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MEMBER PROFILE
Josh and Kriss Eckenrode

Recently, my wife Kriss and I decided that it was time to purchase our first home. We started working with our realtor to find the right house, but were not sure how to handle the financing. She suggested that we talk to the mortgage team at Alternatives. I am so glad that she did since the rates were competitive, and the service was second to none. We worked very closely with Carol Chernikoff throughout the process; she was able to guide us in a way that was very personal and comforting. Buying a house, especially the first house, is a rather overwhelming proposition, but everyone was so kind and helpful that the process felt very smooth. We were also pleased to find out that Alternatives does not sell their mortgages, and that our money would stay in the local economy. As someone who grew up in Ithaca, this was very important to me. Kriss and I were so impressed with the service at Alternatives, that we also refinanced our car, opened a credit card, and moved all of our accounts to the credit union. The personal, local service we receive continues to delight us every time we interact with a member of the Alternatives team. We have never seen so many smiling faces in a financial institution!

Membership Introduction
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OVERVIEW
Alternatives is a regional credit union. We offer a full range of banking services to anyone who lives in Ithaca, Tompkins County and adjacent counties (Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Seneca, Schuyler and Tioga).

Becoming a member of Alternatives Credit Union is making a choice for a more economically just community. Joining is easy. A one time $20 membership fee and a minimum $5 deposit in Savings makes you a member of the Alternatives Fund, our "field of membership," and the Alternatives Federal Credit Union. Just fill out the online application request.

The $5 "share" makes you not only a member, but an owner of Alternatives Credit Union. As an owner, you may use the Credit Union for its services, or get more involved by voting for your Board of Directors, joining a Board committee, or even running for the Board of Directors.

We welcome you to the Credit Union, and hope that we are able to serve your needs well in person, by mail, or on the Web. Please let us know if there are ways we can better serve your needs by sending us a message.

SERVICES
Alternatives is a combination of a traditional member-driven credit union and a not-for-profit community development organization.

Traditional services include deposit services, loan service, and other member services.

A separate, secure page for Members Only offers members online banking, eStatements, BillPay@Home, online loan and VISA card applications and more.

Learn more about how you can make Alternatives your Credit Union for all your banking needs.

VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Physical address at which the person resides and mailing address if different
  • An unexpired, government issued photo ID
  • For US persons, a taxpayer identification number such as social security number, individual taxpayer identification number or employer identification number for business accounts.
  • For non-US persons, one or more of the following: a US taxpayer identification number, passport number and country of issuance; alien identification card number; or number and country of issuance of any other government-issued document evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard.


Verification Requirements
In order to verify the identity of the applicant, at least one document provided should be an unexpired government issued photo identification card (driver’s license or military ID). Any other documentation gathered from the applicant to verify the required information is flexible and can include social security cards, certified birth certificates, utility bills, phone bills, pay stubs, etc.

Alternatives acknowledges that some applicants will not have an unexpired government issued photo ID card. In those instances:

  • The applicant may provide another form of ID in conjunction with a government issued document showing the member’s social security number or tax identification number. If the applicant is a non-U.S. person, passports, immigration documents, unexpired employment authorization documents are acceptable.
  • If the applicant does not have any form of photo ID, he/she may present two forms of identification. One must be government issued (social security card, passport, immigration documents, etc).
  • If the applicant cannot provide the information required, the account will not be opened.


RATES & TERMS
Here are the current rates and terms.

Our social mission is integrated into our economic mission. We have designed our deposit accounts to meet the financial needs of the members of this community, including members with a lower income.

Our savings accounts have no monthly service charges or transaction fees, and only a $5 minimum balance requirement. Dividends are earned on balances above $5.

We offer a checking (share draft) account with no balance requirements, and no per check fees! All you pay is the cost of printing the checks.

Certificates can be started with as little as $100, and offer competitive dividend rates.