Hope Credit Union Review 2026: Savings, Checking and CDs
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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
Hope Credit Union is a Black-owned financial institution. It is Green America Certified and a Community Development Financial Institution, or CDFI. (See more about these common designations for socially responsible banks.)
The credit union is based in the South. Its membership, branches and services focus on residents in six states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Free rewards checking and rewards savings accounts are available to residents in these states, though there are qualifications to get rewards.
Membership to the credit union is available nationwide for its basic savings accounts to anyone who joins the nonprofit Hope Enterprise Corporation and pays a $10 fee. The rewards checking and rewards savings accounts are not available nationwide.
No monthly fees on some checking or savings accounts.
Competitive rewards checking account.
Participates in shared branching with other credit unions.
ATM fee rebates.
Expensive overdraft fee.
Low rates on some savings accounts and share certificates.
Requirements must be met to earn strong checking rate.
Limited membership (for most account options).
Product reviews
Checking
Hope Credit Union’s HOPE Rewards Checking account offers a noteworthy free checking account with no minimum balance requirements and earns a strong interest rate of 5.12% APY when certain basic qualifications are met. To earn the rate, customers must have 12 debit card transactions per month, log in to their online banking account once per month, sign up for e-statements and have at least one direct deposit or automatic payment clear their account. When qualifications are not met, customers will earn 0.10%.
Customers have access to numerous ATMs through Hope Credit Union and the Co-op ATM network, but they also receive up to a $20 monthly reimbursement for out-of-network ATM fees.
» Check out more rewards checking accounts
HOPE Rewards Checking
Certificates of deposit
Hope Credit Union’s share certificates — the credit union equivalent of certificates of deposit — are available for a variety of term lengths and require a minimum opening deposit of $1,000. Its one-year share certificate earns 2.79% APY, its three-year certificates earn 2.17% APY and five-year certificates earn 2.28% APY.
» COMPARE: See our list of best CD rates
Full List of Certificate Rates
| Term | APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 2.79% | $1,000 |
| 3 years | 2.17% | $1,000 |
| 5 years | 2.28% | $1,000 |
Hope Credit Union CD
Customer experience & overdraft fees
Customer experience
Hope Credit Union has over 20 branches across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. It’s also part of the Co-op network, which gives customers access to more than 5,000 shared branches nationwide.
The credit union’s customer service call centers have long hours, and customers can also reach out via email and through chat when logged into the mobile app. Hope Credit Union’s mobile banking app has high ratings in both the Google Play store and the App Store.
Overdraft fees
Customers who overdraft are charged $25 per occurrence, with a cap of up to $125 in fees per day for debit card transactions. Nonsufficient funds fees can be charged for electronic ACH transactions and checks. Hope Credit Union doesn’t offer an overdraft line of credit, but customers can make overdraft protection transfers from a linked account for $1 per transfer.
» See our list of the best banks for overdrafts
Hope Credit Union also offers a courtesy pay service called Overdraft Guardian for $25 per instance, which means that when a customer is in good standing, they can overdraw up to $300, depending on the account type. Hope Credit Union will temporarily cover it and charge a $25 fee for that service. Customers will then need to return their account to a positive balance as soon as possible. If a customer does overdraft, however, they won’t be charged a continuous negative balance fee.
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.