America First Credit Union
 | |
| Credit union | |
| Industry | Financial services |
| Founded | 1939 |
| Headquarters | Riverdale, Utah, United States |
Area served | Salt Lake County, Utah, Utah County, Utah, Mesquite, Nevada, Clark County, Nevada |
| Products | Savings; checking; consumer loans; mortgages; credit cards |
| Total assets | $6.93B USD (2015) |
| Website | americafirst.com |
America First Credit Union (AFCU) is a federally chartered credit union headquartered in Riverdale, Utah. As of June 2015 AFCU is the 7th largest credit union in the United States in terms of total membership and 12th largest credit union in assets in the U.S.[1]
As of June 2015, America First has 111 branch locations, more than 707,000 members, and has over USD 6.93 billion in assets.[2] America First is also a member of the CO-OP Network of ATMs which provides its members free ATM access to the network's almost 30,000 ATMs nationwide.
Eligibility for membership at America First is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school, conducts business, or volunteers in Salt Lake County, Utah County, or Juab County in Utah or Clark County in Nevada.[3] Eligibility is also open to all those who live within a 12-mile radius of the Mesquite, Nevada city post office and the members of the immediate family or household of an existing member or those eligible for membership, as well as owners, employees, suppliers and their employees, or associated companies and their employees involved in the food industry, an affiliated association, or select employee group in the state of Utah.[4]
History
In 1939, at Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City, Utah, 59 members of the National Federation of Federal Employees, Local No. 650, instituted the Fort Douglas Civilian Employees Credit Union. On June 23, 1947, the finance office of the U.S. Army at Fort Douglas was moved to the Utah General Distribution Depot in Ogden, Utah, and the credit union moved with it and renamed itself Federal Employees Credit Union. In 1960, with the addition of the Naval Supply Depot in Clearfield, Utah, the credit union was now affiliated with four military installations, the other three being the Utah General Depot, Hill Air Force Base, and Fort Douglas. Utah-chartered credit unions began serving anyone in the state and the credit union changed its name to America First Credit Union in 1984.
In 1994, it marketed residential mortgages with incentives such as no fees for first mortgage refinancing, a quarter-point reduction in the interest rate if payments were to be deducted automatically from an America First checking account, and a quarter-point reduction for mortgages of less than half the residence's appraised value.[5]
Beginning in 1998, a series of legal and legislative restrictions were placed on America First Credit Union's field of membership and its ability to make business loans. In 2003, America First became federally chartered to protect its membership and serve its business members. In 2004, it opened its first branch in Summit County, Utah, since the federal charter allows it to serve that county as well.[6]
In 2005, it announced that it would offer Small Business Administration loans to its members.[7] In 2007, the credit union, many of whose members serve in the military, hosted Operation Best Wishes.[8]
On August 12, 2009 America First acquired Las Vegas based Community One Federal Credit Union following its closure by the National Credit Union Administration.[9]
Technology
In 1999, the credit union used Novell's NetWare.[10]
In 2001, it began to offer wireless banking to its members using technology from SensCom Inc.[11]
In 2006, it agreed to adopt Oracle Corporation's Siebel Branch Teller application to capture check information at the teller's terminal.[12]
References
- ↑ "Facts and Financials". Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Facts and Financials". Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ "Share Savings/Membership". Retrieved 2012-06-10.
- ↑ "Select Employee Groups (SEGs) and Affiliated Associations". Retrieved 2012-06-10.
- ↑ "America First Credit Union Announces No-fee First Mortgage Refinancing". The Deseret News. April 26, 1994. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
- ↑ "America First Credit Union opens first Summit branch". The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah). January 24, 2004. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
- ↑ "America First Credit Union.(NORTHERN)". Utah Business. July 1, 2005. Archived from the original on 19 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
- ↑ "America First CU Hosts Operation Best Wishes.(America First Credit Union )(Brief article)". Credit Union Journal. January 29, 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
- ↑ "Community One FCU Closes, Members Now Served by America First FCU". Tradewind, Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ↑ "Novell Case Study: America First Credit Union". Novell Case Study via ZDnet Asia. 1999-11-30. Archived from the original on 18 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
- ↑ Cole, Kelleigh (May 1, 2001). "America First Credit Union. (SensCom Inc.)(Brief Article)". Utah Business. Archived from the original on 19 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
- ↑ "America First Credit Union Selects Oracle's Siebel Applications For Fully Automated Teller Solution. P". Oracle Corporation press release via PR Newswire. November 14, 2006. Archived from the original on 19 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-16.