Howard County Education Federal Credit Union

What Howard County Education Federal Credit Union does

Howard County Education Federal Credit Union (HCEFCU) is a member-owned federal credit union headquartered in a single branch at 3458 Ellicott Center Drive, Suite 106, Ellicott City, Maryland. Originally chartered as the Howard County Teachers Association Federal Credit Union (HCTA FCU), it expanded its charter in December 2011 from a Single Common Bond to a Multiple Common Bond and rebranded in 2012 to reflect a broader education-focused field of membership. Its membership is restricted to current and retired employees of the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), HCPSS high school students, school-affiliated organizations (Howard County Conservancy, MSEA, Head Start, Glenelg Country School), and immediate family of members, with a "once a member, always a member" policy.

The institution operates a standard consumer banking product set: deposit products (Share Accounts paying 0.40% APY, Term Share Certificates, IRA Share Accounts, Share Draft Accounts), lending products (Auto Loans at 5.99%-6.49% APR, Personal/Signature Loans at 8.50%-17.99% APR, credit-building New Beginnings loans, Mortgage Loans through a Credit Union Mortgage partnership), card products (Mastercard debit and credit cards), insurance referrals via TruStage, and no-fee bill pay (Bee OnTime). Service delivery combines the single Ellicott City branch (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) with HCE Online (a 24/7 digital banking platform via Mobicint), the Bee APPy mobile app (mobile check deposit, card controls, fund transfers), phone banking, and surcharge-free access to the CO-OP ATM network. Governance is by an elected volunteer Board of Directors and a Supervisory Committee.

The revenue model is a credit union net interest income + fee income structure: loan interest income across auto, personal, and mortgage portfolios, service fees (e.g., $25 NSF, $20 stop payment, $5-$75 card replacement), Mastercard interchange, and affiliate referral commissions from TruStage insurance. The institution is privately held, member-owned, NCUA-regulated, and federally insured up to $250,000 per depositor. Scale is undisclosed; the website shows placeholder values for member count and team count, and the board is entirely volunteer, indicating a small community institution.

Name

Howard County Education Federal Credit Union

Legal name

Howard County Education Federal Credit Union

Website

https://hctafcu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Howard County Education Federal Credit Union is a member-owned federal credit union serving Howard County Public School System employees, retirees, high school students, and their families through a single Ellicott City branch and digital banking channels.

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

Employer/Occupational Credit Unions (FSABAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Sector & Municipal Credit Unions (FSABAEAK), Secured Credit Cards (FSAKABAD)

Keywords

• Community credit union
• Consumer banking services
• Consumer lending products
• Digital banking platform
• Education community banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellicott City

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: Interest income from various loan products including auto loans (rates from 5.99% to 16.49% APR), personal loans (rates from 8.50% to 17.99% APR), and mortgage loans through partnership with Credit Union Mortgage.
2. Service Fees: Fees charged for various services including check return/redposit ($25), dormant accounts ($5/quarter), stop payments ($20), statement copies ($5), credit reports ($20), card replacement ($20-$75), and NSF fees ($25).
3. Insurance Referral Fees: Referral commissions from TruStage insurance products including AD&D insurance and Auto & Home Insurance Program offered to members.
4. Credit Card Interchange: Transaction fees and interchange income from Mastercard debit and credit card usage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Howard County Education Federal Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit federal credit union providing consumer deposit, lending, and payment products to the Howard County, Maryland education community. Core offerings include Share/IRA savings accounts, Term Share Certificates, auto and personal loans (including credit-building New Beginnings loans), mortgages through Credit Union Mortgage, Mastercard debit and credit cards, no-fee bill pay, and TruStage insurance referrals, delivered through a single Ellicott City branch, HCE Online, and the Bee APPy mobile app.

Product overview

Howard County Education Federal Credit Union (HCEFCU) is a member-owned financial cooperative offering a unified banking platform centered on HCE Online digital banking and the Bee APPy mobile app. The product portfolio includes deposit products (Share Accounts, Term Share Certificates, IRA accounts), lending products (Auto Loans, Personal/Signature Loans, New Beginnings credit-building loans, Mortgage Loans), card products (Credit Cards and Debit Cards via Mastercard), insurance through TruStage, and utility services like Bee OnTime Bill Pay. The digital banking platform serves as the core delivery channel, with products designed to serve the Howard County education community including teachers, school employees, students, and their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bee APPy: Mobile banking app for checking balances, transferring funds, making loan payments, and depositing checks.
• Bee OnTime
• Bee Linked
• Honeycomb

