Official Credit Unions Guide

[Anonymous]

Thanks Ryan... they really should've updated the first pages then since I found that before the updated page! 
LOL 2 months.




And okay Gmood when you put it that way.

[Gmood1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thanks Ryan... they really should've updated the first pages then since I found that before the updated page! 
LOL 2 months.




And okay Gmood when you put it that way.

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18 months is the sweet spot for a installment loan. Run it out as long as you can! 

[UncleB]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thanks Ryan... they really should've updated the first pages then since I found that before the updated page! 
LOL 2 months.

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I did a 'courtesy edit' to add a note that the information in that thread was no longer applicable, but that thread is actually quite old and has been locked for over a year... whenever browsing the forums be sure to note the date of the info you're looking at! 

[Anonymous]

Pyramid FCU (Tucson AZ) - very turn downsy. Tried doing a SSL with them, they wanted $7 cash collateral for each dollar I was to borrow. I turned down the loan. They would not approve a mortgage with 700+ scores, no derogs, 18% DTI and 65% LTV. I tried a car loan with them, never even got a response. They want 110% security for a secured card. Thier banking policies are just like the B of A across the street. You cannot make any deposits through the ATM. Other than them being a Credit Union I am really hard pressed to find a reason to recommend them for anything.

[DaveInAZ]

Thanks for the info on Pyramid cu, seems good to avoid them. I tried Arizona Central cu a few years back for a $200 new account bonus and didn't see much to like & closed the account, HP on both EX and Chex to join.

I've been with Vantage West for a couple years and am pretty happy with them, I have a car loan and CC with them plus checking & savings.

[Anonymous]

Recently decided to join Alliant and Penfed. Would have liked to join Navy but looks like they recently closed down that loophole to get in and I don't have any family that would qualify for membership.

Considering that I had fraud alerts on my reports and had to set a temporary lift for my EQ report, it was easy to join Alliant and Penfed with the donations. Originally, I was only going to apply for Alliant membership to try the SSL method. But, since I had my EQ report freeze lifted and I was only going to get a SP for trying to join Alliant, I decided to apply for Penfed and take the HP. I had no HP inquiries on my EQ report so I just went for it while it was temporary lifted. I might wait til the new year for the SSL since I recently was approved for my third CC in two months and don't want to scare them by opening a SSL.

Alliant asked me for some verification documents due to the fraud alerts on my report. I contacted the loan consultant that e-mailed me asking for the said documents over the phone to ask if they accepted any other documents for verification because i had only 2 out the 3 documents they were asking. They were asking for DL, SS, and one other document with my name and address for verification. Most of the accepted documents were some kind of utility bills or loans that could have my name and address but I don't have anything like that in my name. So he asked me if my paystubs have my name and address, which they do, and said I could send that for the third document. Sent the documents about 30mins after I spoke to the consultant and about 30mins later I was accepted into Alliant.

I learned Penfed's website doesn't work properly. I tried joining Penfed via the webstite and using the donation method. When I finished the application, it told me to wait 24hrs for a decision. I did not recieve any notification that I applied to Penfed but I waited one full day before I called to check on my membership application. The rep I spoke to tried looking up my application but couldn't find any record of it so he suggested that I just apply over the phone. Applying over the phone was easy and was instant. The rep gave me my membership number and suggested that I make my online account right away where I learned that Penfed's account page is like going back in time lol it's that bad lol Guess the other lesson I learned is just call Penfed, everything is much quicker that way.

[Gmood1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Recently decided to join Alliant and Penfed. Would have liked to join Navy but looks like they recently closed down that loophole to get in and I don't have any family that would qualify for membership.

Considering that I had fraud alerts on my reports and had to set a temporary lift for my EQ report, it was easy to join Alliant and Penfed with the donations. Originally, I was only going to apply for Alliant membership to try the SSL method. But, since I had my EQ report freeze lifted and I was only going to get a SP for trying to join Alliant, I decided to apply for Penfed and take the HP. I had no HP inquiries on my EQ report so I just went for it while it was temporary lifted. I might wait til the new year for the SSL since I recently was approved for my third CC in two months and don't want to scare them by opening a SSL.

