Altura Credit Union

What Altura Credit Union does

Altura Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Riverside, California, serving individual consumers and small businesses across Riverside County in Southern California. Founded in 1965, it operates as a federally insured credit union under NCUA oversight with member deposits protected up to $250,000. Its product portfolio spans consumer and business banking: deposit products including Ascend Checking, Wealth Builder Checking, Primary Share Savings, Money Market, Share Certificates, and IRAs; lending products covering mortgages, refinancing, home equity loans, HELOCs, auto loans (including a First-Time Auto Buyer Program and recreational vehicle financing), personal loans, credit cards, and commercial real estate lending; and credit-building tools such as Credit Builder and Share Secured Loans.

The institution's core technology infrastructure includes an online banking platform at my.alturacu.com, a mobile application, e-alerts and notifications, and a Temenos cloud-hosted loan origination system supporting self-serve digital applications. A wholly-owned subsidiary, AlturaTV, provides educational and community media content. Partnerships with BALANCE (financial counseling) and Zogo (financial literacy) extend the financial wellness offering. Member engagement is reinforced through the Altura Cares community program (sponsorships, scholarships, local business directory), employer payroll direct deposit partnerships, and gamified programs such as the Magic Referral and Stash to Win Sweepstakes.

Altura's revenue model follows the standard credit union cooperative structure, generating income from net interest margin on deposits and loans plus ancillary fees (e.g., Courtesy Pay overdraft service), with surplus returned to members in the form of lower fees, competitive loan and deposit rates, and member benefits such as a 0.5% loan discount for automatic payment enrollment and up to two-day early direct deposit. Distribution is multi-channel, combining physical branches throughout Riverside County, online and mobile banking, telephone banking, and employer payroll partnerships. The institution is led by local volunteer board members from Riverside County and an executive team including SVP and CFO Kathy Thayer.

Name

Altura Credit Union

Legal name

Altura Credit Union

Website

https://alturacu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Altura Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative founded in 1965 serving consumers and small businesses in Riverside County, California. It offers a full suite of deposit, lending, credit card, and business banking products through physical branches, digital channels, and a wholly-owned media subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Credit Unions (52213), Credit Unions (522130)

SIC

Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Cooperative Banks (Member-Owned Commercial/Retail) (FSABAEAF), Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Consumer banking
• Credit union lending
• Home loans
• Auto financing
• Deposit accounts

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Altura Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative that delivers retail banking, deposit products, and consumer and commercial lending to individuals and small businesses primarily in Riverside County, California. Its offerings span checking, savings, share certificates, IRAs, mortgages and home equity lending, auto and recreational vehicle loans, personal loans, credit cards, credit-building tools, business checking, commercial real estate lending, and insurance, supported by online and mobile banking channels.

Product overview

Altura Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative serving Riverside County, California. The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of financial products organized into several categories: (1) Deposit Products including checking accounts (Ascend Checking, Wealth Builder Checking), savings accounts (Primary Share, Money Market, Share Certificates), and retirement accounts (IRAs); (2) Lending Products spanning home loans (mortgages, refinancing, home equity loans, HELOCs), auto lending (Auto Expert program, First-Time Auto Buyer Program, Toy Loans for RVs/boats), personal loans (Making Memories Loan, GetAway Loan), credit cards, and business banking (Commercial Real Estate Lending, Business Checking); (3) Credit-Building Tools including Credit Builder and Share Secured Loans; (4) Digital Banking Services through online and mobile platforms with features like e-alerts and calculators; (5) Financial Wellness Resources including BALANCE financial counseling, Zogo financial literacy education, and credit monitoring; (6) Member Benefits such as Courtesy Pay, Payroll Direct Deposit with loan discounts, Magic referral program, and Stash to Win sweepstakes. The institution differentiates itself from traditional banks by emphasizing lower fees, competitive rates, community focus, and local governance by volunteer board members. The company also offers insurance products through partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AlturaTV: Television/media content platform providing educational and community content for members
• Ascend Checking Account
• Wealth Builder Checking
• Making Memories Loan
• GetAway Loan
• Auto Expert
• Altura Cares

