Mountain Star FCU

What Mountain Star FCU does

Mountain Star Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned cooperative financial institution founded in 1935 by employees of El Paso Electric Co. and headquartered at 2229 E Yandell Dr., El Paso, TX. The credit union serves individual consumers and a small specialized attorney/IOLTA segment across the El Paso, Texas and Southern New Mexico region, currently operating two physical branches (El Paso and Las Cruces, NM, opened April 2025) and reaching members nationwide through the CO-OP Shared Branching network with IDCheck multi-factor authentication. Membership is open to anyone who deposits $13 to open a share account.

The credit union operates a standard retail banking technology stack: the MSFCU mobile banking application on Android and iOS, an online banking platform hosted on cue-branch.com, digital account opening via digitalaccountopening.net, and digital loan application processing. Lending operations cover new and pre-owned auto/motorcycle loans (5.25%-6.00% APR base), signature loans (12%-18% APR), recreational vehicle loans (7.50%-8.75% APR), education loans (18% APR, 12-month term), lines of credit and overdraft protection (10%-18% APR), and mortgages routed through a third-party partner platform. Deposit products include share savings (0.10% APY), share draft checking (0.05% APY), tiered money market accounts (0.15%-0.30% APY), certificates of deposit (2.50%-3.82% APY across 6-36 month terms), IRAs (Traditional, Roth, Educational), and specialized club accounts (Holiday, Vacation, Rainy Day, Little Star youth).

Revenue is generated primarily through the net interest spread between loan yields (5.25%-18%) and deposit dividends (0.05%-3.82%), supplemented by account-related fees (NSF $30, money market excess withdrawal $2, minimum balance fees) and referral commissions from third-party partners for insurance (truSTAGE), tax preparation (TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, OLT/VITA), and check ordering. The credit union holds an NMLS ID (#1490205) and is federally insured by the NCUA up to $250,000 per account. Mountain Star FCU is privately held and member-owned, with no parent company, no equity investors, and no publicly disclosed revenue figures. In April 2023, it received a $3,718,258 grant from the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund.

Name

Mountain Star FCU

Legal name

Mountain Star Federal Credit Union

Website

https://mountainstarfcu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mountain Star Federal Credit Union is a federally insured, member-owned cooperative founded in 1935 that provides consumer deposit and loan products to individuals in El Paso, TX and Southern New Mexico through two branches, a mobile app, and the CO-OP shared branching network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

El Paso

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: Primary revenue stream from interest charged on various loan products including mortgages, vehicle loans, signature loans, recreational vehicle loans, lines of credit, and education loans. Interest rates vary by product type and term length.
2. Share Account Fees and Services: Revenue from various account service fees including minimum balance fees, withdrawal limitation fees ($2.00 per excess withdrawal on money market), non-sufficient funds fees ($30.00 per check), and account maintenance.
3. Dividend/Interest Spread: Credit union model generates revenue from spread between interest earned on loans (e.g., 5.25%-17% APR on auto loans) and dividends paid to members on deposit accounts (e.g., 0.10% APY on share accounts).
4. Third-Party Financial Services Referrals: Referral fees and partnerships with third-party providers for services including insurance (truSTAGE auto and life insurance), tax preparation (TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct), and check ordering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mountain Star FCU is a member-owned credit union that provides deposit products (share savings accounts, share draft checking, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, IRAs, and specialty savings clubs such as Holiday, Vacation Club, and Little Star youth accounts) and consumer lending products (new and pre-owned auto/motorcycle loans, signature loans, recreational vehicle loans, education loans, mortgage loans, and lines of credit/overdraft protection). Services are delivered to members through two physical branches in El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM, a mobile banking app, online banking, and the CO-OP shared branching network.

