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Pentagon Federal Credit Union Review 2020
Published April 2020 by Mary Wisniewski
Why trust us
Low Minimum Balance
Low Minimum Deposit
PenFed is good for savers who are interested in getting both a competitive rate and the option to take out a variety of other banking products from the same institution. If you prefer in-person banking, consider institutions with a larger branch network.
Overall
3.6
Bankrate Score
Pentagon Federal Credit Union is the second-largest federal credit union and has a history in serving members in the military and those who are affiliated with the military.
What we like
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Access to tens of thousands of free ATMs.
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Can set travel notifications on your cards using the mobile banking app.
What we don't
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Smaller branch network.
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Early withdrawal penalties for certificates are rather harsh.
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You'll find top APYs elsewhere.
Savings accounts
4.9
Bankrate Score
There's a lot to like about the Premium Online Savings account: It offers a competitive APY on all balances and you only need to deposit $5 to open an account. There is no monthly fee either.
The bank's Regular Savings account doesn't offer an impressive APY.
What we like
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The Premium Online Savings account has no monthly maintenance fee.
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Only a $5 minimum is required to open the Premium Online Savings account.
What we don't
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Higher APYs are available.
CD rates
3.2
Bankrate Score
PenFed offers several different types of certificates (or CDs provided by credit unions). Money market certificates are available with terms ranging from six months to seven years. IRA certificates and Coverdell Education savings certificates are also options. The latter is worth considering if you’re setting aside money for a child.
With each of these products, the barrier to entry is fairly low. But early withdrawal penalties are rather harsh.
What we like
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Members have many terms to choose from.
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Relatively low minimum deposit is required.
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Dividends compound daily on money market certificates with terms longer than six months.
What we don't
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Certificates with terms longer than six months will lose all of the interest if account is closed in first year.
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You can find higher yields elsewhere.
Checking accounts
3.8
Bankrate Score
The Access America Checking account from Pentagon Federal Credit Union can be opened with as little as $25. The account has tiered interest rates that most reward those with balances of $20,000 or more. PenFed will waive its $10 monthly fee for the account for those who maintain a balance of at least $500.
What we like
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Free box of checks.
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Offers generous access to free ATMs.
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Tiered interest on balances up to $50,000.
What we don't
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Other financial institutions make it easier to avoid monthly maintenance fees.
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Physical branches are limited to Maryland, Virginia and D.C.
Money market accounts
2.3
Bankrate Score
The Money Market Savings account offers a tiered APY. Balances more than $100,000 earn the highest yield, but you can still find higher yields at other banks.
The account doesn’t have monthly service fees, and you’re able to order free checks for your Money Market Savings account. You only need a $25 deposit to meet the minimum requirements to open this account.
What we like
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Only $25 required to open the account.
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The account doesn’t have a monthly service fee.
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Account features free checks.
What we don't
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APY is very low, even for top-tier balances.
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You need a minimum of $100,000 to earn the top APY.
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There are much higher APYs out there with lower minimum balance requirements.
Bank experience
In choosing PenFed, you will have access to 48 branches; therefore, it's very likely that you will do the bulk of your banking online if you become a member.
The mobile app will let you accomplish numerous banking tasks whenever you wish, including setting travel notifications on your cards, depositing checks and paying bills.
You will also have ample access to free ATMs; PenFed makes available more than 65,000 free ATMs to members.
About Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed)
Pentagon Federal Credit Union was established in Washington, D.C., in 1935 as the War Department Federal Credit Union. Now, PenFed is based in Tysons, Virginia, and serves more than 1.8 million members worldwide.
PenFed offers a variety of banking products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, different types of certificates (or CDs provided by credit unions) and money market accounts.
There are several ways to become a member. You can join the credit union if you serve in the United States military, for instance. You can also join PenFed’s field of membership by signing up for one of dozens of organizations, such as the Marine Corps League or the Air Force Association.
Mary Wisniewski @MARYMWISNIEWSKI
Mary Wisniewski is a banking editor for Bankrate and occasionally writes on a variety of fintech and banking subjects. Previously, she covered fintech for American Banker and edited op-eds for the publication's BankThink section. She was also a blogger and editor at Bank Innovation and served as a fashion editor for National Jeweler, where she reported on fashion shows and jewelry news. Mary grew up in the Michigan suburbs and now lives in Los Angeles with a maltipoo, a record player and an espresso machine.