Consumers Credit Union, Illinois
Consumers Credit Union (CCU) is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative founded in 1930 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, serving 280,000+ consumer and small-business members across Illinois with checking, savings, lending, credit cards, and digital banking.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersGurnee, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Consumers Credit Union, Illinois does
Consumers Credit Union (CCU) is an Illinois-chartered, member-owned financial cooperative founded in 1930 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, operating as a not-for-profit alternative to traditional retail banks. It serves approximately 280,000 individual consumer and small-business members across Illinois with a full-stack product suite that spans Rewards Checking (up to 5.00% APY on balances to $10,000), Smart Saver savings (3.00% APY), Certificates (up to 4.35% APY), Money Market, HSA, five Visa card variants, auto/powersports/RV loans (as low as 3.99% APR), first mortgages, home equity loans and HELOCs, personal loans, and small-business banking including commercial loans and treasury management.
The technology stack centers on a Digital Banking platform with mobile app (iOS/Android), Zelle peer-to-peer payments via Early Warning Services, SavvyMoney credit score monitoring, mobile wallet tokenization (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), and a Flex Pay BNPL feature integrated through Equipifi. Consumer-experience partnerships include TrueCar for the Car Buying Service, HomeAdvantage for real estate, and TruStage for insurance; back-office integrations include Google Analytics, session replay tooling, and identity/fraud controls disclosed in the privacy policy. CCU operates physical branches (Lake Forest HQ and Lake In The Hills) supplemented by 30,000+ fee-free ATMs and 5,000+ shared branches through cooperative networks.
Revenue is generated primarily through interest income on lending products (mortgages, auto, personal, credit cards, commercial), supplemented by credit card interchange via Visa, deposit-driven net interest margin, and fee income from overdraft, optional protection products (mechanical repair, GAP, payment protection), and partner-sourced insurance and investment referrals. GTM is direct-to-consumer across digital and physical channels, supported by a multi-channel marketing mix (website, mobile app, organic social, PR/earned media, community involvement) and workplace-brand certifications (Great Place To Work, Fortune Best Workplaces) used as trust signals for both member acquisition and recruiting.
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Consumers Credit Union, Illinois
- Legal name
- Consumers Credit Union
- Website
- https://myconsumers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Consumers Credit Union (CCU) is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative founded in 1930 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, serving 280,000+ consumer and small-business members across Illinois with checking, savings, lending, credit cards, and digital banking.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Banking
- NAICS
- Credit Card Issuing (522210), Consumer Lending (522291)
- SIC
- Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Credit Unions (Retail/Consumer Focus) (FSABAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Credit Cards & Revolving Credit (FSABAAAC), Student Credit Cards (FSAKABAG), Credit Education, Monitoring & Consumer Credit Management Tools (FSAKAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Consumers Credit Union, Illinois is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gurnee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Interest Income from Lending: CCU generates primary revenue from interest earned on loans including auto loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, personal loans, credit cards, and commercial loans. Interest rates vary by product type and creditworthiness.
- Deposit Interest Paid by Members: As a credit union, CCU pays interest (dividends) on member deposits including checking, savings, certificates, and money market accounts. This represents a cost to the institution.
- Fee-based Services: Non-interest income from overdraft fees, ATM fee refunds (when requirements not met), certain loan fees, and optional services like mechanical repair coverage, GAP coverage, and loan payment protection.
- Credit Card Interchange: Revenue from merchant transaction fees on credit card purchases processed through the Visa network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Monthly | Rewards Checking - Tier A: Up to 5.00% APY on balances up to $10,000 |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Rewards Checking - Tier B: Up to 4.00% APY on balances up to $10,000 |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Rewards Checking - Tier C: Up to 3.00% APY on balances up to $10,000 |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Smart Saver Savings: 3.00% APY |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 7-Month Certificate: 4.35% APY |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 13-Month Certificate: 4.15% APY |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Auto Loans: As low as 3.99% APR |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | First Mortgage: 30-Year Fixed at 6.625% (6.772% APR) |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Home Equity Loan: 80% LTV from 7.00% APR |
| Usage-based | Monthly | HELOC: Variable rate from Prime - 0.50% |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Visa Credit Cards: 13.20% - 27.49% APR |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Personal Loans: As low as 8.99% APR |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Business Money Market: Up to 3.82% APY |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Consumers Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative offering deposit accounts (checking, savings, certificates, HSA), consumer lending (auto, mortgage, home equity, personal), Visa credit cards, and small business banking. The credit union delivers these products through a digital banking platform, mobile app, physical branches, and a 30,000+ ATM and 5,000+ shared branch network, with member benefits including higher deposit yields, lower loan rates, and integrated financial wellness tools.
Product overview
Consumers Credit Union (CCU) offers a comprehensive financial services platform structured as a multi-product ecosystem serving consumers, first-time home buyers, students, and businesses. The core banking offerings include tiered checking accounts (Rewards Checking earning up to 5.00% APY, Free Checking, and Student Choice Checking for ages 13-17), savings products (Membership Savings, Smart Saver at 3.00% APY, Certificates with promotional rates up to 4.35% APY, and Health Savings Accounts with investment options), and money market accounts. Lending products span home mortgages (including Smart Start first-time buyer program and HomeAdvantage real estate platform), auto/powersports/RV loans (with TrueCar Car Buying Service integration), personal loans, and credit cards (five Visa card variants with rewards and 0% intro offers). Digital infrastructure includes Digital Banking platform, Zelle peer-to-peer payments, Flex Pay BNPL, and SavvyMoney credit monitoring. Business services encompass commercial lending, treasury management, and business Visa cards. Insurance and investment services are offered through third-party partnerships (TruStage, GreenPath, DEVENIR, Consumers Financial Group).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HomeAdvantage®: Real estate center connecting members with licensed real estate agents, offering cash rewards when buying or selling through the program, and tools for home buying research.
