Horizons North Credit Union

What Horizons North Credit Union does

Horizons North Credit Union (HNCU) is a member-owned, federally insured community credit union founded in May 1960 as School District 12 Credit Union and rebranded to its current name in November 2000. It operates from a single headquarters branch at 13559 Huron Street in Westminster, Colorado, serving the Metro North area spanning Westminster, Adams, Broomfield, and Denver Counties. Membership eligibility is granted through residence or employment in those counties, family relationship with existing members, or affiliation with one of several Select Employer Group (SEG) partners including the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District, American Furniture Warehouse, the City of Northglenn, Community Reach Center, the Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM), and North Suburban Medical Center. The institution is regulated by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), holds NMLS #619227 for mortgage activities, and is WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility-certified.

HNCU delivers a full-service consumer and small-business banking product set organized around deposits, lending, insurance, and digital services. Deposit products span Kasasa-branded reward checking (Kasasa Cash, Cash Back, Eats, Play), Kasasa Saver, Regular Share Savings, Club Accounts, Youth Savings, Money Markets, Share Certificates, and IRAs, alongside business checking and savings. Lending products include auto loans (APR starting at 4.89%), recreational vehicle loans, personal term loans, student loans, Mastercard credit cards (APR starting at 7.99%, no annual fee, no balance transfer fee, no cash advance fee), and commercial loans; home mortgages, home equity loans, and HELOCs are delivered through a partnership in which HNCU holds an ownership stake in Centennial Lending. Insurance and financial services are offered via referral partnerships with TruStage (auto, home, life), Spot Pet Insurance, MedicareCU, Selmanco (AD&D), and Lynch Financial Group (financial planning with Wealth Watch Advisors), and small-business merchants are served through Clover POS, Clover Flex, Clover Mini, and SwipeSimple payment processing. The core technology stack is a third-party online and mobile banking platform upgraded in September 2024 with a new user interface, 2-factor authentication, FedNow instant payments, a standalone mobile app, and an add-on credit monitoring product (MyCreditIQ) with a freemium tier and a $6.99/month premium subscription.

Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on the loan portfolio (interest income stream), deposit and service fees, Mastercard interchange and interest, insurance and financial-planning referral commissions, and merchant processing residuals - the standard cooperative credit union revenue mix. Marketing and acquisition are community-led, leveraging SEG employer partnerships, the Adams 12 Five Star Schools "Bright Horizons Awards" program, local events (Annual Meeting, Member Appreciation Day), organic social media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube), and digital self-service onboarding (online account opening and appointment booking). Distribution combines the single Westminster branch with the CO-OP nationwide ATM network and the upgraded digital banking platform. HNCU has been voted Best Credit Union in the Metro North Area consecutively since 2011 and operates with a headcount in the 11-50 range; it has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no M&A history, and no public listing.

Name

Horizons North Credit Union

Legal name

School District 12 Credit Union

Website

https://www.hncu.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Horizons North Credit Union is a financial organization and provides loans, credit, insurances and other related services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

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

SIC

Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Consumer lending
• Credit union services
• Deposit accounts
• Mortgage lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Westminster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Lending: The primary revenue driver for credit unions - interest earned on loan products including auto loans, home mortgages (through Centennial Lending partnership), home equity loans/HELOCs, consumer loans, credit cards, and commercial loans. Rates are competitive with APRs starting at 4.89% for new auto loans.
2. Account & Service Fees: Fee-based income from various account services including checking accounts (with free options like Kasasa suite), savings accounts, share certificates, IRAs, and business accounts. Fee schedule is publicly available.
3. Credit Card Operations: Revenue from Platinum Mastercard credit card with competitive APR (starting at 7.99% for qualifying members) and no annual fee
4. Insurance & Financial Services Referrals: Referral income from TruStage insurance products, Spot Pet Insurance, MedicareCU, AD&D insurance through Selmanco, and financial planning through Lynch Financial Group
5. Business Services: Processing equipment sales/rentals (Clover POS, SwipeSimple), merchant services, and business growth tools

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Horizons North Credit Union is a member-owned, non-profit credit union that provides retail banking products and consumer lending services to the Metro North Colorado area. It offers Kasasa-branded reward checking and savings accounts, share certificates, IRAs, auto/RV/home/equity/personal/student/commercial loans, a Platinum Mastercard, small-business banking with POS processing, and partner-referred insurance and financial planning services.

