When to Join Credit Union

[Caardvark]

I plan on leaving the garden in about six months to apply for two credit products from different credit unions, neither of which I am currently a member (an auto loan from a local CU and Signature Visa from Alliant CU). I have several questions:

• When should I join the credit unions and does it even matter?
• Is it better to join now? Or, simply wait until I am ready to apply for credit with them and join once approved (assuming I am approved of course)?
• This brings up another question - Do you need to be a member to even apply for credit in the first place?

Thanks in advance

[Jnbmom]

Your can join now or wait, it doesn't really matter. Both CUs that I joined I opened up a savings account and then immediately applied for credit product this was with NFCU and Penfed.

Yes you need to be a member to have a credit product.

I prefer Navy over Penfed any day of the week 

[Anonymous]

Some CUs will let you call and do the application or do the application online before becoming a member - I called PenFed and did the CC app without becoming a member. If they have an open field of membership, they’ll likely let you apply for credit without membership. 

[Anonymous]

OP—It “May not” matter whether you join now or wait, but why would you want or need to wait to join? While I can’t speak to all CUs, as far as those I belong to, you need to be a member to apply for a CC or loan. If I were in your position, I would join now. Each CU I belong to started sending me pre-qualified and/or pre-approved CC and loan offers within a few months of joining. I just don’t see how it could hurt or what the disadvantages would be to joining now.

[Caardvark]

Primary reason for waiting is because I don't want any HPs until I'm ready to apply for credit. I went ahead and joined Alliant this morning (since it is a SP) but going to wait on the other since I've read TFCU coukd be either HP or SP.

[omgitsMatt]

I'm in three credit unions and never applied for a line of credit with either yet, I'm playing the field while I pay down all my debt first which is almost done.

Navy Federal and two local CU's in my region.

None of the three did a hard pull.

The first two did soft pulls though and that I'm sure of, but there was no hard pull.

Took in $5 to all three, opened a savings, talked to someone for a few minutes about personal loans and their criteria for issuing loans etc and left

I'd suggest doing it right now, build a rapport as soon as possible

[omgitsMatt]

I didn't know credit unions did hard pulls on clients, I'm really glad I didn't get into one that did that to me

You could always ask if they do or don't?