- Smart Start
- Flex Pay
Products and services
- Rewards Checking
Quantifiable outcome
- Members earn up to 5.00% APY on Rewards Checking (vs. near-0% at big banks)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Consumers Credit Union, Illinois
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GreenPath Financial WellnesscoreConsumers Credit Union partnered with GreenPath to offer free debt counseling and financial consulting services to CCU members, providing financial wellness support as part of the member value proposition.
- TruStage InsurancecorePartnership with TruStage offers members access to home, auto, and life insurance programs through the credit union, providing protection products as part of the financial services portfolio.
- Consumers Financial Group (CFG)coreCFG provides investment services and financial management products offered through CCU, enabling members to access wealth management, IRAs, and investment planning services.
- TrueCarcoreCCU's Car Buying Service is powered by TrueCar, providing members with vehicle pricing data, dealer connections, and an end-to-end car buying experience with 0.50% APR discount and $250 bonus for loans booked through the service.
- HomeAdvantagecoreHomeAdvantage platform connects members with licensed real estate agents, MLS listings, neighborhood data, and cash rewards at closing (1.00% when buying, 1.99% listing fee when selling).
- DEVENIRminorPartnership with DEVENIR provides HSA investment options through a brokerage platform, allowing HSA holders to invest in no-load or load-waived mutual funds.
- VisacoreCCU issues Visa credit and debit cards with full Visa benefits including fraud protection, zero liability, emergency services, and Signature/concierge services for premium cards.
- Enterprise Car SalesminorEnterprise Car Sales partnership provides CCU members access to certified pre-owned vehicles from Enterprise Rent-A-Car fleet with regular maintenance records.
- Early Warning Services (Zelle)coreZelle peer-to-peer payment service integrated into CCU digital banking, enabling instant money transfers between bank accounts nationwide.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- SoFi: Digital-first financial platform offering high-yield savings, checking, credit cards, and personal/auto loans; competes with CCU on deposit yields and digital UX among younger, mobile-native consumers.
- Ally Bank: Online bank with no physical branches offering competitive deposit rates, credit cards, auto finance, and mortgages; sets the bar CCU's high-yield products have to clear.
Direct peers
- BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union): One of the largest U.S. credit unions with a comparable multi-product retail banking platform (checking, mortgages, auto, cards) and community/member-owned structure similar to CCU.
- Connexus Credit Union: Mid-sized Midwest credit union with similar asset scale, multi-state membership, high-yield deposits, and a deep lending menu (mortgage, auto, HELOC), making it one of the closest regional analogs to CCU.
- Self-Help Federal Credit Union: Community development credit union offering consumer deposits, mortgages, and small-business banking; comparable mission overlap and similar cooperative structure to CCU.
- Patelco Credit Union: California-based credit union offering deposit accounts, mortgages, auto, and consumer lending with a digital-first approach; comparable to CCU in product mix and member-focused positioning.
- Alliant Credit Union: Large, tech-forward U.S. credit union with national membership, high-yield checking/savings products, and a similar digital-first GTM; comparable in scale, product breadth, and emphasis on member value.
- First Tech Federal Credit Union: National credit union serving a broad member base with checking, savings, mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards; comparable to CCU in asset size, product breadth, and digital-banking maturity.
- Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU): Member-owned digital credit union offering competitive deposit rates, mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards nationally; highly comparable to CCU on technology emphasis and product set.
Regional players
- Lake Michigan Credit Union: Michigan-headquartered credit union of similar scale, frequently cited for high-yield checking products; competes with CCU in the Midwest for digital-first deposit customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois social profiles
Digital presenceConsumers Credit Union, Illinois compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Consumers Credit Union, Illinois
What does Consumers Credit Union, Illinois do?
Consumers Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative offering deposit accounts (checking, savings, certificates, HSA), consumer lending (auto, mortgage, home equity, personal), Visa credit cards, and small business banking. The credit union delivers these products through a digital banking platform, mobile app, physical branches, and a 30,000+ ATM and 5,000+ shared branch network, with member benefits including higher deposit yields, lower loan rates, and integrated financial wellness tools.
Is Consumers Credit Union, Illinois a public or private company?
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Consumers Credit Union, Illinois founded?
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois was founded in 1930. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Consumers Credit Union, Illinois based?
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois is headquartered in Gurnee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Consumers Credit Union, Illinois make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Interest Income from Lending is the primary driver. The others are deposit Interest Paid by Members, fee-based Services and credit Card Interchange.
Who are Consumers Credit Union, Illinois's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are SoFi and Ally Bank. Direct peers are BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union), Connexus Credit Union, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, Patelco Credit Union, Alliant Credit Union, First Tech Federal Credit Union and Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU). Lake Michigan Credit Union is listed as a regional player.
Does Consumers Credit Union, Illinois have an API?
No public API is recorded for Consumers Credit Union, Illinois.
What industry is Consumers Credit Union, Illinois in?
Consumers Credit Union, Illinois's product category is Retail Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAEAA, Community Credit Unions (Retail/Consumer Focus), with a secondary code of FSABAAAC, Credit Cards & Revolving Credit. Its NAICS code is 522210 and its SIC code is 6035.