HAPO Community Credit Union Review 2024

July 2024 · 15 minute read
2024-07-24T16:03:26Z JUMP TO Section Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.
  • Overall Rating
  • Pros and Cons
  • HAPO Community Credit Union Bank Account Reviews
  • How HAPO Community Credit Union Works
  • Why You Should Trust Us
  • FAQs
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    The bottom line: HAPO Community Credit Union could be a good option if you live or work in Washington or some parts of Oregon. You also might like this credit union if you're searching for checking and savings accounts with no monthly service fees. If you do not qualify to become a member, our best credit unions guide has other options to explore.

    HAPO Community Credit Union Review: Overall Rating

    AccountInsider rating (out of 5)
    Savings4
    Checking4.5
    Share Certificate3.75
    Money Market Account3.5
    Trustworthiness5
    Total4

     

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    HAPO Community Credit Union: Pros and Cons

    ProsCons
    • Certified as a community development financial institution, so it primarily serves low-income and disadvantaged communities

    • Checking and savings accounts with zero monthly fees

    • CDs with low minimum opening deposits

    • Part of the CO-OP ATM network

    • To become a member, you must live, work, worship, or attend school in Washington or a select county in Oregon
    • Low interest rate on savings account
    • Other banks have higher interest rates on CDs

    HAPO Community Credit Union Bank Account Reviews

    HAPO Community Credit Union Savings Account

    HAPO Community Credit Union Savings Account Read Review HAPO Community Credit Union HAPO Community Credit Union Savings Account Insider’s Rating A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4/5 Fees

    $0 monthly service fees

    Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    0.05%

    Minimum Opening Deposit

    $0

    ProsConsHAPO Community Credit Union Savings Account review External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user." Product DetailsShow Pros, Cons, and More chevron down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

    The HAPO Community Credit Union Savings Account could be a solid choice if you're looking for a free savings account. It has zero monthly service fees and zero minimum balance requirements.

    It won't be the best option if your goal is to earn a high interest rate, though. Our best high-yield savings accounts guide likely has more suitable options. 

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    HAPO Community Credit Union Free Checking Account

    HAPO Community Credit Union Free Checking Account Read Review HAPO Community Credit Union HAPO Community Credit Union Free Checking Account Insider’s Rating A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4.5/5 Fees

    $0 monthly service fees

    Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    0.00% to 0.01%

    Minimum Opening Deposit

    $0

    ProsConsHAPO Community Credit Union Free Checking Account review External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user." Product DetailsShow Pros, Cons, and More chevron down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

    The HAPO Community Credit Union Free Checking Account might be an appealing option if you want a checking account with lenient opening requirements. 

    The main downside to this account is the $28 overdraft fee. HAPO Community Credit Union has an overdraft protection plan that lets you link your checking account to a savings account, but there's still a $5 overdraft protection transfer fee if you utilize it.

    HAPO Community Credit Union Certificate

    HAPO Community Credit Union Certificate Read Review HAPO Community Credit Union HAPO Community Credit Union Certificate Insider’s Rating A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 3.75/5 Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    3.00% to 4.00%

    Minimum Opening Deposit

    $100

    ProsConsHAPO Community Credit Union Certificate review External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user." Product DetailsShow Pros, Cons, and More chevron down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

    HAPO Community Certificates stand out because they only require a minimum of $100. You'll need at least $1,000 for share certificates at many institutions. 

    The credit union's certificate rates are about the same as what you'll earn with the average CD. For more competitive rates, consider going through our best CD rates guide.

    HAPO Community Credit Union Money Market Account

    HAPO Community Credit Union Money Market Account Read Review HAPO Community Credit Union HAPO Community Credit Union Money Market Account Insider’s Rating A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 3.5/5 Fees

    $15 monthly service fee (with options to waive)

    Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    0.00% to 3.00%

    Minimum Opening Deposit

    $2,500

    ProsConsHAPO Community Credit Union Money Market Account review External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user." Product DetailsShow Pros, Cons, and More chevron down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

    The HAPO Community Credit Union Money Market Account has a steep $15 monthly service fee (with options to waive). To waive the fee, you'll need to keep at least $2,500 in your account daily.

