Alliant Credit Union

What Alliant Credit Union does

Alliant Credit Union is a federally insured, not-for-profit financial cooperative originally chartered on October 26, 1935 as the United Airlines Employees' Credit Union and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Since completing a full digital transition in 2020, Alliant operates without physical branches, distributing all consumer and small-business banking services through online, mobile, and phone channels with nationwide membership open to any US resident via employer, family, community, or foundation eligibility.

The institution runs on a digital-only banking platform spanning a mobile app (iOS and Android), online banking, and 24/7 customer support via chat, phone, and secure messaging, with extensive wallet and payment integrations including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and forthcoming Zelle support. Core products include tiered Jumbo and High-Rate Checking (up to 2.00% APY), High-Rate Savings (3.01% APY, 15x national bank average), Jumbo Savings (3.35% APY), Certificates (3.10%–3.90% APY across 3–60 month terms), Kids/Teen custodial accounts, Visa Platinum and Cashback Visa Signature credit cards, personal loans ($1,000–$100,000), mortgages and HELOCs, Tesla and RV specialty auto loans, and commercial real estate lending ($7M–$35M). The platform is being modernized via a Backbase partnership for a Fall 2026 digital refresh.

Alliant's revenue mechanics reflect standard credit-union economics — net interest spread between deposit costs (as low as 0.25% APY) and loan yields (auto loans from 5.24% APR, mortgages from 5.875%, CRE yields undisclosed), supplemented by credit card fees (balance transfer, late, cash advance), interchange, and partnership revenue from TrueCar (Car Buying Service) and LPL Financial (retirement and investment services). The cooperative model returns earnings to members through industry-leading deposit rates, zero monthly maintenance fees, no overdraft fees, $20–$1,000,000/month ATM fee rebates, and Early Payday access up to two days before scheduled direct deposits. At $20 billion in assets, 900,000+ members, and an NPS of 57 versus a 22-point industry average, Alliant has established scale and brand credibility but remains constrained by credit-union regulation and member-owned structure.

Name

Alliant Credit Union

Legal name

Alliant Credit Union

Website

http://www.alliantcreditunion.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Alliant Credit Union is a federally insured, not-for-profit digital-only credit union serving 900,000+ members nationwide with high-yield checking, savings, certificates, credit cards, consumer loans, mortgages, and commercial real estate lending — all distributed through online, mobile, and phone channels without physical branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Credit Unions (52213), Credit Card Issuing (522210)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Credit Unions (Retail/Consumer Focus) (FSABAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Credit union services
• Consumer banking
• Digital banking
• High-yield savings
• Commercial lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Plaines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: Alliant earns interest income from various loan products including auto loans, mortgages, HELOCs, personal loans, RV loans, Tesla loans, and commercial real estate loans. As a credit union, all earnings are returned to members through better rates and lower fees.
2. Interest Spread on Deposits: Credit union model generates revenue from spread between interest paid on savings/checking accounts (as low as 0.25% APY) and rates charged on loans. Savings accounts pay up to 3.35% APY while providing competitive loan rates.
3. Credit Card Fees: Revenue from credit card transactions including balance transfer fees (2-3% depending on card type), late fees up to $27, and cash advance fees (either $10 or 3%)
4. Cash Back Rewards Program: Alliant Cashback Visa Signature card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories
5. Auto Loan Car Buying Service Partnership: Partnership with TrueCar generates revenue through certified dealer network; members save average $2,797 off MSRP
6. Investment Services: Partnership with LPL Financial for retirement and investment services including IRAs and trust accounts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Alliant Credit Union is a not-for-profit, digital-only credit union offering a full suite of consumer and commercial financial products including high-yield checking and savings accounts, share certificates, credit cards (Visa Platinum and Cashback Visa Signature), consumer loans (auto, Tesla, RV, personal), residential mortgages and HELOCs, individual retirement accounts (Traditional, Roth, SEP), and commercial real estate lending. The credit union serves over 900,000 members nationwide through online, mobile, and phone channels with no physical branches.

