Started using CAFCU for an auto loan many years ago. We now use them as our primary bank and have had several vehicle loans with them as well. Said goodbye to the big banks and are very satisfied with the great service, loan rates and staff. read more

I just tried to help my mom who has been CAFCU login to her account since she has used CAFCU for decades. Their website sucks. It is the worst pile of crap I've seen in a long time and I've worked in software for 30 years. Thanks Alero, now I get to help mom move all her banking to a not awful bank. As if I didnt have other stuff to do with my time. Stay far away from this place if you are considering it. If you are an old CAFCU member, vote with your feet. CapOne here we come. read more

I have been a member for over 30 years, financed my last two homes with you, and was completely satisfied until you became Alero. Are you still considered a credit union because now I'm being charged $5.95 a month for checking and was told I can have the charges waived if I have over $3000 in my checking account for the entire month. Since I am retired, my social security check is not that high, so I'm switching to a different credit union. Social security says my direct deposit will switch over in June so as soon as I know that is done, I will be closing my account since you're doing business like a for profit bank now. read more

I have been with CAFCU for 20years. the last few years with them were a disaster and I didn't think it could get any worse until Alero took over. Call times are close to an hour to speak to anyone, no local branches in my area, and when they took over they signed me up for some type of protection on their own and charged me a monthly checking fee which I have never agreed to. The only reason why I'm staying with them is I'm in a middle of a home loan but once it closes in a couple of weeks I'm closing all my accounts and transferring my car loan somewhere else. read more

MY EXPERIENCE WAS THE ABSOLUTE WORST out of the 11 years ive been a member for starters my CAUCASIAN ARMY VETERAN HUSBAND passed away 2 weeks after being diagnosed with COVID 19 fully vax but underlining health conditions my experience before his death was always great home equity loans ANYTHING NEEDED APPROVED ! APPROVED ! APPROVED ! FAAAAST FORWARD TO NOW an AFRICAN AMERICAN BLACK WOMAN " CITIZEN " I spoke with a representative NORMAN LABRASCI Around FEB 8 about filing a hardship due to my monthly $500 loan payments I wanted the payment amount lowered $200 would be affordable due to my other bills he was extremely nice I sent all documents completed the docu sign and was told i'll receive a call within a few days regarding the decision well days became a week I reached out to him he assured me not to worry it was still being processed . On Valentines day we buried my sister I returned home as my original payment due date the 15th approached I grew more concerned WHILE GRIEVING I called and once again Norman told me not to worry well another week passed along with the original due date I noticed the $500 payment had been removed From my account I reached out to Norm he told me the payment shouldn't have been taken because the loan was paused pending hardship decision he then told me he was going to REVERSE THE LOAN PAYMENT return it back to my savings account within 24 hours the funds were returned to my account well another week passed no word From Norman I reached out he sent me an email assuring me things are fine they are still awaiting a decision two weeks later still no decision or email I reached out on the 26th NORMAN via email assured me everything was fine the decision will be made soon well Saturday I got an alert on my phone From Experian I checked my credit score it dropped 35 points I called Experian today 03/09 they told me CAFCU REPORTED 30 DAY LATE LOAN PAYMENT ON FEB 28 I immediately called NORMAN no answer I left him a voicemail within 5 minutes I received a call From BRANDY saying the hardship decision was made TODAY and they won't be able to lower the payments AT ALL and they push the payments due for FEB , MARCH and APRIL to the end of the original loan wich mind you the balance is over 19k due but she said she'll push those payments to the end of the loan but I need to pay $500 MAY 15 ..,.my thoughts are he REVERSED MY PAYMENT THEY THEN REPORTED MY PAYMENT AS LATE TO EXPERIAN AND CAUSED MY SCOre TO DROP 35 POINTS ONLY TO TELL ME THEY WON'T BE REDUCING MY PAYMENT AMOUNT ... WOW just WOW ! read more

