
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 = 4.9/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
Overall
First Tech Federal Credit Union offers a large swath of financial services, ranging from traditional deposit products like savings and checking accounts to credit cards and home loans. Though the APYs for the credit union’s share certificates are competitive, the yields for most of its savings and checking accounts leave much to be desired.
Pros
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There’s free access to over 30,000 CO-OP ATMs across the country.
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Share certificates offer competitive APYs.
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There are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements.
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There’s nearly 6,000 CO-OP shared branch locations you can visit for help.
Cons
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Higher yields for checking and savings accounts can be found elsewhere.
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There aren’t fee rebates for ATMs outside of the CO-OP network for most deposit accounts.
First Tech Federal Credit Union banking products
APY, or annual percentage yield, is the yearly return on a bank or investment account. APY as of 6/9/2023
First Tech Federal Credit Union savings overview
Three other savings accounts are available; two of them require much smaller opening deposits, but they also come with lower yields. The last account, called First Tech Rewards Savings, comes with a sizable APY for balances up to $25,000.
All accounts come with free online and mobile banking, and there’s no monthly fee. You can link your savings account with your checking to avoid overdraft fees.
Pros
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None of the savings accounts charge monthly fees.
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There is overdraft protection available.
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Instant Access Savings is a tiered account.
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A high-yield account option is available.
Cons
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Higher yields can be found elsewhere.
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There’s a $5,000 opening deposit to open the Instant Access Savings account.
Offers featured here have been sponsored by our partners, which impacts how, where, and in what order the products appear.
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 = 3.5/5
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing financial products and services.
Bank experience
Customer service by phone is available 24/7, but you can also reach a representative through secure online messages or in-person and virtual appointments. Person-to-person payments can be made using Zelle, and the debit card works with Apple Pay and Google Pay. You can also use your First Tech debit card to freely access over 30,000 CO-OP ATMs across the U.S. First Tech’s mobile app is highly rated by reviewers on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
About First Tech Federal Credit Union
Founded in 1952, First Tech Federal Credit Union is an NCUA-insured institution with its main address in San Jose, California. The credit union has more than $16 billion dollars in assets and more than 30 branches mainly concentrated in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. The credit union offers many personal banking products, including share certificates, checking accounts and savings accounts.
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.
