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Financial Rates:
4.0
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Customer Service:
4.5
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Website Experience:
4.5
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Bank Fees:
5.0
Pros:
- Variety of accounts offered
- Competitive interest rate for savings
- Can open all accounts online
- Low opening amounts and no fees
Cons:
- Must become a member first
- Tiered interest rates on MMA
- High balances to earn interest
- Only one withdrawal per month for Ltd.
What You Need to Know
Digital Federal Credit Union offers a wide variety of personal deposit accounts. These accounts include:
- Free checking with different benefit levels
- HSA checking
- Primary savings
- Money market savings
- Ltd. savings
- Holiday Savings Club
- Regular CDs with terms from 3 to 60 months
- Jumbo CDs from 3 to 60 months
- Jump-Up CDs with a 15-month and 27-month term
- QuickStart CDs from 3 to 60 months
- Loans and credit cards
- Business accounts and lending options
The Primary savings account offers competitive interest rates. For the first $1,000, you earn over a six percent interest rate. Any amount over $1,000 earns a lower rate of 0.25 percent. Between the two rates, the account earns competitive interest rates. The Primary savings account is the account you must open to become a member of DCU.
You can open all DCU accounts online. You do not need to visit a branch location to open the accounts. To open DCU accounts, you must be at least 18 years old. You must provide a government-issued ID and Social Security Number. Your address, phone number, and date of birth are also required.
The highest amount required to open a DCU checking or savings account is only $5. To earn interest for some accounts requires a larger balance. The CDs require $100 or $500, depending on the CD. Jumbo CDs require $25,000. DCU accounts do not have monthly fees or a required amount to keep in the account to avoid a fee.
To open an account with DCU, you must become a member of the credit union. You become a member by opening the Primary savings account with at least $5. Once you open that account and become a member, you can open any other DCU account.
The DCU money market account has tiered interest rates. To earn the most competitive interest rates requires a balance of at least $100,000. Lower balances earn interest, just not the highest rate.
The Ltd. savings account requires a balance of $25,000 to earn any interest. Any balance over $25,000 earns the most competitive rate, but balances below do not earn any interest.
Only one withdrawal is allowed per month from the Ltd. savings account. For every other withdrawal, there is a fee of $25. To earn interest on this account requires a balance of $25,000. There is no required amount to open the account.
Digital or Mobile Banking
DCU offers a mobile app and online banking. Through these tools, you can:
- See account balances and transactions
- Transfer money between DCU accounts
- Pay others with People Pay
- Pay bills
- Set goals
- Make withdrawals
- Locate branch and ATMs
- Set up account alerts
- Block and freeze debit cards
- Make mobile deposits
- Transfer money from your DCU account to DCU accounts of another customer
Cool Things
Holiday Savings Accounts
DCU offers specific holiday savings accounts. There is no required amount to open this account. You must have a direct deposit into the holiday account of at least $20 per month. These accounts earn interest. The rates are not competitive with other online accounts.
Financial Education
The DCU website offers financial education. There are videos, calculators, and financial articles. Learn how to navigate online banking or make a mobile check deposit. There are specific sections for children and for young adults. DCU offers a financial class to help balance your finances. Financial education is available to members of any age.
History
In 1979, Digital Equipment Corporation started. It was one of the fastest-growing computer companies in the world. They wanted to offer employees the benefit of their own credit union. In October 1979, Digital Federal Credit Union received its first charter. They opened with two branch locations.
In 1999, the credit union's name was officially changed to Digital Federal Credit Union. Digital in the name refers to Digital Equipment Company, the company that started it all. DCU was the third bank in the United States to have a website. They were one of the first banks with a mobile app allowing members to deposit checks remotely.
Over the years, DCU has grown quickly. Today, DCU has over 20 branch locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It is the largest credit union in New England and one of the top 20 in the United States. They have over 680,000 members across the United States.
Awards and Recognition
- DCU made MONEY Magazines Best Bank/Credit Union Issue
- Primary savings account titled "Best Online Banks" by U.S. News & World Report article in 2019
- DCU voted "Best Credit Union" in Worcester and Central Massachusetts for 13 straight years by Worcester Magazine
Giving Back
DCU for Kids offers scholarships for youth around the area. In 2018, they awarded up to $137,500 in qualifying scholarships. Each of the scholarships were for various amounts, with the highest amount being $2,500.
DCU holds food and toy drives to help kids around the areas they serve. Members can drop off their canned goods or toys to one of the many branch locations. The donations help those in need around their communities. They also offer paper shredding days periodically throughout the year. Members can shred documents with personal information for free.
