NASA Federal Credit Union Review 2026: Checking, Savings and Share Certificates
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Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
Overview
NASA Federal Credit Union, founded in 1949 by several people in the scientific community, stands out for its share certificates, the credit union equivalent of certificates of deposit. It also has highly rated mobile apps and a robust third-party network of ATMs and branches. There’s a steep overdraft fee for transactions that drop your account balance below zero.
Although the credit union focuses on NASA employees and their families for membership (one branch is at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C.), anyone nationwide can become a member.
No monthly fees on savings account.
Competitive rates on some share certificates.
Anyone can become a member.
Large, free, nationwide ATM network.
Participates in shared branching with other credit unions.
Expensive overdraft fee.
Monthly fees (though they are avoidable).
Low rates on savings accounts.
Product reviews
Checking
Monthly fee, though avoidable. Everyday Checking offers a relatively easy way to avoid its monthly fee of $8 by having $200 as the average daily minimum balance or $500 in monthly direct deposits.
» SEE: The best online checking accounts
Some decent perks. Members have access to more than 40,000 free ATMs. Account holders can receive paychecks up to two days early, which is becoming a more common perk.
The debit card rewards aren’t worth much. The credit union’s debit card has a cash-back rewards program, but each transaction only earns 2 cents or 5 cents. Earning the annual maximum of $250 would take thousands of transactions.
NASA Federal Credit Union Everyday Checking
Savings
No monthly fee. There’s no monthly fee and the opening minimum of $5 is low.
Low rate. As the key downside, the annual percentage yield of 0.10% is low. You can find more attractive options on our list of best high-yield savings accounts.
NASA Federal Credit Union Prime Savings
Certificates of deposit
Competitive yields for many terms. NASA Federal offers a strong lineup of share certificates with terms ranging from six months to five years. Rates tend to be much higher than national average CD rates; a one-year rate average is 1.65%.
» COMPARE: See our list of best CD rates
Minimum deposit can be low or high depending on the type of term. You need to make a deposit of at least $1,000 for certificates with traditional terms, such as one year, two years, and other year-based terms. The minimum is $10,000 for nontraditional terms, which the credit union calls “high-yield certificates.”
Add-on and bump-up certificates. The credit union also has a few nonstandard certificates. The one-year add-on certificate lets members deposit more money into the account over time, which isn’t usually allowed for certificates. The two- and three-year bump-up certificates each provide a one-time opportunity for a member to request a higher rate during a term if the credit union has since raised the rate for the same term length and type of certificate. Learn more about how bump-up CDs work.
Full List of Certificate Rates
| Term | APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | 3.90% | $1,000 |
| 9 months | 4.10% | $10,000 |
| 1 year | 3.95% | $1,000 |
| 15 months | 4.15% | $10,000 |
| 2 years | 4.00% | $1,000 |
| 2 years bump-up | 3.90% | $1,000 |
| 3 years | 4.05% | $1,000 |
| 3 years bump-up | 3.95% | $1,000 |
| 4 years | 4.10% | $1,000 |
| 49 months | 4.20% | $10,000 |
| 5 years | 4.18% | $1,000 |
NASA Federal Credit Union Share Certificate
Customer experience & overdraft fees
Customer experience
Easy to join. In addition to NASA employees and their families and employees of the credit union’s partner companies or associations, anyone can join the credit union by accepting a complimentary membership to the affiliated nonprofit organization National Space Society.
Strong digital offerings for a credit union. NASA Federal’s mobile app ratings for Apple and Android devices are both high, and the services for desktop and mobile users are more extensive than credit unions traditionally offer. In addition to standard features such as alerts, transfers and bill pay, members can view credit scores and finances at a glance, lock and unlock cards if lost or stolen, and restrict card usage based on types of transactions or merchants. The credit union’s app has more features than the website: mobile check deposit and biometric app log-in.
Extended support hours and several channels. You can call, email, live chat or message the credit union’s support team. Talking to a live representative is available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. There are also more than a dozen branches for members, mostly around the Washington, D.C., metro area.
