County Schools Federal Credit Union

What County Schools Federal Credit Union does

County Schools Federal Credit Union (CSFCU) is a federally chartered, member-owned credit union founded on January 14, 1960 by eight educators in Ventura County, California. Operating under the regulatory oversight of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) with NMLS #423019 registration, the institution serves the Ventura County educational community — including students, faculty, and staff of all Ventura County schools, colleges, trade schools, and universities, plus their immediate families, Select Employee Groups, and supporters of local education. Membership was materially democratized in May 2026 when the par value share was reduced from $25 to $1, removing a longstanding barrier to entry. The credit union operates a two-branch footprint (Ventura headquarters at 3954 E Main Street; Oxnard branch at 142 West 5th Street) with standard business hours and complements physical access with a full digital channel stack including online banking (itsme247.com), iOS/Android mobile apps with mobile check deposit (CU*Deposit) and real-time debit card management (Card Control), 24/7 CU*Talk phone banking, and CO-OP Network ATM access nationwide.

The product suite spans core consumer banking: Free Checking with no minimums, a tiered Money Market Account, Primary and Sub-Share Savings, Junior Saver accounts, seasonal Holiday/Summer Club accounts, Share Certificates (6 months–5 years, 2.50%–3.75% APY), and Traditional/Roth IRA products. Lending includes Auto and RV loans, Home loans (originated in partnership with Right Choice Mortgage), Personal loans (with Credit Builder and Share-Secured variants), and a Visa credit card suite (Zero+, Everyday Rewards+, Max Cash Preferred, Travel Rewards+, Reserve Rewards+, College Real Rewards, secured, and business variants) issued through Elan Financial Services. Adjacent services — TruStage insurance (AD&D, life, auto, home), Trust & Will estate planning, and Financial Wellness workshops — round out the member value proposition. Core processing runs on Omnicommander, and the institution explicitly meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards.

The revenue model is structurally a credit-union net interest margin business: primary revenue is interest income on the loan portfolio (auto, home, personal, credit card, share-secured), supplemented by tiered dividend costs on deposits (Money Market 0.05%–0.25%, Share Certificates 2.50%–3.75%) and transactional fees (ATM $3, NSF $35, domestic wire $25, international wire $40, new membership $15, overdraft transfer $3, certificate early withdrawal $25 plus 90-day dividends). There are no disclosed revenue figures, asset totals, or membership counts; scale indicators are limited to origination activity (350+ home purchase/refinance members and 417+ auto purchase members in the trailing year) and 20 sponsored local organizations with 150+ volunteer hours. Ownership is cooperative: each member holds one par value share and elects the Board of Directors; the credit union has no parent company, venture capital, or public shareholders, with earnings redistributed to members via better rates and lower fees under the 'people helping people' cooperative mandate.

Name

County Schools Federal Credit Union

Legal name

County Schools Federal Credit Union

Website

https://csfcu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

County Schools Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned credit union founded in 1960 serving the Ventura County, California educational community and their families with checking, savings, loans, Visa credit cards, and insurance products across two branches and full digital banking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Credit Union / Consumer 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 industry

Student/University Credit Unions (FSABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Credit union services
• Consumer banking products
• Personal lending
• Member-owned cooperative
• Educational community banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: Primary revenue stream from interest charged on auto loans, home loans, personal loans, credit cards, and share-secured loans. The credit union offers competitive rates and various loan products including refinancing options.
2. Fee-based Services: Various banking fees including overdraft fees, ATM fees, wire transfer fees, account research fees, certificate early withdrawal penalties, and other service charges as outlined in the fee schedule.
3. Dividend/Interest Revenue: Interest earned on loan portfolio, money market accounts, share certificates, and IRA accounts. Rates vary by product type and balance tier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

County Schools Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned cooperative that delivers consumer deposit products (checking, savings, share certificates, IRAs), consumer loans (auto, RV, home, home equity, personal, credit-builder, share-secured, overdraft line of credit), Visa credit cards, and complementary insurance and financial wellness services to Ventura County's educational community. Distribution combines two physical branches in Ventura and Oxnard with online, mobile, phone, and shared CO-OP network banking channels.