Product overview

Mountain Star Federal Credit Union is a member-owned financial institution offering a comprehensive suite of deposit and lending products. The core product portfolio centers on share accounts (savings), share draft (checking), money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and IRA retirement accounts on the deposit side. Lending products include new and pre-owned auto/motorcycle loans, signature loans, education loans, recreational vehicle loans, and mortgage loans. Supporting services include shared branching through the CO-OP network, mobile banking apps for Android and iOS, financial education resources, and insurance products through truSTAGE partners. The institution operates branches in El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM, with over 90 years of service since founding in 1935.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IOLTA Savings: A savings account established for attorneys to deposit funds and generate appropriate levels of revenue to provide legal services to low income citizens.
• IOLTA Checking
• Little Star / Jr. Star Account
• Star Saver Account
• Holiday Account
• Vacation Club
• Rainy Day Account

Products and services

• Share Savings Account (Star Saver) Primary savings account required for credit union membership, available to individuals who deposit $13 to join. Dividends compounded and paid quarterly on average daily balance.
• Share Draft (Checking) Account

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Credit Union Service Corporation (Co-OP)coreTechnology or IntegrationShared branching partnership enabling Mountain Star FCU members to conduct transactions at thousands of credit union branch locations nationwide. The network uses IDCheck multi-factor authentication (QR code + one-time passcode) for secure transactions including loan payments, cashier's checks, deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and account inquiries.
• truSTAGEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partnership providing auto insurance and life insurance products to Mountain Star FCU members through the truSTAGE platform.
• TurboTax (Intuit)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTax preparation software partnership linking members to TurboTax/Intuit FreeFile services for tax filing needs.
• H&R BlockminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTax preparation services partnership linking members to H&R Block for tax preparation assistance.
• TaxActminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTax preparation software partnership providing TaxAct Free File Alliance program access to members.
• OLT (Online Tax)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) partnership linking to OLT.com for free tax preparation services.
• NCUA (National Credit Union Administration)coreOthersFederal regulatory agency that insures deposits up to $250,000 per account. Mountain Star FCU is federally chartered and insured by the NCUA.
• Cornerstone Credit Union LeagueminorOthersCredit union trade association and league providing resources, advocacy, and support for Mountain Star FCU.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GECU: GECU (formerly Government Employees Credit Union) is the largest credit union in the El Paso market, offering share/checking accounts, consumer and mortgage lending, and a similar member-owned cooperative model. Directly comparable as a fellow El Paso community CU competing for the same member households.
• Security Service Federal Credit Union: Security Service FCU is a federally chartered, member-owned credit union serving Texas and beyond with full deposit, consumer lending, and mortgage products. Closely comparable structure, charter type, and product breadth to Mountain Star.
• Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union: RBFCU is a large Texas-based federal credit union offering share, checking, consumer, and mortgage lending products with shared branching across the state. Similar federally chartered, member-owned model and full-service retail banking footprint.
• Bethpage Federal Credit Union: Bethpage FCU is a mid-size federally chartered, member-owned credit union offering full deposit and consumer lending products with digital and branch channels. Comparable as a community-style federal CU of similar size and product mix.

Broad incumbents

• Navy Federal Credit Union: Navy Federal is the largest US credit union with deposit, consumer, mortgage, and investment products plus a leading digital platform. Sets the competitive digital experience baseline smaller CUs like Mountain Star are benchmarked against.
• Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed): PenFed is a large federal credit union offering a nationwide suite of deposit, consumer lending, mortgage, and investment products. Comparable as a federally chartered, member-owned CU with similar full-product breadth but substantially greater scale.
• Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo operates a national consumer banking franchise with El Paso and New Mexico branches providing deposit accounts, consumer lending, and mortgage products. Competes head-to-head with Mountain Star for the same consumer relationships in the local market.
• JPMorgan Chase Bank: Chase is a national consumer bank with a sizeable El Paso / Southern New Mexico branch footprint spanning deposit, credit card, mortgage, and consumer lending products. Sets the consumer banking competitive baseline across Mountain Star's primary geography.

Emerging players

• Alliant Credit Union: Alliant is a digital-first federal credit union serving members nationwide with high-yield deposit and consumer lending products. Comparable as a federally chartered CU but defined by digital-first distribution versus Mountain Star's branch-led model.

Regional players

• IBC Bank (International Bancshares Corporation): IBC Bank is a Texas/regional bank holding company with El Paso and Southern New Mexico branch presence offering deposit and consumer lending products. Comparable as a regional consumer banking competitor in Mountain Star's footprint, though structured as a bank rather than a credit union.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mountainstarfcuep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mountain-star

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mountain Star FCU