    Bear in mind other financial institutions may offer free money market accounts.

    About HAPO Community Credit Union

    HAPO Community Credit Union is a local financial institution with 19 branches in Washington and Oregon. It's part of the CO-OP Shared ATM network, so you'll have access to over 30,000 free ATMs throughout the US. 

    To speak with a customer representative, call or use live chat from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT on weekdays or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. 

    The credit union's mobile app is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store and 4.6 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store. 

    HAPO Community Credit Union is  federally insured by the NCUA. Up to $250,000 is secure in individual bank accounts, and $500,000 is safe in joint bank accounts.

    How to Join HAPO Community Credit Union 

    To open a bank account at HAPO Community Credit Union, you have to qualify for membership.

    You may be eligible for membership if you or a family member lives, works, worships, or goes to school in the state of Washington or select counties in Oregon (Umatilla, Morrow, Gillam, Sherman, Wasco, Hood River, Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, Columbia, and Clatsop County are all eligible Oregon counties).

    You will also need to open a savings account to establish membership. Savings accounts do not have balance requirements, however, you should have some activity on your account at least once a year to keep your account open.

    The Role of Community Development Financial Institutions

    Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) serve low-income and disadvantaged communities. Banks and credit unions have to undergo certification by the US Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund and meet specific requirements to address banking barriers.

    HAPO Community Credit Union hosts webinars to inform members about a variety of financial topics like credit scores and buying a car. The credit union also has a scholarship program that awards $50,000 in scholarships annually to high school students. 

    Is HAPO Community Credit Union Trustworthy?

    The Better Business Bureau assesses businesses to see how they address customer issues. The BBB gave HAPO Community Credit Union an A+ rating.

    Keep in mind a great BBB rating doesn't necessarily guarantee a smooth relationship with a financial institution. Read online customer reviews and talk to current customers to see if HAPO Community Credit Union could be a good match.

    HAPO Community Credit Union hasn't been involved in any recent public scandals. 

    How Community Credit Union Compares

    HAPO Community Credit Union Review vs. Gesa Credit Union Review

    Gesa Credit Union is another CDFI. To become a member of Gesa Credit Union, you must live in Washington, select counties in Idaho (Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, or Shoshone county), or select counties in Oregon (Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wasco, or Washington county).

    If you are eligible to become a member of both credit unions, your decision may ultimately depend on which accounts you'd like to open.

    Gesa Credit Union has a high-yield checking account, while HAPO Community Credit Union doesn't.  However, you might prefer HAPO if you'd like to get a share certificate with a low minimum opening deposit.

    HAPO Community Credit Union Review vs. Umpqua Bank Review

    Umpqua Bank is a regional bank with over 200 branches in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. If you don't meet the requirements for membership at HAPO Community Credit Union but prioritize in-person banking, you might consider Umpqua Bank. 

    Both financial institutions have solid checking account options if your goal is to avoid monthly service fees.

    The Umpqua Bank Embark Checking Account doesn't charge monthly fees if you get online statements. Umpqua Bank also reimburses up to $10 per month in out-of-network ATM fees if you keep at least $2,500 in your account each month.

    Meanwhile, the HAPO Community Credit Union Free Checking Account doesn't require a minimum opening deposit or charge any monthly service fees. 

    Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed HAPO Community Credit Union 

    In our HAPO Community Credit Union review, we rate checking accounts, savings accounts, CDs, and money market accounts by looking at features like minimum opening requirements, monthly service fees, and customer support availability. We rate products on a scale from zero to five stars, and use a bank account methodology

    For example, using our CD methodology we'll review interest rates, minimum opening deposit requirements, early withdrawal penalties, CD variety, customer support availability, mobile app ratings, and ethics of the overall company. Meanwhile, for checking accounts, we'll factor in the ATM network size and fees, overdraft protection options, customer support hours, mobile app ratings, ethics, minimum opening deposit requirements, and fees.

