Etma Federal Credit Union

What Etma Federal Credit Union does

Etma Federal Credit Union, legally Tennessee Military Federal Credit Union (TMFCU), is a federally chartered, member-owned cooperative founded in 1956 to provide retail banking services to active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their families in Tennessee. The institution's core offering spans deposit products (checking, savings, and the Eagle Club youth savings program), a full consumer lending suite (auto, first mortgage, recreational vehicle, personal, and student loans), Visa-branded credit and debit cards, and a financial wellness practice led by a Certified Financial Planner. Member-facing digital channels are delivered through a native iOS/Android mobile application and the itsme247 web banking platform, supported by surcharge-free ATM access via the Culiance network, online card management through Visa eZCard, and the Amplifi payment portal for loan and account servicing.

The technology architecture is a traditional credit union model rather than a proprietary SaaS stack: core banking, online banking, payments, card management, and member onboarding are all delivered through third-party vendors (itsme247, Amplifi, JoinMyCU, Visa eZCard, Culiance). There is no documented proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or in-house core system. Marketing and member engagement are driven by the company website, Facebook/Twitter/Instagram channels, and The Minuteman quarterly newsletter.

The revenue model is conventional credit union economics: net interest income from loans and deposits is the primary driver, with loan rate cards publicly disclosed (auto 4.74% APR, 1st mortgage 4.74%, RV 4.99%), supplemented by transactional fees on overdraft protection, wire transfers, and other banking services. The institution operates without any disclosed external equity, debt capital raise, or M&A activity, and there is no parent company. Geographic scope is regional, limited to Tennessee and the surrounding Southeast, with federal share insurance provided by the NCUA up to $250,000 per member.

Name

Etma Federal Credit Union

Legal name

Tennessee Military Federal Credit Union

Website

https://etmafcu.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Etma Federal Credit Union (Tennessee Military Federal Credit Union / TMFCU) is a member-owned federal credit union founded in 1956 that serves active-duty military, veterans, and their families in Tennessee with deposit accounts, consumer and mortgage loans, Visa credit cards, and CFP-led financial wellness services through digital and branch channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Credit Unions (52213), Credit Unions (522130), Credit Card Issuing (522210)

SIC

Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)

akta.pro primary industry

Military & Veterans Credit Unions (FSABAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: Primary revenue stream generated from various loan products including auto loans, mortgages, personal loans, student loans, credit cards, and recreational vehicle loans. Interest rates displayed range from 4.74% to 4.99% APR.
2. Deposit Taking and Interest Spread: Traditional credit union model collecting deposits from members (checking, savings) and lending to other members, capturing the interest rate spread.
3. Banking Fees and Service Charges: Fees associated with account services including overdraft protection, wire transfers, and other banking services as referenced on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Etma Federal Credit Union (also known as Tennessee Military Federal Credit Union / TMFCU) is a federally chartered, member-owned cooperative that provides retail banking and lending products to active military personnel, veterans, and their families. Its core offerings include checking and savings deposit accounts, mortgages, auto/vehicle/RV loans, personal loans, student loans, and Visa-branded credit cards, distributed through branches, online banking, and a native mobile application. The credit union also offers CFP-led financial wellness advisory services to its membership.

Product overview

Tennessee Military Federal Credit Union (branded as TMFCU/ETMA FCU) offers a unified suite of retail banking products and services to military members and their families. The core portfolio spans deposit accounts (checking, savings, youth Eagle Club), a full spectrum of lending (credit cards, mortgages at 4.74%, auto/vehicle loans at 4.74%, recreational vehicle loans at 4.99%, personal loans, and student loans), and advisory services (CFP-led financial wellness). Digital access is delivered through two primary channels: the itsme247 online banking platform (web) and a native mobile app (iOS/Android) for account management, fund transfers, bill pay, and card controls. These digital channels connect to third-party networks including Visa eZCard for card management, the Culiance surcharge-free ATM network, and the mwamplifi payment portal. The product architecture is a traditional credit union model where physical/digital distribution is layered on top of shared core banking infrastructure, rather than a modular SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Checking Accounts

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amplifi (mwamplifi.com)coreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner providing the payment platform for member loan payments and billing services through their secure payment portal.
• VisacoreTechnology or IntegrationCredit card network partner providing Visa debit and credit card services including Visa eZCard online access for card management.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PenFed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union): PenFed is a large federally chartered credit union serving military, government employees, and qualifying organizations with full-service banking, lending, and investment products. Comparable to Etma FCU as a federally chartered, member-owned cooperative serving military-affiliated members, but operating at significantly greater national scale.
• USAA Federal Savings Bank: USAA provides banking, insurance, and investment products exclusively to military members and their families, with a national footprint and deep brand recognition. It represents the highest-profile member-acquisition threat to small regional military credit unions like Etma FCU when members relocate or PCSing out of Tennessee.
• Navy Federal Credit Union: Navy Federal is the largest military-affiliated credit union in the U.S., serving active duty, veterans, DoD civilians, and their families worldwide. It is the dominant direct competitor to any Tennessee military credit union, offering the same member-owned cooperative structure with vastly greater scale, branch footprint, and digital capabilities.

Direct peers

• Andrews Federal Credit Union: Andrews FCU is a military-affiliated federal credit union serving service members, DoD civilians, and their families primarily in the mid-Atlantic region. Closely comparable to Etma FCU in mission, member-owned cooperative structure, and focus on a defined military community, making it a strong regional-direct peer.
• Lake Michigan Credit Union: Lake Michigan Credit Union is a large community-focused credit union with a broad product lineup including mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and digital banking. Comparable to Etma FCU as a federally insured, member-owned cooperative with similar deposit and lending products serving a defined community.
• Alliant Credit Union: Alliant is a large digital-first credit union offering deposit accounts, lending, and credit cards nationwide. Comparable to Etma FCU as a federally chartered, member-owned credit union with a strong digital platform emphasis (mobile + online banking) and similar product lineup of checking, savings, credit cards, auto, and mortgage loans.
• Connexus Credit Union: Connexus is a federally chartered credit union providing full-service banking with a strong online and mobile platform. Comparable to Etma FCU in product mix (checking, savings, mortgages, auto loans, credit cards), federally chartered cooperative structure, and emphasis on digital self-service channels.
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union: SchoolsFirst FCU is a large federal credit union serving a defined occupational membership (California school employees), analogous to Etma FCU serving a defined military membership. Comparable in being a federally chartered, field-of-membership-restricted cooperative with similar product breadth and digital banking capabilities.
• Security Service Federal Credit Union: Security Service FCU is a large federal credit union providing full-service banking and lending across multiple U.S. regions. While not military-specific, it is structurally comparable as a federally chartered, NCUA-insured credit union competing for the same retail deposit and loan relationships in overlapping geographies.

Regional players

• First Command Financial Services: First Command provides banking, lending, and financial planning services tailored to military service members and their families. While organized differently from a traditional credit union, it competes for the same military member wallet and is relevant as a financial-services peer within the same niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TNMilitaryFCU
• Facebookfacebook.com/ETMA-Federal-Credit-Union-68115869233
• Instagraminstagram.com/tnmilitaryfcu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/etma-federal-credit-union

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Etma Federal Credit Union