Experiences with USAlliance Credit Union?

[she-of-emeralds.livejournal.com]

Hi all,

I'm considering switching my banking from a regular commercial bank to USAlliance on Mass. Ave. near Porter Square, because the commercial bank in question is not very interested in servicing customers who have as little money with them as I do (i.e. not a heck of a lot), and their fees are getting higher and higher, and I am more and more finding myself philosophically/politically in favor of member-owned, not-for-profit institutions.

There was a thread a couple of years ago about credit unions vs. banks in general, but I'm specifically interested in USAlliance because I'm not eligible for any other credit union in the area that I know of.

So: has anyone ever used, or are still using, USAlliance? If so, what was the experience like? Good points and bad points? If you left them, why? If you're staying, why? And so forth and so on.

I could really use some feedback. Thanks!

(And if there are tags besides "banking" that I should be using, please let me know--I didn't find one for "credit unions." Again, thanks!)

Comments

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

I don't have experience with USAlliance, but I will note that you can become eligible for DCU membership by joining one of its participating organizations, which can cost as little as $10. The list of organizations is here: https://www.dcu.org/infodesk/membership/participating-organizations.html

I've been with them for a couple of years and like it a lot.

[allli.livejournal.com]

I use DCU too. It's quite excellent.

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

This turns out to not really be possible if you don't have the kind of job that does direct deposit. I tried with a fair amount of tenacity, but I couldn't connect enough dots to qualify. It's not as simple as joining a member organization, unfortunately, if you don't have direct deposit.

[siderea]

Thank you for mentioning.

[she-of-emeralds.livejournal.com]

I took a look at DCU. It's not clear to me whether they have brick-and-mortar locations where you can speak to live people face to face. I'd strongly prefer that. It makes me nervous using something where you can't do that.

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Yup, they have physical locations: https://www.dcu.org/infodesk/branch-atm/branch.html

(Though they're all in the suburbs.)

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

I use them, though not deeply. They hold my money, I get money from ATMs (usually from a bank down Mass Ave, closer to me, and part of a free network; Cambridge Saving? not sure), some utilities and credit cards have been taught to draw money from them, I sent checks to my landlord, it all works.

I remember being miffed that they didn't give any free starter checks with sign up.

I'm not sure what the Cambridge Portuguese Credit Union membership is: Cambridge & Portuguese or (Cambridge OR Portuguese). USA is closer, so I never asked.

[she-of-emeralds.livejournal.com]

Thanks--helpful information. I'll look into Cambridge Portuguese CU too.

[agreeleyo (from livejournal.com)]

You can become a CPCU member if you live or work in Somerville/Cambridge. I'm a happy customer.

[pennylane291.livejournal.com]

i'm very happy with CPCU too

[ron_newman]

"banking" is indeed the right tag for this, since a credit union provides bank-like services.

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

I was a member a number of years ago (they were the credit union that was associated with my employer at the time and had more local branches where i was living) and I never really liked them. I've been a member of several credit unions over the years and they were by far the most "bank-like", which is not a compliment.

I've been with DCU for decades and have been very happy with them.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

Read the fine print -- their nearest physical branch to Davis is Lexington or Waltham, and their "network" of no-surcharge ATMs consists of a bunch of banks I've never heard of. Luckily, they're also on the SUM network, which gives them some credibility in this area. But given how ATM fees are going these days, their $5-per-month reimbursement comes to no more than 3 withdrawals.

And if you use their "Dividend Checking" in the hope that your money might earn a tiny bit of interest, and don't keep $2,500 in the account, you'll get socked with a $10/month fee. Do the math* on that one, and it says that they only need 1 borderline account to make up for interest paid on $20k of deposits. I'd bet with the house on that one...

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Eh? Unless it closed really recently, USAlliance's nearest physical branch is in Porter Square, as mentioned in the OP. That's where I joined.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

dang, replied to the wrong part of the thread. my comments were aimed at DCU, which was mentioned in an earlier comment.

[mesatchornug.livejournal.com]

I've been using them for a couple years now. They're functional, but I'm not in love. They also have an actual location in Medford by the Wellington Station garage. [I forget the name of that strip mall].

I joined because they have the best rates that I was able to find on loans and the like.

[erin erler (from livejournal.com)]

have been a member at USAlliance for a few months now, and it is so much better than my previous bank! I get my paycheck directly deposited on Wednesday, instead of Friday. And, they were able to help refinance my car loan. There's only a few branches, and they are all around Boston. That worried me because I'm up in the Merrimack Valley, but I guess they work with a bunch of other credit unions, so I can do my banking at those locations too. I usually just do online banking though. I love that I can deposit a check by taking a picture of it from my phone. GOOD STUFF!