Products and services

• HCE Online Banking

Quantifiable outcome

• 0.40% APY on Share Accounts vs national bank averages of 0.01-0.05%
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TruStage Insurance Agency, LLCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides TruStage insurance products exclusively to credit union members including complimentary AD&D coverage (must be activated) and Auto & Home Insurance Program with competitive rates. Companies formed by credit unions for credit unions and their members.
• Credit Union MortgagecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership providing mortgage lending services with online application and approval process. Members access mortgage products through Credit Union Mortgage platform with reduced paperwork and hassle-free online applications.
• Enterprise Car SalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuto loan partnership offering 5.99% APR financing on 2020-2024 models $15k+. Locations in Glen Burnie and Ellicott City. Vehicles include 109-point inspection, 7-day repurchase agreement, 12/12 limited powertrain warranty, free CARFAX reports, and 12-month roadside assistance.
• CMFG Life Insurance CompanyminorOthersInsurance company issuing TruStage AD&D insurance policies offered to credit union members.
• NCUA (National Credit Union Administration)coreOthersFederal regulator of credit unions providing Share Insurance Fund protection up to $250,000 per depositor. HCEFCU deposits federally insured through NCUA.
• MastercardcoreTechnology or IntegrationDebit and credit card network providing card transaction processing. Daily limits: $5,000 purchases, $500 ATM withdrawals, $5,000 POS transactions. P2P transactions up to $1,000 per transaction/$2,000 daily.
• P&S Credit UnionminorOthersRelated credit union sharing certain digital services and integrations. Members directed to P&S Credit Union for some external links including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and eZCard Info.
• HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)minorOthersFair Housing Equal Opportunity regulatory body. Credit union displays HUD fair housing logo indicating compliance with federal fair housing requirements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Navy Federal Credit Union: Broad incumbent: a much larger federal credit union also serving employer-affiliated occupational groups (military). Although vastly larger, it competes for the same occupational-charter member mindset and offers a comparable deposit, lending, and card product suite.
• PenFed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union): Broad incumbent: a large federal credit union serving a defined employer-affiliated field of membership. Comparable in occupational charter structure and product breadth (deposits, auto, mortgage, credit cards) though operating at materially larger scale.

Regional players

• MD*USA (Maryland District United Service Area) Credit Union: Regional peer: a Maryland community credit union serving defined occupational fields with a comparable member-owned model, consumer loan focus, and digital banking approach.
• Point Breeze Credit Union: Regional peer: a Maryland-based federal credit union serving a defined employer/occupational field of membership. Comparable single-state footprint and member-base dynamics, with overlapping loan and deposit products.

Direct peers

• Sky Federal Credit Union: Direct peer serving education and public-sector employee groups in the Mid-Atlantic. Similar employer-occupational charter, NCUA-regulated structure, and product suite centered on consumer loans, deposits, and digital banking.
• Educational Systems Federal Credit Union: Direct peer serving Maryland and DC-area school employees with a similar employer-affiliated credit union charter. Comparable member segments (teachers, administrators, school staff) and product mix (deposits, auto loans, mortgages, credit-building products).
• Howard County Teachers Federal Credit Union (HCTA FCU legacy peers): Direct functional peers: other small federal credit unions chartered around education employee groups. They share the same employer-occupational charter structure, NCUA regulation, and member base dynamics that define HCEFCU's operating model.
• P&S Credit Union: Direct peer sharing digital banking infrastructure, mobile platform, and back-office integrations with HCEFCU. Operates as a similarly-sized Maryland-based federal credit union with an analogous member-owned cooperative model and overlapping service offering.
• State Employees Credit Union (MD): Direct peer operating as a Maryland public-sector credit union. Comparable in serving public employees in a single Mid-Atlantic state, with a similar member-owned structure and conservative product mix focused on deposits and consumer lending.

Others

• TruStage (CMFG Life Insurance Company): Adjacent/ecosystem player: HCEFCU's insurance referral partner, operating as a credit-union-owned insurance provider. Comparable because it is purpose-built for the credit union distribution channel and shares member-acquisition economics with HCEFCU.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HowardCountyEdu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pscreditunion4668
• Facebookfacebook.com/hcefcu
• Instagraminstagram.com/Howard.county.education_fcu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hcta-federal-credit-union

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Howard County Education Federal Credit Union