    HAPO Community Credit Union FAQs

    Where are HAPO Community Credit Union branches located?  Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

    HAPO Community Credit Union has 19 locations. You can find a HAPO Community branch in the following cities:  Hermiston, Oregon; Milwaukie, Oregon; Weston, Oregon; College Place, Washington; Kennewick, Washington; Pasco, Washington; Richland, Washington; Sunnyside, Washington; Vancouver, Washington; Walla Walla, Washington and Yakima, Washington.

    Is HAPO Community Credit Union federally insured by the NCUA? Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

    Yes, HAPO Community Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA. If a credit union is federally insured by the NCUA, up to $250,000 is secure per depositor in a bank account. In the rare event a credit union fails, your money will be moved to another NCUA-insured credit union, or it will be mailed to you via check. 

    spanSophia Acevedo is a banking editor at Business Insider. She has spent three years as a personal finance journalist and is an expert across numerous banking topics./spanspanExperience/spanspanSophia leads Personal Finance Insider's banking coverage, including reviews, guides, reference articles, and news. She edits and updates articles about banks, checking and savings accounts, CD rates, and budgeting and saving. She is highly knowledgeable about long-term trends in rates and offers at banks across the U.S./spanspanBefore joining Business Insider, Sophia worked as a journalist at her college newspaper and was a freelance writer. She has spent seven years writing and editing as a journalist./spanspanSophia was nominated for an Axel Springer Award for Change in 2023 for her coverage of a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/what-is-able-savings-account"ABLE accounts/a, tax-free savings accounts for people with disabilities. She was also a winner of a a href="https://cnpa.com/cja/2018campus/"2018 California Journalism Awards Campus Contest/a for her photography./spanspanShe loves helping people find the best solutions for their unique needs and hopes that more people will find the tools to solve their financial problems. She’s inspired by stories of everyday people adapting to their financial circumstances and overcoming their fears around money./spanspanExpertise/spanspanSophia's expertise includes:/spanullispanBank accounts/span/lilispanSavings and CD rate trends/span/lilispanBudgeting/span/lilispanSaving/span/lilispanHow banks operate/span/li/ulspanEducation/spanspanSophia graduated from California State University Fullerton with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science./spanspanShe is an avid reader across a variety of genres, and she started running in 2021. She ran in the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon./span Banking Editor Sophia Acevedo is a banking editor at Business Insider. She has spent three years as a personal finance journalist and is an expert across numerous banking topics.ExperienceSophia leads Personal Finance Insider's banking coverage, including reviews, guides, reference articles, and news. She edits and updates articles about banks, checking and savings accounts, CD rates, and budgeting and saving. She is highly knowledgeable about long-term trends in rates and offers at banks across the U.S.Before joining Business Insider, Sophia worked as a journalist at her college newspaper and was a freelance writer. She has spent seven years writing and editing as a journalist.Sophia was nominated for an Axel Springer Award for Change in 2023 for her coverage of ABLE accounts, tax-free savings accounts for people with disabilities. She was also a winner of a 2018 California Journalism Awards Campus Contest for her photography.She loves helping people find the best solutions for their unique needs and hopes that more people will find the tools to solve their financial problems. She’s inspired by stories of everyday people adapting to their financial circumstances and overcoming their fears around money.ExpertiseSophia's expertise includes:EducationSophia graduated from California State University Fullerton with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science.She is an avid reader across a variety of genres, and she started running in 2021. She ran in the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon. Read more Read less spanEvelyn He is a Compliance and Operations Associate on the Personal Finance team to ensure content accuracy and editorial independence so readers get up-to-date and objective financial advice./spanspanThe compliance team's mission is to provide readers with fact-checked and current stories so they can make informed financial decisions. The team also works to minimize risk for partners by ensuring language is clear, precise, and fully compliant with regulatory and partner marketing guidelines that align with the editorial team./span Compliance and Operations Associate Evelyn He is a Compliance and Operations Associate on the Personal Finance team to ensure content accuracy and editorial independence so readers get up-to-date and objective financial advice.The compliance team's mission is to provide readers with fact-checked and current stories so they can make informed financial decisions. 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