Catholic Family Federal Credit Union

What Catholic Family Federal Credit Union does

Catholic Family Federal Credit Union (CFFCU) is a federally chartered, not-for-profit financial cooperative headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, with a secondary presence in San Diego, California. Founded in 1947 as St. Joseph Federal Credit Union by Father Arthur Klyber and renamed in 1990, the institution serves over 4,300 members drawn primarily from Catholic parishes, schools, and affiliated institutions in the Wichita area, and from residents of designated underserved low-income areas under its community-charter field of membership. Membership is opened with a $5 share deposit.

CFFCU operates a full-service retail banking platform: deposit products (Access Checking, Steward Checking, Membership and Youth Savings, Money Market PLUS, 6- to 60-month Certificates, Christmas Club), retirement and education accounts (Traditional, Roth, SEP IRAs; Coverdell ESA), and a consumer lending book spanning auto (rates from 4.75% APR), Visa credit cards (9.90%-18% APR), signature, Christmas, savings-secured, certificate-secured, and credit-builder loans, with mortgages and home equity loans referred to Members Mortgage Services and student loans to Sallie Mae. Business banking is offered through three tiers — Small Business Checking, Commercial Business Checking, and free Steward Checking for non-profits. The technology stack is conventional credit-union infrastructure: Financial-Net online banking (CONNECT 24), CU Talk 24 telephone banking, EZCardInfo card management, ScoreCard Rewards, an Omnicommander-powered website, and CO-OP Network shared branching and surcharge-free ATM access; no native mobile app is in evidence.

Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on the loan portfolio, supplemented by service charges on business and consumer checking accounts, interchange from Visa debit and credit cards, and commission-based referral revenue from insurance products underwritten by CUNA Mutual Group and TruStage. Distribution is multi-channel: a single Wichita branch with lobby and drive-thru, the national CO-OP shared-branch and ATM network, CUDL-enabled in-dealership auto financing, and direct-to-consumer online and telephone channels, with member acquisition driven by Catholic parish referral pipelines and the Kansas Consumer Council membership pathway.

Name

Catholic Family Federal Credit Union

Legal name

Catholic Family Federal Credit Union

Website

https://cffcu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catholic Family Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned cooperative in Wichita, Kansas, serving over 4,300 Catholic-affiliated and underserved-area members with full retail banking, consumer and business loans, Visa cards, and partner-referred mortgages and student loans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Credit Union / Consumer Banking

NAICS

Credit Unions (52213)

SIC

Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based & Affinity Credit Unions (FSABAEAH)

Keywords

• Community credit union
• Consumer banking services
• Deposit accounts
• Consumer lending
• Mortgage and auto loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: Primary revenue stream from vehicle loans, home mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, and other lending products. Interest rates vary by product type and creditworthiness, with rate floor of 4.75% APR for auto loans.
2. Savings and Certificate Dividends: Members earn dividends on savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates. Rates disclosed publicly, ranging from 0.05% APY on basic savings to promotional rates up to 3.00% APY on select certificates.
3. Fee-based Services: Revenue from various banking fees including overdraft transfers, certain account service charges, and optional insurance products. Small Business Checking charges $12 monthly fee if daily balance falls below $10,000; Commercial Business Checking charges $25 monthly fee if balance below $75,000.
4. Insurance Products: Commission revenue from referral of insurance products through CUNA Mutual Group partnerships including credit life insurance, credit disability insurance, vehicle GAP coverage, and extended warranties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Catholic Family Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned not-for-profit financial cooperative that provides deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, certificates, IRAs), consumer and small-business loans (auto, mortgage, personal, credit cards, student loans), insurance referral products, and digital banking access to its members. Founded in 1947 to serve Catholic parish members in the Wichita, Kansas area, the credit union operates on a cooperative ownership model where members establish a $5 share deposit and receive benefits through competitive rates and lower fees.

