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Golden 1 Credit Union Review

Updated April 25, 2025
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At a glance

Overview

Those who live or work in California and are looking for a reliable credit union with a solid branch footprint and low fees may find Golden 1 a good fit for their banking needs.

Highlights:

Free Checking No Monthly Fees
4.1
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
Info Icon

CDs

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5 /5

Checking

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6 /5

Savings

Rating: 3 stars out of 5
3.0 /5

MMA

Rating: 3.3 stars out of 5
3.3 /5
Sponsored offers
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These are sponsored offers rated highly by us for competitive rates, fees, and minimums.

Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
3.60
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 5/13/2025
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: It only takes about 5 minutes to open a fee-free account.
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
4.10
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 5/13/2025
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
$5,000
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: Get up to a $300 Cash Bonus. See site for details.
Bank logo
Member FDIC
Savings Account
4.30
%
APY
APY
Info Icon
As of 5/13/2025
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
$0
Min. balance for APY
View offer Arrow Right Icon
Promoted offer: No monthly maintenance fee, $0 to open, easily grow your money

Overall

Golden 1 Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in the U.S. and offers members a wide selection of products and services. Membership is open to those who live or work in California or are an immediate family member or domestic partner. Most accounts require a small amount to open, and many also feature low or no monthly fees.

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    There are no monthly service fees for basic accounts such as Free Checking and Regular Savings.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Members can access more than 30,000 in-network ATMs and over 80 Golden 1 branches, in addition to shared ATMs and branches in the CO-OP network.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Membership requirements are easy for those living or working in California.

Cons

  • Yields are not as attractive as at other top credit unions.

  • The money market account doesn’t include check-writing capabilities.

Golden 1 Credit Union banking products

Golden 1 Credit Union savings overview

3.0
/5
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
0.05%
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
1/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Access to funds:
Great
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    The Regular Savings Account requires just $1 to open.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There’s no monthly maintenance fee with the Regular Savings Account.

Cons

  • You can find a higher APY at many online banks or other financial institutions.

  • At least $100,000 is required to earn the top rate, which is still below average.

Golden 1 Credit Union CD overview

4.5
/5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
3.45%
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
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Minimum deposit:
$500.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Range of term lengths:
3 mos – 5 yrs
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Early withdrawal penalty:
Good
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4/5
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Offer no-penalty or bump-up CDs:
No
Rating: 0 stars out of 5
0/5
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Offer IRA CDs:
Yes
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    You can get started with just a $500 opening deposit.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Golden 1 offers share certificate terms in monthly increments ranging from three months to five years, allowing customers to customize terms to their needs.

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    Monthly dividends can be added to the certificate balance or transferred to a different account without penalties.

  • Checkmark Icon

    The 16- and 22-month certificates have a highly competitive APY.

Cons

  • While many of the certificate rates are above national averages, higher rates can be found elsewhere.

Golden 1 Credit Union money market overview

3.3
/5
Rating: 3.3 stars out of 5
SCORE BREAKDOWN
APY offering:
1.00%
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
2/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance for APY:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Monthly service fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Minimum balance to avoid fee:
$0.00
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5/5
Info Icon
Check writing:
No
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
3/5
Info Icon
Debit/ATM access:
Subpar
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
2/5
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Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Only $100 is required to open the Money Market Savings Account.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There’s no monthly fee.

Cons

  • The account doesn’t offer check-writing privileges.

  • Account balances of under $10,000 earn at a lower APY that’s below the national average.

Golden 1 Credit Union checking overview

4.6
/5
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    There’s no minimum balance requirement or monthly fee on the Free Checking Account.

  • Checkmark Icon

    There’s no NSF fee, and the $20 overdraft fee is below average.

Cons

  • The Free Checking account is noninterest-bearing.

Bank fees

Fee Charged?
Overdraft fee $20
Non-sufficient funds fee None
Account maintenance fees None
Out-of-network ATM fee $2
Incoming wire transfers None

Customer experience

Branch access. Golden 1 Credit Union has 83 branches in California, plus its members have free access to shared branches in the CO-OP network. 

Customer service. Member representatives are available 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on weekends, to answer questions or help with member accounts. If members need extra assistance for navigating account-related problems, they can also contact a specialized Member Advocate Team via email and expect a response by the next business day. 

Highly rated app. The credit union’s mobile app is highly rated on iOS with a 4.8 rating and on Google Play with a 4.6 star rating.

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Review methodology

With so many financial institutions to choose from, it can be hard to know who to trust. Bankrate’s ever-growing list of bank and credit union reviews is updated regularly. Our editorial team analyzes and reviews each institution across deposit products such as savings accounts, checking accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market accounts (MMAs). Banks are rated by important factors such as offered interest rates, fees, minimum balance requirements, access to funds and more.

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.