Product overview

Alliant Credit Union is a digital-only financial institution offering a comprehensive suite of banking, lending, and investment products. The core offering centers on high-yield deposit accounts (checking and savings) with competitive APYs significantly exceeding national averages, paired with fee-free structures. Credit products span consumer lending (auto loans including Tesla-specific financing, RV loans, personal loans), residential lending (mortgages and HELOCs), and commercial real estate lending. Credit card offerings include a Visa Platinum card with introductory 0% APR offers and a Cashback Visa Signature card earning unlimited 1.5% cash back. The product ecosystem extends through the Alliant Car Buying Service (powered by TrueCar), Individual Retirement Accounts (Traditional, Roth, SEP), and investment services via partnership with LPL Financial. All products share a digital-first distribution model with no physical branches, emphasizing competitive rates, low-to-zero fees, and integrated mobile/online banking access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alliant Digital Banking: The company's digital banking platform offering online and mobile banking services with upcoming features including Zelle and dark mode.
• Alliant Retirement and Investment Services (ARIS)

Products and services

• Jumbo High-Rate Checking Account A tiered checking account offering up to 2.00% APY with no earnings cap, no monthly fees, and tiered benefits including unlimited ATM rebates up to $1,000,000/month at the highest tier (requires $5,000+ monthly direct deposit and $10,000+ average daily balance across deposit shares). For consumer members seeking premium high-yield checking.
• High-Rate Checking Account

Quantifiable outcome

• Savings rates 15x higher than national bank average (3.01% APY vs 0.19% APY)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TrueCarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Alliant Car Buying Service powered by TrueCar. Members access nationwide network of certified dealers with guaranteed savings. Average member saves $2,797 off MSRP. Provides 0.50% APR discount on auto loans when using the service.
• Lease MaturityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for lease buyout loans. Handles processing of lease buyout transactions when members want to purchase leased vehicles.
• BackbasecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital banking platform provider powering Alliant's refreshed digital banking experience launching Fall 2026. Will include new features like Zelle and dark mode for app.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• SoFi: A digital-first bank and lender offering high-yield savings, checking, credit cards, and personal loans, with a younger demographic skew. Comparable to Alliant in product breadth and digital-only delivery, but with a stronger brand among Gen Z and millennials.

Direct peers

• USAA Federal Savings Bank: A federally chartered savings bank serving military members and families with banking, lending, and insurance. Comparable to Alliant as a membership-based, digital-first depository institution with affinity-driven customer acquisition.
• Ally Bank: One of the largest US digital-only banks, known for high-yield online savings, certificates, and a no-fee checking account. Directly comparable to Alliant in target customer (rate-conscious digital natives) and product mix.
• Discover Bank: A direct-to-consumer online bank and credit card issuer with a similar high-yield savings and CD franchise. Closely comparable to Alliant on the consumer side: no branches, fee-free banking, and cash-back credit cards as flagship products.
• Connexus Credit Union: A large national credit union offering high-yield savings, lending, and credit cards with a digital-first model. Comparable to Alliant in operating model, product set, and open-membership positioning.
• PenFed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union): A large US federal credit union serving military, government employees, and now open to broader membership. Comparable to Alliant in offering high-yield savings, competitive loan rates, and credit cards through a digital-first model.
• Capital One 360: Capital One's online consumer bank offering competitive high-yield savings, no-fee checking, and credit cards. Comparable to Alliant as a digital-first deposit and lending franchise targeting fee-averse consumers.
• Navy Federal Credit Union: The largest US credit union with ~$170B in assets, serving military members and their families. Directly comparable as a federally insured, member-owned cooperative offering a full suite of deposit, lending, and credit card products at scale.

Broad incumbents

• Charles Schwab Bank: A bank affiliated with the larger Charles Schwab brokerage, offering high-yield deposit products linked to investment accounts. Comparable to Alliant on the high-yield deposit side, though anchored by a broader wealth-management franchise.
• Marcus by Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs' consumer banking arm offering high-yield online savings and personal loans. Comparable to Alliant on the high-yield savings and unsecured personal loan product set, though backed by a much larger balance-sheet institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alliantcu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/alliantcreditunion
• Facebookfacebook.com/alliantcreditunion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/19745
• Instagraminstagram.com/alliantcu
• Pinterestpinterest.com/alliantcu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Alliant Credit Union