Product overview

Catholic Family Federal Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative offering a comprehensive suite of banking products and services. The credit union operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture with core deposit accounts (checking, savings, certificates, money market) as the foundation, complemented by lending products (auto loans, mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, student loans) and access services (online banking, telephone banking, bill pay). Insurance products, financial education resources, and business banking services extend the portfolio. Key partnerships with CO-OP Network, CUDL (for auto lending), Sallie Mae (student loans), Members Mortgage Services, and ScoreCard Rewards enable specialized services not offered directly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access Checking Personal checking account for individual members with no per-check charges, free overdraft transfers, optional overdraft advance, and dividends earned on daily balances of $750 or more.
• Small Business Checking Business checking account for daily balances under $50,000 with no minimum balance, no per-check charges, unlimited check writing, and free Visa Check/ATM card.
• Commercial Business Checking Business checking account for daily balances of $50,000 or greater, with a $25 monthly fee if daily balance falls below $75,000.
• Steward Checking (Non-Profit) Free checking account designed for non-profit organizations, offering free coin counting and no monthly service fee with full access to credit union services.
• Membership Account Initial savings account required to establish credit union membership with a $5 minimum deposit; no monthly service charge for active accounts.
• Youth Account Savings account for members 14 years of age or younger, offering competitive dividend rates and youth-focused financial engagement.
• Money Market PLUS High-yield savings account offering competitive returns, 24-hour electronic access, and limited check writing availability.
• Certificates High-yield certificate investments with terms from 6 to 60 months, $1,000 minimum deposit, and promotional rates available on 6 and 9 month terms.
• Christmas Club Account Savings account designed for holiday expenses, offering penalty-free withdrawals from November 1 through January 31 each year.
• Traditional IRA Individual Retirement Account offering potential tax deductions and tax-deferred earnings on dividends, insured by NCUA up to $250,000.
• Roth IRA Individual Retirement Account with tax-free growth potential on qualified withdrawals, insured by NCUA up to $250,000.
• SEP IRA Simplified Employee Pension IRA for retirement savings, offering potential tax deductions and tax-deferred earnings for self-employed individuals and small businesses.
• Coverdell Education Savings Account Education savings account offering potential tax advantages and tax-deferred earnings, designed to fund qualified education expenses and insured by NCUA up to $250,000.
• Home Mortgage Loans First mortgages and home equity loans for members, offered through a referral partnership with Members Mortgage Services.
• Auto Loans Vehicle financing for cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, watercraft, and motorcycles with rates as low as 4.75% APR on newer models, supported by CUDL dealer-integrated real-time approvals seven days a week.
• Christmas Loan Short-term seasonal loan with rates as low as 7.49% APR, terms up to 10 months, and a maximum amount of $3,000 for holiday expenses.
• Signature Loan Unsecured personal loan with rates as low as 11.00% APR and terms up to 60 months for general-purpose borrowing.
• Savings Secured Loan Loan secured by CFFCU savings with a variable rate set at the savings rate plus 4.0% APR and terms up to 120 months.
• Certificate Secured Loan Loan secured by CFFCU share certificates with a variable rate set at the certificate rate plus 4.0% APR and terms up to 120 months.
• Credit Builder Loan Loan designed to help members build or rebuild credit history, with a rate of certificate rate plus 5.0% APR and terms of 6 to 60 months.
• Smart Option Student Loan Student loan for degree-granting institutions offered exclusively to CFFCU members through Sallie Mae, with multiple in-school repayment options, competitive fixed and variable rates, no origination fee, and no prepayment penalty.
• Visa Credit Card Visa credit card with APRs as low as 9.90%, ScoreCard Rewards, no annual or balance transfer fees, a 25-day grace period on purchases, and travel insurance.
• Visa Check/ATM Card Visa debit/ATM card with no annual fee, 24-hour account access, and surcharge-free access at CO-OP Network ATMs nationwide.
• Vehicle Extended Warranty Extended warranty coverage offered to members on personal vehicle purchases, with three coverage levels protecting against costly auto repairs.
• Vehicle GAP Coverage GAP protection coverage that pays up to the full difference between the vehicle loan payoff and its actual cash value, plus $1,000 toward a replacement vehicle if totaled.
• MEMBER'S CHOICE Credit Life Insurance Credit life insurance that pays off or reduces an eligible loan balance upon the borrower's death, underwritten by CUNA Mutual Insurance Society and offered on a voluntary basis.
• MEMBER'S CHOICE Credit Disability Insurance Credit disability insurance that pays the borrower's monthly loan payment if they become disabled due to injury or sickness, up to the policy maximum.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 4,300 members with $28 million in assets
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CUNA Mutual GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint marketing partner for insurance products. CUNA Mutual Group provides Member's Choice Credit Life Insurance and Credit Disability Insurance products underwritten by CUNA Mutual Insurance Society. Also provides vehicle GAP coverage and extended warranty options marketed to credit union members through direct mail and in-branch referrals.
• TruStageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint marketing partner for personal insurance options offered through direct mail solicitations from CUNA Mutual Group. Insurance products available periodically through this partnership.
• VISAcoreTechnology or IntegrationJoint marketing partner for Visa credit and debit card products. CFFCU offers Visa Check (debit) Card and Visa Credit Cards through the VISA network. Cards include ScoreCard Rewards, travel insurance, and Member Benefit Package.
• Members Mortgage ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership provides full range of mortgage products including first mortgages and home equity loans. Members Mortgage Services provides qualified, experienced personnel to answer questions and process applications. CFFCU refers members and hosts the application portal on their website.
• Sallie MaecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmart Option Student Loan program offered exclusively to CFFCU members. Sallie Mae provides competitive fixed and variable rate student loans for degree-granting institutions with multiple in-school repayment options, no origination fees, and no prepayment penalties.
• CO-OP Network (CO-OP Shared Branching)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCO-OP Shared Branch network provides CFFCU members access to over 5,000 shared branch locations and 30,000+ surcharge-free ATMs nationwide. Members can perform deposits, withdrawals, transfers, loan payments, and balance inquiries as if at their home branch.
• CUDL (Credit Union Direct Lending)coreTechnology or IntegrationCUDL system enables real-time auto loan approval at participating dealerships seven days a week including holidays. Dealers submit financing applications through CUDL and receive credit union terms within minutes. Electronic paperwork processing completes the transaction.
• Catholic Diocese of WichitacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary community partner. CFFCU was established to serve Catholic parish members and has deep ties with the Diocese. Serves affiliated parishes, schools, and institutions including All Saints, St. Joseph, St. Mary, Christ the King, and over 30 other Catholic organizations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Alliant Credit Union: A community-based credit union with open membership and strong digital banking capabilities. Alliant represents the national digital alternative competing for the same member profile as CFFCU but with superior rates due to scale.
• Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU): A large employer-based credit union with strong digital banking, online lending, and shared branching capabilities. DCU represents the competitive threat from digitally native credit unions that can serve members nationally without geographic concentration.
• Bellco Credit Union: A larger community credit union offering a comparable full-service product suite (deposits, lending, business banking, insurance) across a broader geographic footprint. Useful as a benchmark for product breadth and digital capabilities.
• Connexus Credit Union: A community credit union with strong digital banking, online lending, and shared branching capabilities. Comparable full-service product suite with national reach through digital channels.