List of Common Bank Fees
- ATM Fees in the United States: $0
- ATM fees international: Not listed
- Bill Pay: $0
- CD Early Withdrawal Fees: 60-180 days of interest
- Excessive Withdrawal Fees: Up to $25 per transaction
- Monthly Service Fees: $0
- Overdraft Service Fees: $15
- Paper Bank Statements: $1 per page
- Wire Transfers (Domestic): $0-15
- Wire Transfers (International): $40-50
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are all the accounts FDIC insured?
- How do I access my money?
- Can I deposit cash?
- How long do transfers take?
- Can I sign up for direct deposit?
- Are ATM transactions free?
- Are ATM transaction fees reimbursed?
- Is mobile banking or a mobile app available?
- Is bill pay offered?
- Do the accounts offer competitive interest rates?
- Do checking accounts earn interest?
- What are the most popular accounts?
- What are the monthly maintenance fees?
- Is this one of the best banks?
- How are my money and information protected?
- Are any business accounts offered?
- What makes these accounts different?
- How do I reach customer service?
Yes. Your money in Digital Federal Credit Union is protected and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. The NCUA protects money in credit unions while the FDIC protects money in banks. They both protect deposited funds, up to $250,000 per customer, per bank. The money is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.
With checks, ATM or debit cards, or electronic transfers. Also access your money through bill pay, a local branch, or through People Pay.
Yes, at a local branch location. Some ATMs may accept cash deposits.
Specific transfer times are not listed on the website.
Yes. You can have money directly deposited into DCU accounts.
ATM transactions at DCU ATMs are free. Other free ATMs include those with Allpoint, Sum, and CO-OP logos.
Yes. DCU reimbursed up to $10 per month in ATM fees for the Free checking with Plus Benefits. The Free checking with Relationship Benefits reimburses up to $25 per month in ATM fees.
Yes. With the DCU app, you can deposit checks, pay bills, and transfer money. You can see your account balances, find a branch, and pay others with People Pay.
Yes. Each of the DCU checking accounts offers free bill.
Most DCU accounts have competitive rates. Some accounts have high required balances to earn the most competitive rate. The Primary savings account offers rates competitive with other online accounts.
The DCU Free and HSA checking accounts earn interest. The Free checking account earns better rates than the HSA checking. The rates are slightly lower than online-only checking accounts.
The Primary and Ltd. savings accounts are popular. Both accounts earn competitive rates.
DCU accounts do not have monthly fees. There is no required amount to keep in the accounts to avoid a fee. The accounts are free.
DCU offers a variety of accounts. Most accounts offer competitive interest rates. The accounts do not have monthly fees or required amounts to keep in the accounts. Some accounts have tiered interest rates. You must be a member to open accounts. That requires opening the Primary savings account. Once you are a member, you can open any DCU account online.
DCU offers protection procedures that comply with federal law. Their computers have safeguards. Their buildings and files are secure. They limit the personal information employees can see.
Yes. DCU offers a checking and savings account for businesses. Credit cards, lending options, and payroll services are also offered.
Some DCU accounts offer more competitive interest rates than typical bank rates. Everything for your account is online.
By phone, email, fax, mail, or through online chat. You can visit a local branch location. You can follow DCU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Bank Contact Information
DCUP.O. Box 9130
Marlborough, MA 01752-9130
508-263-6700
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| Savings (Rate as of 11/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.00% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 3.92% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC | |
| Savings (Rate as of 11/21/2024) | |
| APY | 4.75% |
|---|---|
| Rate | 4.64% |
| Min to Open | $0 |
| Min to Earn APY | $0 |
| Monthly Fee | $0.00 |
| Min to Avoid Fee | $0 |
| Checkbook | No |
| Member FDIC No monthly maintenance fee, $0 to open, easily grow your money | |
The rate information is obtained by Bankrate from the listed institutions. Bankrate cannot guarantee the accuracy or availability of any rates shown. Institutions may have different rates on their own websites than those posted on Bankrate.com. The listings that appear on this page are from companies from which this website receives compensation, which may impact how, where, and in what order products appear. This table does not include all companies or all available products.
All rates are subject to change without notice and may vary depending on location. These quotes are from banks, thrifts, and credit unions, some of whom have paid for a link to their own website where you can find additional information. Those with a paid link are our Advertisers. Those without a paid link are listings we obtain to improve the consumer shopping experience and are not Advertisers. To receive the Bankrate.com rate from an Advertiser, please identify yourself as a Bankrate customer. Bank and thrift deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Credit union deposits are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.
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1 APY stands for Annual Percent Yield. It's different from Rate because it takes into account compounding interest for the year.
2 MMA stands for Money Market Account. It's a savings and checking hybrid, allowing you to earn interest and use checks 6 times a month.