Business Insider's personal finance team compared Blue Federal Credit union to the best credit unions and found it to have standard offerings.
Its strongest account is the NOVA Perks™ by Blue Checking Account, which offers perks like roadside assistance and cell phone protection — although you may have to pay a fee. To earn high interest rates on accounts, you may want to look elsewhere.
Business Insider's Blue Federal Credit Union Rating
| Feature | Business Insider rating (out of 5) |
| Savings | 4 to 4.25 |
| Checking | 3.75 |
| Certificate | 3.75 |
| Trustworthiness | 5 |
| Total | 4.25 |
Blue Federal Credit Union Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
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About Blue Federal Credit Union
Blue Federal Credit Union accounts are available online from around the U.S. You may also visit one of 21 branches in Colorado or Wyoming, or one of 5,000 Co-op shared branch locations. You can't open an account in a shared branch, but you can typically deposit money or make a loan payment.
In January 2024, Blue Federal Credit Union announced that the NCUA approved a merger with Aventa Credit Union. The two banks officially merged on March 1.
There are over 30,000 free ATMs in the Co-op network.
Call customer support from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT on weekdays or 12 a.m to 11:59 p.m. on weekends. Chat live online Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT.
The Blue FCU mobile app doesn't have many online reviews yet. So far, the app has 1.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store and 1.7 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.
Your deposits are federally insured by the NCUA for up to $250,000, or $500,000 for joint accounts. This means your money is safe even if the credit union shuts down.
How to Join Blue Federal Credit Union
The easiest way to join Blue Federal Credit Union is probably by donating to the Blue Foundation. When you open a Blue Federal Credit Union Membership Share Savings Account account (which is mandatory for becoming a member) with $10, the credit union will keep $5 in the account and donate $5 to the foundation.
Or you may already qualify for membership if you meet one of the following criteria:
- Work for a Select Employee Group in Colorado or Wyoming
- Are a civilian, military personnel, contractor, or employee of a contractor assigned to the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base
- Are an employee for the Francis E. Warren Air Force Exchange or other activities at the base
- Are a member of the Wyoming Army National Guard, Wyoming Air National Guard, or United States Naval Reserve stationed in Wyoming
- Are an active or retired member of the U.S. Armed Forces, or are the dependent/dependent survivor of a member and are legally eligible for benefits
Is Blue Federal Credit Union Trustworthy?
Blue Federal Credit Union does not have any public controversies.
The Better Business Bureau focuses on consumer trust and rates companies based on responses to customer complaints, honest advertising, and transparency about business practices. The BBB gives Blue FCU an A+ rating.
Blue Federal Credit Union Interest Rates
Compare popular APYs (annual percentage yields) offered by Blue Federal Credit Union through Raisin:
- Blue Federal Credit Union Money Market Account: 4.00% APY
- View all rates available through Raisin
Blue Federal Credit Union Bank Account Reviews
Blue Federal Credit Union Membership Share Savings Account
You must open a Blue Federal Credit Union Membership Share Savings Account when you join the credit union. It's a strong account overall, but it pays a low interest rate. The best high-yield savings accounts pay significantly better rates.
Blue Federal Credit Union Accelerated Savings
no monthly service fee
0.15% to 5.00%
$0
- High interest rate
- No minimum opening deposit
- No monthly fees
- Can only earn a high interest rate on the first $1,000 in the account; interest rate drops steeply for higher tiers
- Poorly-rated mobile app
- Anyone can join by donating $5 to the Blue Foundation. You can also join through an employer or organization or through a family member
- 21 branches across Colorado and Wyoming
- Customer service is available by phone from 7:00 am MT to 6:00 pm MT Monday through Friday and from 12:00 am MT to 11:59 pm MT on Saturday and Sunday
- Interest rates are as follows: for $0.00 to $1,000, you will earn 5.00% APY, for $1,000.01 through $5,000, you will earn between 5.00% APY and 1.80% APY, for $5,000.01 through $10,000, you will earn between 1.80% APY and 1.15% APY, for $10,000.01 through $50,000, you will earn between 1.15% APY and 0.43% APY, and for $50,000.01 and over, you will earn between 0.43% APY and 0.15% APY
- Interest compounded daily and deposited monthly
- Member NCUA
Blue Federal Credit Union Accelerated Savings could be a good choice for you if you're only going to put a small amount of money in your savings account. It doesn't come with any monthly maintenance fees or minimum opening deposits.
This account is a 5% interest savings account as long as you keep $1,000 or less in it. If you put more than $1,000, you'll still earn 5% APY on the first $1,000 in the account, but the interest you'll earn on the rest of your money will significantly decline — you'll earn a 1% dividend for the next $4,000 in your account, a 0.50% dividend for the following $5,000 in your account, a 0.25% dividend for the next $40,000, and only a 0.15% dividend for the rest.