Product overview

Horizons North Credit Union offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services as a single-unified credit union offering. The core banking products include multiple Kasasa-branded checking accounts (Kasasa Cash, Kasasa Cash Back, Kasasa Eats, Kasasa Play) and savings products (Kasasa Saver, Regular Share Savings, Club Accounts, Youth Savings, Money Markets, Share Certificates, IRAs). The credit union provides lending products spanning home loans through partnership with Centennial Lending (Home Mortgages, Home Equity Loans, HELOC), vehicle loans (Auto Loans, RV Loans), consumer loans (Personal Term Loans, Student Loans), and Commercial Loans. Insurance products are offered through partnerships including TruStage (Auto & Home, Life Insurance), Spot Pet Insurance, MedicareCU, and AD&D Insurance. Digital banking is delivered through an online and mobile platform with the Horizons North CU mobile app. Business services include POS processing equipment (Clover, Swipesimple), and financial planning services are available through Lynch Financial Group. The product portfolio is interconnected through shared account access, cross-selling between deposit and loan products, and bundled member benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Kasasa Saver
• Regular Share Savings
• Club Accounts
• Youth Savings
• Money Markets
• Share Certificates
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
• Business Accounts
• Platinum Mastercard Credit Card
• Home Mortgage Loans
• Home Equity Loans
• Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC)
• Auto Loans
• Recreational Vehicle (RV) Loans
• Personal Term Loans
• Student Loans
• Commercial Loans
• Free Kasasa Cash Back Checking
• Free Kasasa Eats Checking
• Free Kasasa Play Checking
• HNCU Interest-Bearing Checking Accounts
• Free Kasasa Cash Checking Free personal checking account that earns competitive dividends on balances and provides nationwide ATM fee refunds; targeted at Metro North Colorado consumer members.
• Online & Mobile Banking Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Voted Best Credit Union in Metro North Area for 14+ consecutive years (Since 2011)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• City of NorthglennminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEG Group partner; HNCU membership eligibility for city employees and residents.
• Adams 12 Five Star Schools DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey SEG Group partner; HNCU serves staff, parents, and students. Partnership includes Bright Horizons Awards program for schools, annual meeting candidates, and community events.
• American Furniture WarehouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEG Group employer partner providing HNCU membership eligibility to employees.
• Centennial LendingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHNCU works with Centennial Lending to offer a wide variety of real estate loans. HNCU maintains an ownership stake in Centennial Lending, which is Credit Union owned and operated. This partnership provides members with comprehensive mortgage services with local loan advisors.
• Lynch Financial GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides HNCU members with access to financial advisors for goal-based planning including retirement planning, PERA, college planning, tax-efficient planning, and investments. Advisory services arrangement with Wealth Watch Advisors, LLC (SEC registered).
• MedicareCUminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides no-cost education and services regarding Medicare to HNCU members. Independent insurance agency offering consultations with licensed agents about Medicare plans, supplements, and Advantage options.
• Spot Pet InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPet insurance partnership offering HNCU members up to 20% off Spot Plans. No vet restrictions, any vet in US or Canada covered. Discounts include 10% strategic partner discount and 10% multi-pet discount.
• TruStage InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance products available to credit union members including Auto & Home Insurance and Life Insurance. TruStage has nearly 80 years working with credit unions. Products include auto/home discounts and life insurance policies underwritten by CMFG Life Insurance Company.
• SelmancominorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides AD&D (Accidental Death & Dismemberment) insurance exclusively for credit union members with competitively-priced options including accident insurance.
• Community Reach CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEG Group partner; HNCU membership eligibility for employees of this community mental health organization.
• Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEG Group partner; HNCU membership eligibility for IECRM members. CEO Marilyn Akers Stansbury serves on HNCU board.
• North Suburban Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEG Group partner; HNCU membership eligibility for medical center employees.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bellco Credit Union: Denver-metro community credit union offering similar SEG-based membership, deposit products, and consumer/small-business lending. Closely comparable on geographic market, member-owned model, and product breadth to HNCU.
• Elevations Credit Union: Boulder/Denver-area community credit union with comparable checking, lending, and mortgage offerings. Operates in overlapping Metro North Colorado market with similar member-acquisition approach via community ties.
• Westerra Credit Union: Denver-area credit union serving similar local employer groups and consumers with deposit, loan, and digital banking products. Direct competitive overlap in the Westminster/north-metro Colorado footprint.
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union: California credit union originally serving school-district employees and now grown to a large community membership. Directly comparable to HNCU on SEG-based (school district) origin story, member-owned model, and deposit/lending product mix.
• First Tech Federal Credit Union: Federal credit union serving technology and other employer-based SEG groups with consumer loans, cards, and digital banking. Comparable to HNCU on employer-SEG acquisition, member-owned structure, and full-service retail product suite.
• Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU): Member-owned community credit union offering deposit, lending, and card products to employer SEG and community members nationwide. Comparable to HNCU on cooperative governance, fee-free checking, and digital-first distribution.
• Alliant Credit Union: Digital-first credit union offering fee-free checking, savings, lending, and credit cards to a broad community/employer-based membership. Comparable to HNCU on product breadth and member-owned model, with stronger national digital reach.
• Connexus Credit Union: Community credit union with deposit, consumer lending, and card products distributed online plus select physical branches. Similar to HNCU on member-owned cooperative structure and broad retail product mix.
• Patelco Credit Union: California-based community credit union with deposit, lending, and card products for employer SEG and community members. Comparable to HNCU on member-owned structure, full-service retail offerings, and SEG-based membership roots.

Broad incumbents

• ENT Credit Union: Larger Colorado-headquartered credit union with full-service deposit, lending, mortgage, and wealth products across the Front Range. A broader incumbent operating in the same regional market as HNCU but at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HNCU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCN4FwjIns6d9ElG9BMgVHFA
• Facebookfacebook.com/horizonsnorth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horizons-north-credit-union
• Instagraminstagram.com/horizonsnorthcu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Horizons North Credit Union