Personal Finance Banking
Written by Sophia Acevedo; edited by Sarah Silbert; reviewed by Evelyn He
- Overall credit union rating
- Pros and cons
- Savings
- Checking
- CD
- Money market account
- How Vystar Credit Union works
- Is Vystar Credit Union trustworthy?
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Overall credit union rating
| Feature | Insider rating (out of 5) |
| Savings | 3.75 |
| Checking | 4 |
| CD | 3.75 |
| Money market | 4 |
| Trustworthiness | 5 |
| Total | 4 |
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
VyStar Primary Savings Account
VyStar Primary Savings Account
Start saving
Vystar Credit Union, Member NCUA
Insider’s Rating
3.75/5
Fees
no monthly service fee
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
0.10%
Minimum Opening Deposit
$5
Pros
- No monthly service fee
- $5 minimum opening deposit
- Link to checking for overdraft protection
Cons
- Mediocre APY
- Interest compounds monthly, not daily
- Must maintain $50 balance to earn APY
Product Details
- Join VyStar by living or working in certain parts of Florida or Georgia, or by having a relative who is already a member; Active military and veterans are also eligible
- Free access to over 20,000 ATMs in the US, Canada, and Mexico
- Earn interest with a $50 minimum account balance
- Interest compounded monthly, paid monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
To become a member of VyStar, you must open a savings account with at least $5. You may like the VyStar Credit Union VyStar Primary Savings Account if you are looking for a free savings account.
It only earns 0.10%, so you'll want to glimpse through our best high-yield savings accounts guide if you'd prefer an account with a higher interest rate.
VyStar Credit Union Free Checking Account
VyStar Credit Union Free Checking Account
Insider’s Rating
4/5
Fees
no monthly service fee
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
0.10%
Minimum Opening Deposit
$0
Pros
- No minimum opening deposit
- No monthly service fees
- No out-of-network ATM fees
- Get paid two days early with direct deposit
- Overdraft protection
Cons
- $32 non-sufficient funds fee
- No reimbursem*nts on fees charged by out-of-network ATM providers
Product Details
- Join VyStar by living or working in certain parts of Florida or Georgia, or by having a relative who is already a member; Active military and veterans are also eligible
- Free access to over 20,000 ATMs in the US, Canada, and Mexico
- If you overdraw from your account you can transfer money from another account for a $29 charge
- Interest compounded and deposited monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
The VyStar Credit Union Free Checking Account requires no minimum opening deposit and doesn't charge monthly service fees. With early direct deposit, you could also get your paycheck processed up to two days early.
VyStar Credit Union CD
VyStar Credit Union CD
Start saving
Vystar Credit Union, NCUA insured.
Insider’s Rating
3.75/5
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
2.90% to 5.25%
Minimum Opening Deposit
$500
Pros
- Competitive APY
- $500 opening deposit
- You can make partial withdrawals
Cons
- Relatively difficult to become a Vystar Credit Union member
- Minimum $50k to earn highest APY
- Interest compounded monthly, not daily
- Standard-to-high early withdrawal penalties
- No terms over 5 years
Product Details
- VyStar Credit Union membership is generally for residents of certain parts of Georgia and Florida; Active military and veterans are also eligible
- Term lengths ranging from 3 months to 5 years
- Earn higher APY with $50,000 balance
- Early withdrawal penalty of 60 days dividends for 3-month terms; 90 days dividends for terms of 4 to 9 months; 180 days dividends for terms of 10 to 36 months; 365 days dividends for terms of 37+ months
- Interest is compounded monthly and paid monthly
- Federally insured by the NCUA
VyStar Credit Union offers high interest rates on CDs. It pays a higher interest rate if you deposit at least $50,000, but its CD rates are still competitive if you only put in $500.
The one thing you'll want to watch out for are early withdrawal penalties, which might be high depending on the term you choose.
VyStar Credit Union Money Market Account
VyStar Credit Union Money Market Account
Insider’s Rating
4/5
Fees
no monthly service fee
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
1.00% to 1.50%
Minimum Opening Deposit
None
Pros
- Competitive interest rate on high account balances
- No minimum opening deposit
- Checks included
- ATM card included
- No monthly service fees
- No out-of-network ATM fee
Cons
- Online banks may offer a higher interest rate on lower account balances
- No reimbursem*nts on fees charged by out-of-network ATM providers
Product Details
- VyStar Credit Union membership is generally for residents of certain parts of Georgia and Florida; Active military and veterans are also eligible
- Free access to over 20,000 ATMs in the US, Canada, and Mexico
- Interest compounded and deposited daily
- Federally insured by the NCUA
The VyStar Credit Union Money Market Account is an excellent choice if you'd like easy access to your account — it includes an ATM card and checks. It pays a higher interest rate than the VyStar Primary Savings Account and requires no minimum opening deposit.
How VyStar Credit Union works
VyStar Credit Union is a brick-and-mortar financial institution with 62 full-service branches in Florida and Georgia. It has 235 VyStar ATMs sprinkled between the two Southern states. Members also have access to over 20,000 surcharge-free ATMs.
Membership is open to anyone who lives or works in an eligible Florida or Georgia countyon this list. Active military and veterans living anywhere in the world are also eligible. To join, you'll need to open a savings account and deposit at least $5.
Customer service is available over the phone or through online chat every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If you're an avid mobile app user, you might prefer banking elsewhere. The credit union's mobile app has 3.2 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store and 2.4 out of 5 stars in the Apple Store.
VyStar is federally insured by the NCUA. Up to $250,000 is protected in an individual bank account.
Is VyStar Credit Union trustworthy?
VyStar Credit Union hasn't been involved in any recent public scandals.
We also include ratings from the Better Business Bureau, which grades companies by how they respond to customer issues and whether they have transparent business practices.
VyStar received an A- rating from the BBB because it hasn't responded to one customer complaint on the BBB website.
A good BBB rating isn't necessarily the end-all-be-all. Talk to current members of VyStar or read online customer reviews to see if it's a suitable option for you.
How VyStar Credit Union compares
Deciding between these three financial institutions will ultimately depend on your account preferences.
Ally Bank pays the highest rates on savings accounts, but with CDs, it may come down Ally or VyStar. VyStar has a tiered interest rate on CDs, so you can earn a higher rate if you're able to deposit a minimum of $50,000 in a term.
If you're searching for a checking account, each financial institution has a worthwhile option.
Bank of America offers the greatest variety of checking accounts. With the Bank of America Advantage Plus Checking Account, there are several ways to waive the $12 monthly service fee. You'll also have access to a national branch and ATM network.
Banking Editor
Sophia Acevedo is a banking editor at Business Insider. She is a banking expert, and has about three years of experience reviewing banking products and analyzing savings and CD trends.Sophia oversees Personal Finance Insider's banking vertical. She edits and writes bank reviews, banking guides, and banking, budgeting, and savings articles for the Personal Finance Insider team.Sophia joined Business Insider in July 2021. Sophia is an alumna of California State University Fullerton, where she studied journalism and minored in political science. She is based in Southern California.You can reach out to her on Twitter at @sophieacvdo or email sacevedo@businessinsider.com.Read more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services »Below are links to some of her most popular stories:
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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. 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.
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Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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