need email address for Navy FCU

[mt2va]

Does anyone have an email address for Navy FCU?  I've searched all over on their website & can find nothing but a phone #.  And various mailing addresses.  I'm not a member yet, but I'm eligible & want to ask some questions before I join. 

[jaybird201]

There is no general e-mail address to which non-members can send e-mails. You can contact them at 1-888-842-NFCU or go to a local branch.

What are your questions anyway? There are a lot of people on these boards with a lot of combined knowledge that might be able to help.

[mt2va]

I just had some general questions I wanted to ask. (about re-fi my auto loan & their cc products)

 In order for me to join I have to get my dad to join first & he's almost 80 & trying to talk him into stuff like this isn't easy to do.  He's pretty set in his ways, but I've heard really good things about NFCU & want to join. 

I figured if they wouldn't be able to offer me what I was looking for I wouldn't bother him with trying to join just so I could.  But I sent my mom an email explaining the whole thing & that he can join online & its only $5 so I'm hoping she can talk him into it. 

Wish me luck. 

P.S.  I've been lurking a very long time but joined so I could post this question.  I've just started my credit repair journey in the last month or so. 

[mt2va]

My 2 main questions are:

1)  Do I have any prayer of re-fi my car (I'm currently paying 21% interest--ouch!!) if my scores are in the mid to high 500 range??  I'm working on credit repair & trying to clear things up but it is going slowly.  I don't have anything recent that is bad.  It is all 3-5 years old.  Previous auto loan was paid off last February (1 month early) & the same CU wouldn't give me another loan 10 months later without $4,000 down & a co-signer.  (didn't have) 

2)  Do they offer any type of secured CC product?  I'm in a catch-22 on this.  I can't get credit (not even the sub-prime cards) so I can't get my score up.  I have no CC on my report.  Besides the paid off auto loan I have my current auto loan I have been paying for the last 3 months plus my student loan which I've been faithfully re-paying since 2002. 

At any rate if I can do it I would still like to join based on all the great reviews I've heard about them.  My first "bank" when I turned 18 was a CU back home.  I could have kept it when I moved to VA but at that time they charged for ATM transactions, etc so that was a lot of fees.  I've been with banks ever since except I was with a CU for my last auto loan.  But I want nothing more to do with them after they turned me down.  I mean I personally went out of my way to drive to their branch every month to pay my loan so it wouldn't take any chance of being lost in the mail and/or late. 

[mt2va]

Okay wish me luck.  My dad is signing up soon so I will get to join also.  How long will it take him to receive his access # so I can sign up online?

[jaybird201]

1. The short answer is no. Based on our current lending standards, you wouldn't be approved for any of our loan products, besides possibly a secured card, which brings me to your next question...

2. Yes, we do offered secured cards, but we don't advertise them on the website. Not sure exactly how you'd go about applying for one (I don't work in in member service). I assume you'd just want to call the general 800 number and have them fill out the application for you while you're on the phone with them. I don't think it's possible to be denied for a secured card however, I'm not very familiar with the product, so anything's possible. I don't really see secured cards all that much.

3. Depending on how he applies, whether via branch, via phone or online, he should get his access number a few days to a week after signing-up. If he applies via phone or online, he may be required to submit a photocopy of his identification or fax it to Navy Federal for verification purposes.

[mt2va]

Thanks for answering my questions.  I was kind of hoping about a re-fi based on other posts I've seen on this forum & other people's scores they posted.  I'm working on cleaning things up & actually see that at least 1 thing has come off my credit report.  I appreciate you letting me know about the secured card.  I guess I'll just have to ask once I've established myself.   I think he's applying online as I'm not sure there is a branch near where he lives. 

[jaybird201]

Good luck.

Not sure what your dad's situation is, but if this is a huge hassle for him, I'd discourage you from bugging him to become a member. There are thousands of great credit unions all over the country and Navy Federal, despite beging the largest, is actually one of the most exclusive.

[mt2va]

Actually it turned out to be easier than I thought especially once I explained he could apply online.  Who knows he might find that they have something to offer him that he would benefit from.  My parents are big time on CU.  The only reason I quit the one I was with is that I moved to VA & back when I did 17 years ago no CU were giving free ATM transactions so I was getting hit with way too many fees.  I started going with banks & to be honest I've been through a lot of them because I have a low tolerance for poor customer service.  I was really happy with the CU that financed my car but when they refused to even consider me 10 months later for another car (this one was even cheaper) I was a little peeved with them to say the least.  I actually am a 20+ year member of USAA through my dad which I've heard is exclusive too.  I've read really good things about NFCU on all the credit forums I've been too.  Apparently they must have good customer service.

[mt2va]

Maybe Jaybird201 or someone else can answer this but when my dad joined online he got some type of email saying he would hear something I think in 3-5 days.  But when I joined they took my money immediately from my debit card (I checked) & I was assigned an account #.  Why would that be?  I still have to print that form at the end & mail in (I guess its the signature card).  Will I get stuff in the mail?

Also when do I get my access code?  When I was trying to do some stuff online it appears I need the access code for certain transactions but I can use just my savings account # (which I already have) for other things.

Message Edited by mt2va on 03-29-2009 04:58 PM