Shared branches can offer limited services nationwide. For members too far from the credit union’s branches, deposit and withdrawal services are available at about 5,400 branches of other credit unions through a shared network. Other services may be available but vary by credit union.
Overdraft fees
Expensive overdraft costs. Checks, bill payments and online transactions that cause your account balance to go negative cost $32 per instance, regardless of whether the transaction is rejected or goes through. This amount is close to what overdraft fees can cost, but some larger banks and credit unions have eliminated their overdraft costs in the past few years. Negative balances at NASA Federal can’t be more than $500 below zero.
» See more options: Best banks for overdrafts
Cheaper overdraft alternatives. In the event of an overdraft, there are free transfers from a savings account and a fee-free overdraft line of credit.
Rating methodology
How we rate banks and credit unions
Banking writers and editors use an objective methodology to rate banks, credit unions, and other providers, and to recommend the best products.
100+
Financial institutions reviewed
100+
Financial institutions reviewed
We took a close look at around 100 financial institutions and financial service providers, including the largest U.S. banks based on assets, internet search traffic and other factors; the nation’s largest credit unions, based on assets and membership; and other notable players in the industry. We rated them on criteria including annual percentage yields, minimum balances, fees, digital experience and more.
30+
Categories assessed
30+
Categories assessed
Each provider is evaluated across five weighted categories and 30 subcategories, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, customer experience, and overdraft services. For banks or credit unions without one or more types of accounts, the overall rating is modified to include only applicable categories. Institutions are not penalized if they don't offer every type of account.
60+
Data points analyzed
60+
Data points analyzed
We considered more than 60 data points for each provider. Depending on the category, these included account fees and rates (such as annual percentage yields), ATM and branch access, account features, account bonuses, customer service access and user-facing technology, such as innovative tools and mobile apps. We gathered this information for each financial institution from its website, a media representative or both.
Star rating categories
The review team is made up of seasoned writers and editors who cover personal banking deposit accounts, such as checking, savings and certificates of deposit, as well as related banking services, such as overdraft programs and ATM networks. For providers without one or more types of accounts, the overall rating is modified to include only applicable categories. Institutions are not penalized if they don't offer every type of account.
Financial institutions and providers surveyed are: Affirm, All America Bank, Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, Alto, Amalgamated Bank, American Express National Bank, Andrews Federal Credit Union, Associated Bank, Axos Bank, Bank of America, Bank5 Connect, Barclays, Bask Bank, BMO, Boeing Employees Credit Union, Bread Savings®, BrioDirect, Capital One, Cash App, CFG Bank, Charles Schwab Bank, Chase, Chime, CIBC U.S., CIT Bank, Citibank, Citizens Access, Citizens Bank, Climate First Bank, ConnectOne Bank, Connexus Credit Union, Consumers Credit Union, Current, Customers Bank, Discover® Bank, E*TRADE, EverBank, Fifth Third Bank, First Foundation, First Internet Bank, First Tech Federal Credit Union, FNBO Direct, Forbright Bank, FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, GO2bank, Golden 1 Credit Union, Hope Credit Union, HSBC Bank, Huntington Bank, Ivy Bank, KeyBank, Lake Michigan Credit Union, LendingClub Bank, Live Oak Bank, M&T Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, My Banking Direct, NASA Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC, Newtek Bank, OMB Bank, OnePay, Openbank, PayPal, Peak Bank, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, PNC, Poppy Bank, Popular Direct, Quontic Bank, Regions Bank, Revolut, Salem Five Direct, Sallie Mae Bank, Santander Bank, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Securityplus Federal Credit Union, Self-Help Credit Union, Service Credit Union, SoFi, State Employees’ Credit Union of North Carolina, Synchrony Bank, TAB Bank, TD Bank, Truist Bank, U.S. Bank, UFB Direct, Upgrade, USAA Bank, Valley Bank, Varo, Venmo, Vio Bank, Wells Fargo, Western Alliance Bank, Zolve and Zynlo Bank.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodologies for banks and credit unions and our editorial guidelines.