What good is a credit union if they are just as crooked and unsympathetic to you as one of the big banks? I have a car loan with this credit union and first of all, I don't like that I am obligated to have both a savings and checking account and they are not free. The checking costs $6 per month and the savings requires $25 in it at all time, sounds okay but when you are unemployed with no income this is a big deal especially when you are struggling to make the car payment as it is. They pull funds out of my savings to pay the late fee and then charge another set of fees for being below the $25 savings threshold. They are worse than a big bank. Well, I have been managing to scrape the funds together for the car payment but have been 2 weeks late for the past 2 months and for the grand privilege of being unable to pay in time I got penalized a "delinquency fee" in addition to a $39 late fee. When every penny means something, this is no small deal. I called them and asked them to waive the fee as a courtesy for being with them for 6 years and they basically told me in not so many words that this is their standard procedure for poor people. Personally, I thought delinquent accounts would at the minimum need to be 30 days late, more like 90. In any event, I will be paying off the remainder of this loan ASAP and I will NEVER do business with these crooks again. I may as well get cheated by a bank I can at least walk into and have a face to face debate with. Very disappointed in this credit union. read more

Incredibly long phone hold times since within the past 2 years. What changed? Is it due to branch closings??

Don't get a car loan from CAFCU, their communication is horrible and resulted in me having to pay a $1,200 fee that would have been easily avoided with a phone call. They also put my birthday in their system incorrectly so I couldn't set up my online account which has been finally changed months later. I made countless phone calls to them with no answers being on hold for 45 minutes to an hour each time. I put a ticket in on their site for my issues and they never answered that ticket. I didn't even get my loan through them initially, they bought my loan off of another company and proceeded to screw up every step of the way. read more

So. I contacted my credit union for a credit card increase because I wanted to make a purchase more than my limit. I unlocked my credit per the rep and called back. This rep advised that they would run my credit (which I knew) told me my limit and advised me that it was more than enough and asked if I was going to make a purchase. I answered yes, but the reps disposition gave me the impression that it wasn't favorable for me to apply. I was taken aback, thanked the rep and hung up. I have never had an issue with the credit union in the 30 odd years I have been a member. My review is on the attitude of the rep. I am apalled at the rep's assumption that the credit limit I have is enough and that running my credit may not be advantageous. read more

I used to refer people to CAFCU all the time, then I learned that there wasn't much "family" meaning with the name of this banking union. What others have said is true - all loans are tied together, especially if you have a car loan. I was going through a hard time in life a few years back - I continued to pay my car note every single month. I was not able to pay my CC bills, here, or most of my other ones, but was working on solutions to move forward. CAFCU would call a few times, "its important to call us back" - well, sure, it is the same thing every debt collector says, so I did not return their call. Fast forward about two months. I have continued to pay the car loan with CAFCU, and have started making progress on other debts. The CAFCU CC was next to get paid. Well, one morning I wake up... and my one car that is financed through them is gone from driveway. POOF. Gone. Repo'd. I couldn't believe it. The car I'd pay for EVERY month, not even late once, and they came and took it. After some $800 or so later, I had my car back. The reps never said on their vague collection calls, "please call us back, this could ALSO impact your car loan with us", or anything hinting whatsoever at the possibility of my car being at issue / being taken away from me - but I learned that the hard way. That was the first time it was known that they really don't care about their members, nor the expenses for their firm, if that is how they want to spend money repo'ing cars that are being paid on. The next time occurred about 2 years later.... I filed for Chapter 13 (TO PAY MY DEBTS), which I did that for about 2 years, but was going through a divorce, then paying child support, and expensive legal fees, thus I voluntarily dismissed the Ch13 case. CAFCU dinged (hard ran) my credit soon after that, like some creditors do. I called up immediately, "Hello, yes - can I set up a payment plan?", "oh sorry, this is going to an attorney..." - "oh.... ok, can you have him / her contact me to discuss settling this?", "oh sure, they will contact you." I later come to find I have been sued some 8 months later. No letters, nothing. No service. Again, who could feasibly want to be a member here with how they treat people, and in this case following my bankruptcy, what a colossal waste of money with a client who WANTS TO PAY... simply unbelievable. Had referred friends and coworkers here for years, will no longer do as such. read more