Alliant asked me for some verification documents due to the fraud alerts on my report. I contacted the loan consultant that e-mailed me asking for the said documents over the phone to ask if they accepted any other documents for verification because i had only 2 out the 3 documents they were asking. They were asking for DL, SS, and one other document with my name and address for verification. Most of the accepted documents were some kind of utility bills or loans that could have my name and address but I don't have anything like that in my name. So he asked me if my paystubs have my name and address, which they do, and said I could send that for the third document. Sent the documents about 30mins after I spoke to the consultant and about 30mins later I was accepted into Alliant.

I learned Penfed's website doesn't work properly. I tried joining Penfed via the webstite and using the donation method. When I finished the application, it told me to wait 24hrs for a decision. I did not recieve any notification that I applied to Penfed but I waited one full day before I called to check on my membership application. The rep I spoke to tried looking up my application but couldn't find any record of it so he suggested that I just apply over the phone. Applying over the phone was easy and was instant. The rep gave me my membership number and suggested that I make my online account right away where I learned that Penfed's account page is like going back in time lol it's that bad lol Guess the other lesson I learned is just call Penfed, everything is much quicker that way.

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The sooner you initiate the SSL. The sooner it will help strengthen your profile and scores.

No one's getting spooked over a $500 secured loan. Lol

[Ardecko]

Just thought I'd pass along that I was denied membership/opening of a checking account with both Alliant and Bethpage this weekend due to things on my ChexSystems. I cant' say I blame them, given the results they spit back, but I didn't know there was anything on them.

I guess that bonus that's coming next paycheck will be spent before I can do anything useful with it.

[DaveInAZ]

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@Ardecko wrote:

Just thought I'd pass along that I was denied membership/opening of a checking account with both Alliant and Bethpage this weekend due to things on my ChexSystems. I cant' say I blame them, given the results they spit back, but I didn't know there was anything on them.

I guess that bonus that's coming next paycheck will be spent before I can do anything useful with it.

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You can request a copy of your report from Chexsystems, its worth trying to clean up.

[Anonymous]

I looked at a handful of CUs to join when my BK7 discharge hit. I’m out at PSECU – who, by the way were fantastic my entire relationship with them – due to burning a CC with them in my BK.

I settled on Alliant and a local CU (we have a bevy of them). I opened an account the day my discharge hit. I’ve mentioned this in the Savings Playground thread, but Alliant allows you to open up to 20 savings accounts. No minimum balance on those supplemental savings accounts except your $5 share in the first one. So I'm starting with three:
1-“Spend” standard savings account, to build up money to be actually used on things
2-“Danger Zone” my living expenses/emergency savings, and hopefully that name keeps me from ever being tempted to dip into it
3-“Payments” to place money for credit card payments into each time I make a purchase, my personal way of keeping on a cash diet as I begin managing credit again.

I’m actually quite satisfied so far with their online banking system; it’s very simplistic, but I’m happy with that – I had been using PNC virtual wallet, which was bloated, took forever to load each page, and took eight hundred clicks to do one simple thing.

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I did want to report what I found in their account agreement when I reviewed it. Yes, I review fine print, at least cursorily (got burned on a car warranty one time, learned my lesson). Privacy Policy: http://www.alliantcreditunion.org/images/uploads/files/alliant-privacy-notice.pdf

Summary:
Alliant allows themselves to share your personal information AND you can limit the sharing for:
For their marketing purposes (to offer you products & services)
For their affiliates’ everyday business purposes (information about your transactions, experiences)
For their affiliates’ everyday business purposes (information about your creditworthiness)
For nonaffiliates to market to you

They appear to begin to share this info 30 days after you open your new account. You can opt out at any time by calling the number in the link. It took me 5 minutes on hold and talking to the gentleman on the phone. No issues at all.

If you are someone who wants credit offers and such, you may wish to stay opted in to this sharing, but I figured I’d share nonetheless. In contrast with Alliant, the local CU I opened an account with only shares information in the first two instances. This info is found in that skinny booklet (account agreement) they give you when you first open the account.