Product overview

County Schools Federal Credit Union offers a comprehensive suite of consumer banking products centered around a single, unified credit union platform. The core offerings span checking and savings accounts (Free Checking with no minimums, Money Market Account with tiered rates, Primary Savings, Junior Saver, and seasonal club accounts), term savings products (Share Certificates and IRA products including Traditional and Roth IRAs), and diverse lending options (Auto/RV Loans, Home Loans via Right Choice Mortgage partnership, Personal Loans with Credit Builder and Share Secured variants, and VISA Credit Cards issued through Elan Financial Services). Digital banking is delivered through Online & Mobile Banking with CU*Deposit for mobile check deposits and Card Control for debit management. Supplementary services include Estate Planning, Financial Wellness education, and TruStage insurance products. The credit union serves Ventura County educators and their families, emphasizing accessibility with a recently reduced $1 minimum membership requirement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Checking Fee-free consumer checking account with no minimum balance, unlimited check writing, a free Visa debit card, mobile and online banking, and free bill pay, available to Ventura County educational community members in good standing with e-Statement enrollment.
• Money Market Account Tiered dividend-bearing checking/savings hybrid with a $2,500 minimum balance, unlimited check writing, and a free Visa debit card, where the dividend rate increases with balance tiers from $2,500 up to $100,000+.
• Primary Savings Account Membership share savings account that establishes member ownership of the cooperative with a $1 minimum opening balance (reduced from $25), earning monthly dividends on balances of $150 or more.
• Junior Saver Account Youth savings account openable with $1 for children of educational community members, paying dividends and including a free piggy bank to encourage early saving habits.
• Share Certificates Term deposit accounts with a $1,000 minimum opening balance, available terms from 6 months to 5 years, tiered dividend rates, no monthly fees, and early withdrawal penalties.
• Traditional IRA Individual retirement account with potentially tax-deductible contributions, available as an IRA Share Certificate for fixed higher returns or as an IRA Savings Account for flexibility.
• Roth IRA After-tax individual retirement account offering tax-free growth and tax-free qualified withdrawals, available as an IRA Share Certificate or IRA Savings Account.
• Auto & RV Loans Consumer vehicle and recreational vehicle financing with flexible terms up to 7 years for autos and 10 years for RVs, pre-approvals, GAP and mechanical breakdown insurance options, refinancing, and a First-Time Buyer Auto Loan Program for credit-building members.
• Home Loans Residential mortgage financing delivered in partnership with Right Choice Mortgage, including online pre-approval, first-time home buyer programs, and both fixed and adjustable rate loan options.
• Personal Loans Unsecured personal loans for general consumer expenses with competitive rates, terms up to 60 months, no collateral required, debt consolidation options, and a credit-builder variant that disburses $800 immediately for collection payoff with the remainder released as payments are made.
• VISA Credit Cards Consumer and small-business Visa credit cards issued through Elan Financial Services, offering multiple variants (Zero+, Everyday Rewards+, Max Cash Preferred, Travel Rewards+, Reserve Rewards+, College Real Rewards, Max Cash Secured, Secured, and business options) with fraud monitoring, contactless tap-and-go payments, and integrated card management tools.
• Online & Mobile Banking Digital banking service combining itsme247 online banking with native iOS and Android mobile apps, offering secure biometric/voice login, CU*Deposit mobile check deposit, Card Control real-time debit card lock/unlock and alerts, fund transfers, transaction history, eStatements, and real-time notifications for Ventura County educational community members.
• TruStage Insurance Member insurance offering delivered in partnership with TruStage (CMFG Life Insurance Company), including complimentary $1,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage and optional life, auto, and home insurance at budget-friendly rates.
• Estate Planning: Trust & Will Estate planning service and resources that help members draft trusts and wills as part of their long-term financial planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped over 350 members purchase and refinance their homes in the last year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Elan Financial ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationElan Financial Services is the creditor and issuer of County Schools Federal Credit Union's Visa credit cards. The partnership provides members with various credit card options including Zero+ Card, Everyday Rewards+ Card, Max Cash Preferred Card, Travel Rewards+ Card, Reserve Rewards+ Card, College Real Rewards Card, Max Cash Secured Card, Secured Card, and business card options.
• TruStage (CMFG Life Insurance Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTruStage provides insurance products offered to County Schools members including Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance ($1,000 no-cost coverage), life insurance, auto insurance, and home insurance. Products are designed specifically for credit union members with budget-friendly rates.
• Right Choice MortgagecoreTechnology or IntegrationRight Choice Mortgage is partnered with County Schools to provide home loan and mortgage services including online pre-approval, first-time home buyer programs, and fixed/adjustable rate loans. The partnership enables the credit union to offer comprehensive mortgage products.
• CO-OP Credit Union NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCO-OP Network provides ATM locator services and access to coast-to-coast ATM network. This partnership ensures members can access their accounts nationwide, even if they move out of Ventura County.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chime: Large-scale digital banking platform competing for the same retail deposit and consumer-finance wallet — not a credit union, but a relevant benchmark for the digital experience, fee structure, and rate sheet that CSFCU's members are comparing against.

Direct peers

• Baxter Credit Union (BCU): Credit union serving employees of select companies and their families — closely comparable to CSFCU's SEG-driven growth model and educator/employer-affinity positioning.
• Connexus Credit Union: Federally chartered credit union serving a defined membership (employer/association groups) with consumer lending, deposit products, and digital banking — a relevant comp on model and scale.
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union: California-based federally chartered credit union serving school employees and education community members — directly comparable to CSFCU's educator field of membership, with a much larger scale but the same cooperative model and product mix.
• Kinecta Federal Credit Union: Southern California community credit union offering comparable deposit, lending, and digital banking products to defined membership groups — a relevant operational and product comp for a small community credit union in the region.
• Patelco Credit Union: California community credit union offering consumer banking, auto loans, mortgages, and digital services to a defined membership — directly comparable in product breadth and member-owned model.
• First Tech Federal Credit Union: Federally chartered credit union serving employees of technology and other partner companies — a comp on the employer/affinity field-of-membership model and on member-owned value proposition.
• Wescom Central Credit Union: California credit union serving employees of select companies and their families — closely comparable field-of-membership structure (employer/affinity groups) and full-service consumer product set.
• Alliant Credit Union: Digital-first credit union offering consumer banking nationwide to members of partner organizations — directly comparable member-owned cooperative structure with a stronger digital proposition.
• SAFE Credit Union: Northern California credit union serving a defined membership with checking, savings, lending, and digital banking — similar scope of services and field-of-membership community model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/countyschools_
• Facebookfacebook.com/countyschoolsfcu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/county-schools-federal-credit-union

Compliance8 records

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 County Schools Federal Credit Union