Stay away from getting a loan from CAFCU. The auto loan department appraisers are incompetent and will not return phone calls. The appraisers are notirious to run a hard credit check and then never return calls on status on the loan. Poor customer service. Stay away read more

I've been a member for nearly 25 years, the quality of client service has shifted to 1 star. We've worked with their staff for six weeks to receive a release on a zero balance equity line to sell a property and found the team non responsive to correct their mistakes made completing the documents. Total disappointment. read more

Excellent customer service! They greet me by my first name every time I walk in the door.

0 stars, the crystal lake branch is wonderful. The corporate office themselves, specifically Desiree, worst experiences. Rude on the phone, does not listen, interrupting and very condescending read more

The day after Christmas I had discovered that CAFCU had charged me $18 for four separate transactions, so I went to CAFCU to address the issue with a bank rep. the following Monday. I was completely unaware that my credit card company had extracted payments from my checking account and not my savings account (as I had set it up to do). I contacted the credit card company to confirm that my payments were tied to my savings account. Of course, the teller, Andrea, gave me the run-around about how if it is not the bank's fault then she would not reverse the surcharges. She needed to "investigate" the problem and told me to leave and expect a call from her later. She called and left a brief message and promised to call me again. She didn't. Three of these transactions were for the aforementioned credit card payments. The fourth transaction? An $18 surcharge for a $5 Little Caesar's pizza I charged to my debit card. Why would anybody in their right mind deliberately pay $23 for a $5 pizza? Further demonstrating that I was simply not aware that I didn't have money in my checking account. I had explained that to Andrea, but she wrote me off as incompetent. There was no positive resolution--for me--so I closed my account at CAFCU because they have no empathy and they did nothing to keep me from doing so. I do not recommend CAFCU because the reps. are inept (but mostly friendly), they will steal your money, and it honestly felt like I was banking in the 19th century with them. I was with Bank of America for eight years and never encountered a problem like this before. As for other general CAFCU grievances, you cannot make deposits via ATM. You must visit a teller. It's very inconvenient when you would rather make deposits when the lobby is closed. Don't create an account via their website either, because you'll never get a debit card unless you ask for one at the local branch, then you have to wait until they mail you a pin number (that's right you can't choose it yourself). CAFCU has compatibility issues with Paypal. So if you want to sync your checking account to your Paypal profile you will have to contact their internet rep. to walk you through it via phone. Even then, you will receive emails from Paypal indicating that you need to re-link the account because they do not recognize CAFCU. And CAFCU's website is wonky and temperamental, and I often times found myself attempting multiple log ins to access my account. I'm a full-time student at Northern and every penny is a precious commodity to me, so losing $72 to something senseless and preventable feels pretty awful, but CAFCU's customer service was disheartening. read more

TERRIBLE, CON-ARTISTS! Absolute worst bank ever. First off, I thought since they were a credit union they would work with me to help build my credit but not the case at all!!! Unless, your credit is spotless then you will get no cooperation from them at all. The loan group they use is the same as used at Boat Dealerships and your credit better be great if you want a loan. They charge higher fees than any other bank I have ever had and they will charge you a NSF fee then send a check back when if they would have paid the check first, there would have been money left over. I have been banking here for a little over a year now and nothing has improved but gotten worse for me. Most banks will not charge a NSF fee if the account doesn't go negative more than $5.00 not CAFCU they charge it for a dollar. I paid $40 for a Mountain Dew last week after incurring their $39 NSF Fee on $1.30 purchase. They charged me $200 in NSF fees and returned a $20 check! Most banks will at least pay the $20 check instead of racking up their fees and then still returning the check. Especially, when you have direct deposit every week into the account for over a year now. Customer Service RUDE, HOURS TERRIBLE! Branches hard to find and access! This place is an outrage!!!!! read more

