“Selected as an Excellent Choice Credit Union, Gratiot Community Credit Union provides great high-quality financial services to its members in the towns of Alma and Ithaca and surrounding counties."
By: Allan R Kirby
We review Credit Unions:
Mysmallbank.com feels compelled to find the best credit unions and community banks to write a small review. These reviews are to help you learn more about community banks, possibly one that's in your area that you might be interested in. In this review we are choosing the following local Credit Union:
Location: Alma, Ithaca
Headquartered: 211 West Center Street,
Alma, MI 48801
Contact Info:
Phone: (989)463-8321
Branches: 2
Year Established: 1955
Review:
Gratiot Community Credit Union (GCCU) is a two-branch full-service bank that serves the towns of Alma and Ithaca and surrounding counties. Our decision to name GCUU, Excellent Choice Credit Union, was based on our own research on reviews, services offered as well as their commitment to their membership and the communities they serve. What we found was a great community credit union that provides many products and services such as Personal Banking, Loans, and Credit Cards. One service we particularly liked was the free checking account which provides:
No check fee.
Overdraft transfer availability.
Overdraft loan protection (to qualifying members).
Dividends paid on balances over $2,500.00 on investment checking only.
"Gratiot Community Credit Union sports a perfect five out of five customer rating on Facebook and also rates high with Google reviews as well."
We also liked some of the competitive loans offered to members such as newer Auto/RV's Loans at only 1.99% for 48 Months (Must be 2014 and newer). Check out all the loan rates for GCCU here. Additionally, the credit union also provides a full line of business services such as Business savings and Business checking. Learn more here
"Alma is a small town that was was founded in 1853. it's the largest town in Gratiot County in the state of Michigan with a population just under 10,000."
About Gratiot Community Credit Union
Looking at Gratiot Community Credit Unions' (GCCU) size, it currently has close to $47 million in assets, 2 branches, and over 6,000 members. ibanknet. The credit union was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Alma, Michigan.
We will now provide you some additional highlights of Gratiot Community CU credit unions' products and services:
Youth accounts at GCCU (Ages 5 to 18):
We always like to highlight any credit union that provides opportunities for younger generations to learn about banking and GCCU does not disappoint. GCCU provides a great way to teach kids the value of saving for their future. Developing sensible financial habits at an early age can be the key to responsible financial behavior later on in life.
Details
Each time you visit the credit union and make a deposit of $1.00 or more, you’ll get your name entered into a drawing to win $10.00. These drawings will take place on the last business day of March, June, September, and December. All of the names entered throughout the year will be kept for a year-end drawing, where you could win $100.00.
GCCU also has an Honors Club that you can participate in. If you get all A’s and B’s on your report card, you can bring it to us and enter your name into a drawing to win a $25 gift card at the end of each semester.
"You could receive up to a 1% rate discount on your current loan if you transfer your loan from another financial institution to Gratiot Community Credit Union."
Club Accounts are available:
Although not popular with major banks, club accounts are still available at most credit unions like Gratiot Community CU. These types of accounts are great to help you save for something such as vacations, holidays, or buying gifts for Christmas without having to go into debt. The following details more about GCCU club accounts:
Vacation Club
Your vacation club is a separate savings account from regular shares. A deposit of just $5.00 is required to open the account. It can be used for any purpose and may be deposited into the account until May 31st. Dividends are paid on June 1st of each year. Check out our rates page to see what the Vacation clubs are paying.
Christmas Club
This is an ideal way to save for your holiday expenses. A deposit of just $5.00 is required to open the account. You are able to make deposits throughout the year for any amount at any time. This account is rolled over on November 1st of each year by a transfer to your regular share account. Dividends are paid to the Christmas club account before the transfer is made.
Excellent Choice Credit Union:
We were pleased with GCCU's commitment to their members especially their younger members as well as their great service offerings. With a long history of providing financial services to the residents living in Alma and Ithaca and surrounding counties; it's not hard to see why this is such a great Credit Union. This is why Mysmallbank.com believes Gratiot Community Credit Union is well deserved to receive the designation of Excellent choice, Credit Union [2]. So if you're looking for a great community-based credit union and you live or plan to live in the areas that Gratiot Community Credit Union operates this could be a great financial institution for you.
Finally, we found that the Gratiot Community Credit Union is a federally insured credit union through NCUA [1].
Who is Eligible:
As per their website: To become a member of Gratiot Community Credit Union, you must either live, work, or worship in Gratiot, Mecosta, Isabella, Midland, Montcalm, Saginaw, Ionia, Clinton, or Shiawassee county.
When you join Gratiot Community Credit Union, you do so by opening a regular share account with a minimum $5.00 deposit. This amount must remain in your account. The $5.00 represents your share of the Credit Union.
Apply Now to become a member.
The following provides additional information on Gratiot Community Credit Union services, branches as well as hours of operation.
Services Offered:
Full-Service Credit Union: Yes
Part of the Xtend Shared Branching network: Yes
Gratiot Community Credit Union Routing Number: 272476394
Personal Banking:
Share Savings Account
Vacation Club Account
Christmas Club Account
Youth Accounts
Share Certificates
Credit Union Loans:
Auto Loans
Personal Loans
Home Equities
Mortgages
Gratiot Community CU Credit Cards: Visa
Credit Union Online
Online and Mobile Banking: Yes
GCCU Branch Locations:
Alma Branch
211 West Center Street
Alma, MI 48801
Phone: (989)463-8321
Fax: (989)463-8324
Lobby Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Drive-Thru
Monday – Thursday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Friday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Google Maps
Ithaca Branch
855 East Center Street
Ithaca, MI 48847
Phone: (989)875-6184
Fax: (989)875-6190
Lobby Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Drive-Thru
Monday – Thursday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Friday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Google Maps
About Community Credit Unions:
Are Community Credit Unions Better vs Banks?
Community Credit Unions are local banks that provide financial services to smaller communities and tend to be better than major banks for several reasons which include:
Better rates on savings accounts and certificates of deposits.
Competitive mortgage rates.
Fees tend to be lower at community banks.
Local deposits are used to make loans to local businesses.
Community Credit Unions tend to have a better understanding of the communities they serve.
Community Credit Unions tend to have a more personalized customer service experience and have higher customer satisfaction rates.
Community Credit Unions provide local jobs and support local charities.
Notes:
1. The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is one of two agencies that provide deposit insurance to depositors in U.S. depository institutions. NCUA's standard maximum share insurance amount at $250,000.00.
2. Periodically Mysmallbank.com will name a credit union as a top choice (Top credit union) based on several criteria such as customer and employee reviews, complaints, satisfaction, growth, locations, brand, and social responsibility. We only select the best credit unions, so they must meet minimum standards of excellences (Excellent Choice) to be reviewed by Mysmallbank.com
In Review is a segment of the MySmallBank.com blog written by Allan R Kirby, who writes and produces Personal Finance articles and videos.
Disclosure: mysmallbank.com nor the author received any compensation from the mentioned credit union for this article. The article is our opinion only and is written to help readers learn more about local credit unions.