Products and services

• Ascend Checking Account Personal checking account with day-to-day transactional features for consumer members of Altura Credit Union.
• Wealth Builder Checking Checking account designed for members focused on building long-term wealth through their transactional account.
• Primary Share Savings Foundational savings account that establishes and maintains membership in the credit union.
• Credit Union Money Market Tiered money market savings account providing competitive rates that scale with account balance.
• Share Certificates Term deposit products (CDs) with multiple term lengths and competitive interest rates for members.
• Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Retirement savings accounts (Traditional and Roth IRA) for members' long-term tax-advantaged saving.
• Credit Union Mortgage Loans Mortgage loans for home purchases, including fixed-rate and adjustable-rate options for members.
• Mortgage Refinancing Refinancing product to help existing mortgage holders potentially lower their interest rate.
• Home Equity Loans Lump-sum loans secured by the member's home equity for major expenses.
• HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) Revolving line of credit secured by the member's home equity, providing flexible access to funds.
• Auto Expert Auto loan program with expert guidance supporting members through the vehicle purchase process.
• First-Time Auto Buyer Program Special financing program for members purchasing their first vehicle.
• Toy Loan Financing for recreational vehicles including boats, RVs, and other specialty vehicles.
• Making Memories Loan Personal loan for financing life events and memorable experiences.
• GetAway Loan Personal loan for travel, vacation, and getaway expenses.
• Credit Cards Credit card products providing various rewards, rates, and benefits to members.
• Commercial Real Estate Lending Commercial real estate loan products for business property purchases and developments.
• Business Checking Business checking account designed for small business banking needs.
• Credit Builder Program designed to help members build or improve their credit scores.
• Share Secured Loans Loans secured by the member's existing share/savings balance as collateral.
• Insurance Products Various insurance products designed to protect members' financial well-being.
• Payroll Direct Deposit Direct deposit payroll service offering early availability (up to 2 days), instant deposit, automatic savings, loan discount eligibility, and E-Alerts for members.
• Online Banking Internet banking platform providing 24/7 account access, transfers, bill pay, and e-statements.
• Courtesy Pay Overdraft protection service that covers insufficient funds and checks up to a disclosed limit, with associated fees per the published Schedule of Fees.
• Member Perks & Discounts Discounts, special offers, and promotional programs available exclusively to credit union members.
• Credit Monitoring Service and tools that help members monitor their credit scores and reports.
• Fraud Prevention & Security Services Fraud prevention measures and security services that protect member accounts and identity.
• Stash to Win Sweepstakes Quarterly savings sweepstakes program that rewards members with cash prizes for saving.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union: Large California credit union serving educators and community members with full deposit, lending, and digital banking products. Highly comparable in product breadth and member-owned cooperative structure, though larger in scale and concentrated on the school employee segment.
• Golden 1 Credit Union: California-based credit union offering consumer and business banking, mortgages, and digital services statewide. Closely comparable in full-service retail/banking model, member-owned structure, and California footprint, though materially larger.
• Arrowhead Credit Union: Inland Empire-based credit union headquartered in San Bernardino with similar community-focused model, full deposit/lending suite, and Southern California geography. Most direct geographic peer to Altura.
• San Diego County Credit Union: Southern California credit union offering consumer banking, mortgages, auto lending, and business services through branch and digital channels. Comparable product mix and cooperative structure, though anchored in San Diego County.
• Patelco Credit Union: Bay Area credit union offering a comparable suite of deposit, mortgage, auto, and personal lending products with member-owned cooperative structure. Comparable in product breadth and member-service positioning.
• First Tech Federal Credit Union: Member-owned credit union offering consumer and business banking, mortgages, and digital-first services nationwide. Comparable in product breadth and digital capabilities, though serving a different affinity segment.

Regional players

• Provident Credit Union: Bay Area credit union offering comparable deposit, lending, and digital banking products. Comparable in product mix and cooperative model, but does not overlap in the Inland Empire market.

Broad incumbents

• Banc of California: California-headquartered commercial bank offering deposit, lending, and treasury products to consumers and businesses. Comparable in regional California footprint and product breadth, but operates as a for-profit institution rather than a cooperative.
• Citizens Business Bank: Southern California-headquartered commercial bank with strong Inland Empire presence offering business and consumer banking. Comparable in regional deposit/lending franchise, but operates as a for-profit community bank rather than a credit union.

Emerging players

• Chime: Digital-first neobank offering fee-free consumer banking, early direct deposit, and member-perk style positioning. Comparable in member-facing digital features (early direct deposit, low fees), but operates nationally without branch infrastructure or local community ties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlturaCU
• Facebookfacebook.com/alturacu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altura-credit-union

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Altura Credit Union