How is an FCU chartered?

Because credit unions have gained an outstanding reputation for the service they provide to members, many employers promote eligibility for credit union membership as an employee benefit. There are two avenues you can pursue:

Look for a credit union near you.

Your company's employees already may be eligible for membership in a credit union. Or you could ask a local credit union to include your group within its field of membership.

Start a credit union of your own.

Everything you need to apply for a federal credit union charter and federal share insurance for member accounts is detailed in NCUA’s Chartering and Field of Membership Manual - Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statement 03-1. Another document, Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statement 06-1, revises the chartering manual’s information on adding underserved areas to existing FCUs. If you need additional help, you can contact the NCUA Regional Office supervising in your state.

• NCUA IRPS 03-1, Chartering and Field of Membership Manual (Effective May 15, 2003)
  
  
• NCUA IRPS 06-1, Organization and Operations of Federal Credit Unions (Effective July 28, 2006)
  
  
• NCUA Regional Offices
  • NCUA Region I - Albany, N.Y.
    Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
    e-mail: region1@ncua.gov
    Phone: (518) 862-7400
    
    
  • NCUA Region II - Alexandria, Va.
    Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
    e-mail: region2@ncua.gov
    Phone: (703) 519-4600
    
    
  • NCUA Region III - Atlanta, Ga.
    Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands
    e-mail: region3@ncua.gov
    Phone: (678) 443-3000
    
    
  • NCUA Region IV - Austin, Texas
    Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin
    e-mail: region4@ncua.gov
    Phone: (512) 342-5600
    
    
  • NCUA Region V – Tempe, Ariz.
    Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
    e-mail: region5@ncua.gov
    Phone: (602) 302-6000

For more NCUA resources, go to www.ncua.gov

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