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As a credit union, US Alliance is a non-profit membership-based financial organization that returns profits to members. According to its website, these returns come in the form of higher returns on savings, lower rates and fees, and low-cost services.
If you become a member, you’ll get access to exclusive deals such as discounts on home and auto insurance programs, and savings on home security services. You can find a full list of member benefits here.
US Alliance offers several money management tools that could appeal to tech-savvy customers. These include:
Direct deposits: Get access to your paycheck up to two days early.
Free monthly credit scores: These are delivered directly to your online account.
Compatibility with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Popmoney: A personal payment service for sending funds electronically using the recipient’s name and email address, or mobile number.
My Virtual StrongBox: Provides secure, digital storage for personal and professional documents.
With access to more than 5,600 shared cooperative branches (which allow you to perform transactions at branches of other cooperatives) and 11 of its own branches, US Alliance provides most conventional banking services, including:
A Visa debit card: For making purchases and withdrawing funds.
An overdraft privilege: Allows you to spend up to $1,000 on ATM/point-of-sale transactions if you don’t have sufficient funds in your account.
Access to more than 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs (US Alliance will also rebate you up to $10 per month on fees for using ATMs outside its network).
Personal loans: Products include savings-secured loans and credit builder loans.
Savings accounts: Includes health-dividend savings, savings for children, and certificate accounts.
Credit cards: Options include reward cards and credit-builder accounts.
Mortgages: Products include first-time buyer loans and home equity lines of credit.
Insurance: Protection options include health insurance and vehicle insurance.
US Alliance offers two checking accounts: MyLife Checking and MyLifeChecking for Teens. If you sign up for an account, the following rates and fees will apply:
Fee type | Fee amount |
Monthly maintenance fee | None |
Debit card replacement | Free ($30 expedited service) |
Overdraft privilege | $15 |
Foreign ATM/check card transaction | 1% of amount |
Non US Alliance ATM transactions (including balance queries) | First eight per month free, $1.50 per transaction thereafter |
Non-sufficient/uncollected funds (paid or returned) | $15 |
Photocopy of check/deposit/withdrawal | $5 |
Returned negotiated ACH/check | $35 |
Stopped payments | $35 |
Statement copies or interim statement | $10 |
You can contact US Alliance over the phone, email, or through live chat. Support hours are 7.30am-8pm (ET), Monday to Friday, and 9am-3pm, Saturdays. When we contacted its agents via email, we received a helpful response within 15 minutes.
If your query is more general, the website has a financial education knowledge center, with topics including teen finances, budgeting, and savings.
You can open a checking account in person, over the phone, or online. To do so, you’ll need a valid driver’s license and a utility bill from the past 60 days. The process takes between 15 and 30 minutes, though additional reviews may be required that could take 1-2 business days.
Overall, US Alliance has a mixed selection of customer reviews. While it has a score of 4.0 out of five on Facebook, with users praising customer service levels, it fares less well on other sites, with reviewers complaining of poor communication.
The app currently has a rating of 3.7 out of five on the App Store, and 4.1 out of five on Google Play. Of those who rated the app highly, several praised its free credit score feature and ease of use. Those who were less satisfied mention difficulties with mobile check deposits and issues signing in.
You can download the US Alliance app via Google Play or the App Store. Its main features include the facility to:
Open an account/apply for a credit card
Check balances before logging on
View pending transactions
Transfer funds
Pay bills
Receive cash advances
Deposit checks
Access your credit score
To help protect your deposits and personal information, US Alliance offers the following security tools:
Two-factor authentication
Biometric authentication for the app
Visa debit card alerts
A dedicated fraud team
If your card has been lost or stolen, you can report this via the online or mobile banking service center.
Any funds you deposit are insured up to a value of $250,000 through the National Credit Union Administration.
A full privacy policy is available here.
US Alliance could be an excellent solution for those seeking money management services outside of traditional banking services. As a credit union, it offers low-fee credit products, most notably its checking accounts for adults and teens. We would have liked to see 24/7 phone services. Yet, this isn’t a deal-breaker if you appreciate attractive features such as free monthly credit scores, and direct deposits that allow you to access your paycheck up to two days early.
We compiled this review by visiting US Alliance’s website and contacting its customer service team via email.