Direct peers

• First Tech Federal Credit Union: A large employer/affinity-based credit union that demonstrates how defining a tight common bond around a specific community can support multi-billion dollar scale. Provides a long-term growth trajectory benchmark for CFFCU's affinity model.
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union: A faith-adjacent affinity credit union serving school employees and their families, with a similar mission-driven, community-rooted membership model and comparable product suite. Highly relevant for modeling affinity-based credit union economics.
• Credit Union of America: A Wichita-based community credit union with comparable branch footprint, deposit and lending products, and small business banking services. Direct market competitor for both Catholic-affiliated members and broader Wichita underserved populations.
• Meritrust Credit Union: Headquartered in Wichita, KS, Meritrust Credit Union is the most direct geographic and operational peer. It serves the same Wichita market with comparable deposit, lending, and business banking products, and competes head-to-head for the same member base.
• Self-Help Federal Credit Union: A community development credit union focused on serving underserved populations and providing financial inclusion. Comparable mission alignment with CFFCU's low-income underserved area membership and similar product offering.
• BCU (Baxter Credit Union): An employer-based credit union model demonstrating how affinity-based membership can scale beyond a single geographic region. BCU's employer-relationship model is a natural analog for CFFCU's parish-based common bond.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CATHOLICFAMILYFEDERALCU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholicfamilyfederalcreditunion

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Catholic Family Federal Credit Union