Should have received my new debit card before Marich 1st, due to the one I have expired 2/28. called them and they put a rush on a new card which i was told I would have by Friday, March 5th. Well, today is March 8th & still without a new card. I WILL be close this account. I need a credit union that I can rely on to get my new card on time. RIDICULOUS!!!!! read more

The worst financial institution I ever had to deal with. Contracts for car loans are fraudelent. When you sign a contract for a car loan they will list in the disclosure statement only the car that you are getting loan for, but beware later they will state that any other assests you have with them secure any loan. read more

Run. Run far, far away. I have had nothing but disappointment for CAFCU. I'd rather go crawling back to Chase than to stick around this place. I've been a customer for almost 1.5 years and it's been painful since Day 1. They can't distinguish the difference​ between Actual and Available balances, and charge you astronomical fees as a result. I've complained about this a handful of times and only until the most recent time did they suggest 2 options to avoid the fees. Yeah, yeah, I know, I could manage my finances better, but I never had an issue with Chase. Furthermore, I didn't realize it would be so difficult to refinance my car loan. I was a couple grand from being able to sign the loan myself, so I needed a cosigner. That cosigner and I agreed that I would refinance within 1 year to get the loan solely in my name. They told me they typically don't refinance their own loans. Well, okay then. The loan is getting refinanced regardless, whether it's through CAFCU or not. If they're going to lose the business as a result, it's their problem. So they told me they would make an exception, but I wouldn't qualify for their promotional interest rate, which is the same rate I pay now. Why would I refinance through someone who wants to charge me more money. I'll just find someone who will refinance for a better rate. Or a slightly higher rate for a better overall experience. The woman of the house is also taking her car loan and accounts with me as well. I figured that was someone of good leverage, but they operate on black and white policies, in a gray world. Everyone's situation is different. I couldn't imagine being stuck in a 15-year mortgage with CAFCU, so I'm quite happy I'm getting out of this horrible business as I start my home-buying journey. read more

Rating them a 1 since there is no option for zero. These inefficient bunglers have completely screwed up time and time again - and their rates are pathetic compared to other credit unions. It's truly surprising the state has not closed them down. Go anywhere but there - seriously. read more

I agree with everything Darren experienced because I've experienced it myself! Yes Andrea comes off as "friendly and sweet" but she doesn't care about you or your situation. If you're late on a loan, it's a $39 late fee charge and they will ONLY waive it once and never again!!! I thought CU's were more for the "people" but boy was I wrong! All they want is your money and put fees behind your back thinking you won't find out! This place is the worse!!! read more

The absolute WORST banking institution I have ever had the mispleasure of working with. For starters, they have severely inconvenient hours for someone working a regular 8am-5pm M-F job. Most of their "member services" require you to come in to one of their locations which causes a mass of scheduling conflicts with employers. Good luck getting approved for ANYTHING that doesn't require a large sum of money up front, even if you have a solid credit score. Now the kicker, be careful if you do get approved for a loan or card with them. They like to tack on expanses and services that you DO NOT approve of or know about, and then when you call to resolve it they don't want to remove anything and will keep charging you for services you don't require or use. Also tried to switch my loan payment date to avoid late fees due to acquiring a new job and they declined to do so every time, which also impacts my credit score. Member service representatives are very vague when it comes to answering questions and are quick to try to cut you off just to get you off the phone without giving you any answers to your questions regarding the fees and B.S. add-ons they charge. They DO NOT care about their members whatsoever. This branch in particular is a joke and their business model is heavily flawed. It's a wonder they are still in business, stealing from their members. Account is being canceled as we speak. Will be advising people to stay away and will never recommend this bank to anyone no matter what the circumstance. Will be writing similar reviews on any and all review sites. read more

Corporate America Family Credit Union is the worse. They will change your pin number to debit card to get you to come into the bank because you are late on a payment. In addition, place a hold on your funds because you a late. I was sick in my bed needing medicine and they refused to lift the hold because my car note was due on the 12th which, half was paid. I find their practices to be unethical and that of a modern day loan shark read more