Blue Federal Credit Union Sky High Savings
no monthly service fee
0.30% to 4.50%
$0
- High APY if you meet the requirements
- No monthly service fees
- No minimum opening deposit
- Can only earn the high interest rate if you have another account with monthly service fees
- Poorly-rated mobile app
- Anyone can join by donating $5 to the Blue Foundation. You can also join through an employer or organization or through a family member
- 21 branches across Colorado and Wyoming
- Customer service is available by phone from 7:00 am MT to 6:00 pm MT Monday through Friday and from 12:00 am MT to 11:59 pm MT on Saturday and Sunday
- Can earn the high interest rate by being a Nova Elite Perks checking account holder, which costs $9 per month. You’ll earn the rate for 6 months as long as you keep your checking account open, and you can ask for them to up your rate again when the 6 months is up if the offer is still valid and you still have the checking account
- Interest compounded daily and deposited monthly
- Member NCUA
Blue Federal Credit Union Sky High Savings is worth considering if you already have an NOVA Perks™ by Blue Checking Account at the Elite tier, which will cost you $9 per month. This savings account, which has no monthly service fee or minimum opening deposits, has a low APY unless you also have Blue Federal Credit Union's checking account at the highest tier.
Blue Federal Credit Union Sky High Savings's base rate is 0.30% APY, which is lower than the average savings account interest rate in the U.S. Blue Federal Credit Union currently has a limited-time offer that lets you lock in a 4.50% APY for the account for six months as long as you have and maintain its NOVA Perks™ by Blue Checking Account at the Elite tier. No matter how long it's been, you'll lose that rate if you close your checking account. However, you can redeem this offer for as long as you have both accounts and Blue Federal Credit Union is offering it; if six months have passed, you can redeem it again to get another six months of high APY.
NOVA Perks™ by Blue Checking Account
The NOVA Perks™ by Blue Checking Account comes with unique perks, such as accidental death coverage, roadside assistance, and bill negotiation. The exact perks depend on which plan you choose: Basic, Premium, or Elite. Depending on which plan you choose, you could end up paying up to $9 monthly service fee for this account.
Blue Federal Credit Union Term Share Account
Blue Federal Credit Union pays decent interest rates on certificates, but the best CD rates are with other online institutions. Most banks and credit unions don't let you deposit more money after opening a CD, but you can add more to Blue FCU's 30-month CD.
Blue Federal Credit Union Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Blue Federal Credit Union is a legitimate financial institution. It has branches in Wyoming and Colorado, and deposits are federally insured by the NCUA.
Your money is safe in a Blue Federal Credit Union bank account. Blue Federal Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA. Up to $250,000 per depositor is secure.
Blue Federal Credit Union has 13 locations in Colorado (Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Erie, Fort Collins, Granby, Lafayette, Loveland, Superior, and Wellington) and eight locations in Wyoming (Cheyenne and Laramie).
Yes, Blue Federal Credit Union customers may use Zelle to send or receive money. To enroll, you'll log into the Blue Federal Credit Union mobile app and select the tab for sending money with Zelle.
How Blue Federal Credit Union Compares
Blue Federal Credit Union vs. Alliant Credit Union
If you want to earn high interest rates, it could be a toss-up between the two credit unions. Both places pay more on CDs and savings accounts than the national average.
Blue Federal Credit Union offers the potential to earn a higher savings account rate than Alliant Credit Union, but you need to meet certain requirements, including having an account balance of $1,000 or under. If you want a more straightforward account, the Alliant High-Rate Savings Account offers a good interest rate regardless of your account balance or whether you have other bank accounts.
Alliant pays higher certificate rates than Blue FCU. That said, Blue FCU may still be worth considering if you want a specialty CD. It has bump-up CDs, which Alliant doesn't offer.
Blue Federal Credit Union vs. Pentagon Federal Credit Union
To earn a high rate on savings, Pentagon Federal Credit Union will likely be a more compelling choice. Blue FCU has a few savings accounts to choose from, but none pay rates as high as PenFed regardless of your account balance.
For a checking account, the best choice will depend on what you're looking for. The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Premium Online Savings Account pays 2.90% APY regardless of your account balance. But the NOVA Perks™ by Blue Checking Account offers perks like roadside assistance and cell phone protection.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Blue Federal Credit Union
For our Blue Federal Credit Union review, we rated bank products and services using our bank account methodology.
At Business Insider, we rate bank accounts on a scale from one to five stars. We review different features for distinct types of bank accounts. For example, we'll look at early withdrawal penalties and CD variety specifically for CDs. Meanwhile, for checking accounts, we'll factor in the ATM network size and fees, as well as its overdraft protection options. We'll also usually examine minimum opening deposits, monthly service fees, customer support, miscellaneous features, security, and ethics.
We use a weighted average to get our star rating, which means we weigh certain features, like interest rates and fees, at a higher weight percentage than others. We understand that these areas can more heavily impact a person's overall banking experience.
