Not to be confused with America's First Federal Credit Union , a credit union in Alabama, United States.

America First Credit Union (AFCU) is a federally chartered credit union headquartered in Riverdale, Utah, United States. As of Jan 2017 AFCU is the 6th largest credit union in the United States in terms of total membership and 11th largest credit union in assets in the U.S.[1]

Description [ edit ]

As of Jan 2017, America First has 121 branch locations, more than 818,000 members, and has over USD 8.22 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 any major 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 [ edit ]

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 [ edit ]

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]