I tried to exchange a roll of quarters for a $10 bill, and I was refused because I am not a member…read more The manager was very rude about it. I've she made me feel like I was breaking the law.

I have to be honest. When I first saw all the 1 star ratings I was surprised. But after my…read moreunpleasant and disheartening experience with Freedom First I completely understand. They initially touted themselves as the "neighborhood credit union" willing to work with the community and willing to overlook financial challenges to give their customers a break. It couldn't be farther from the truth. I been with them for well over 6 yrs and despite making more money and bettering my credit score I can't get a $200-$500 credit limit increase. Furthermore one of the officers suggested I close my credit card account and one reason given for the denial was because I had (less than $50) minimal balances on my other cards. Any financial expert would know that closing ones credit cards lowers ones credit score. Additionally credit card companies want to see continual usage on the card or they'll close the card for inactivity. Take my advice, don't count on Freedom First to help you improve your credit. They won't!

You charge me $7.50 to cash a check b/c you say I'm not a customer. Guess my mortgage isn't worthy…read moreenough!! AND then have the gumption to ask why I don't have a checking account with your company. I'm pretty sure you shouldn't have asked that question!! But since you did, you now know that my personal bank of choice (a credit union) has far better customer service than that!!! My husband & I work hard for our money and what we have. So yea that $7.50 is a lot of money to me!!!!

Everyone in this branch has been very nice and easy to work with. I love that I'm in and out with…read morein 5 minutes. The personal bankers and Store Manager are very nice. I would recommend this Wells Fargo out of all the other surrounding stores in Roanoke.

McKenzie at Blue Eagle is always great!! To be honest she is the only rep I like dealing with. So…read morecompetent and efficient!! The 5 stars are for McKenzie's service!

Best bank in Roanoke by far always very helpful and take care of all your concernsread more

Updated Review - 4 Stars…read more I'm keeping my review at 4 stars because overall I'm still happy with Virginia Credit Union, and I greatly appreciate that they reopened my account. I genuinely want to continue banking with them and maintaining a positive relationship. My only disappointment right now is the lack of follow-up communication. On August 7, 2026, a very nice lady from the compliance department called me regarding my request to reconsider the ChexSystems reporting and whether a smaller personal line of credit might be possible. She told me she would call me back the following week. It has now been three weeks, and I haven't received a call, email, or update. I completely understand that things can get busy and something may simply have been overlooked or forgotten. If that happened, I'm not upset with anyone personally. I just feel that some type of reminder or follow-up should have been made so I wasn't left wondering what the final decisions were. Even if both requests were denied, I would have appreciated being told that. Since my account was reopened, I've kept it in good standing and have had no overdrafts. I'm also still disappointed that the previous charge-off was reported to ChexSystems because I made the balance good within a reasonable amount of time and paid Virginia Credit Union directly. I'm very willing to work with them, whether that means reconsidering the ChexSystems reporting, offering a smaller line of credit, or simply discussing what options may be available. I'm not asking for special treatment--I'd just appreciate communication and the opportunity to work toward a reasonable solution. Overall, I'm still grateful they reopened my account, which is why my review remains at 4 stars. Hopefully I can update this again with a positive resolution.

I was a loyal Member One customer for years, but ever since the merger with Virginia Credit Union,…read moremy experience has been nothing short of a disaster. Their customer service has been incredibly disappointing. They returned my SSDI direct deposit over what appeared to be unnecessary account issues, putting my livelihood at risk and causing needless stress. As if that weren't enough, they also held $200 from a deposit I made because of a hold they placed on a completely separate check. The entire transition has been frustrating and poorly managed. Instead of making banking easier, it's created one problem after another. I no longer feel like they value or care about their members.

Over five years ago, I opened an account with the Freedom First Credit Union at their Downtown…read moreRoanoke branch. Since then, they have given me excellent customer service, treating me like a member of the credit union more than just a customer like many other large banks do. Today, I happened to be in the Vinton area, and I decided to give their branch there a visit to check it out and to test the consistency of their customer service. It is conveniently located at 120 West Virginia Ave in a relatively small building but with a nice size parking and a drive-through as well. On the entrance glass doors, there are listed their days and hours of operation. It was decorated very simple with one open meeting room near the entrance and another enclosed with glass walls for more privacy. I noticed some literature was written in Spanish: "Encuentra tu Libertad con Freedom First." Which translates Find your Freedom with Freedom First. Another literature was about a relationship review to allow a credit union representative to meet with you to help you reach your financial goals. And yet another was about Freedom@Work. Helping businesses employees with financial knowledge. Just by reading these few literature one can realize that Freedom First Credit Union cares about people in the community. Their Mission is "Helping People Prosper- Helping Communities Thrive." At the back of this branch is located the main counter with their clerks ready to assist you with your business for the day. I approached the clerk on the left, whose name was Joshua, and he greeted me with a friendly hello and a "How I can I help you." I gave him my Credit Union Card and told him I wished to withdraw from my checking account $40 and would like it in four rolls of quarters. After checking my account in good standing, he asked me for my birthday to make sure it was me and relieve me from having to pull out a picture ID. He then had me sign for the transaction on an electronic touch pad. This was my first time in this branch, yet Jacob made me feel at home there, and this is something that I highly value about Freedom First. I have also used the service of their Financial Empowerment Center, and they have helped me with my setting goals, savings, investing, and improving my credit scores. I highly recommend Freedom First Credit Union for all those who are starting out to open a checking and savings account or who are not satisfied with their current bank or financial institution, and by experience, I can assure you that you will be better off because Freedom First truly has your best interest in mind.

Kitty followed up on an internet inquiry I made regarding a car loan. She took our loan…read moreapplication over the phone and we quickly had an approval and finalized loan. The process went so smoothly that we spoke to Kitty about a home equity loan which also was a smooth and quick process start to finish. Everyone at Blue Eagle was professional and so pleasant and helpful. They have definitely earned all of our future business!

awful intake experience to open an account. to be fair, i was having a really rough day…read more nonetheless, representative questioned the legitimacy of my very desirable credit score and history despite having the report right in front of him. attempted to sell me on services i did not want and made invasive comments throughout the intake. i was incredibly tempted to stop the entire process when going through it because of this individual. i will give this credit union a few months to win back my business, otherwise, i will be banking with another business.

Friendly staff especially in Vinton. They put customers first. Thanks for recommending products…read morethat met my needs

This is the bank to handle your finances. I would especially impressed with their bonus offer to…read moreopen an account.

This is an excellent as per my experience. The (customer) service, overall, is quite good.read more

Love banking here ! Convenient locations. Great staff…read more Shorter lines than other banks.

5Good rates on loans! Communication can be confusing, but today on my call to the nw branch the…read moremanager spent a good amount of time explaining my loan to me (and I kept asking questions). Overall very informative! She told me to call their payment line payment center and gave me the extension4when I called their first time someone answered and right after I said hello hung up on me. I called back two times and got hung up on again both times

I opened an account with Freedom First Credit Union over six years ago here at their Downtown…read moreRoanoke branch, located on the corner of Campbell Ave and First Street. Today I decided to visit the branch to obtain a copy of my 2024 1099-INT form to provide to my tax preparer. As soon as I walked in the door I was warmly greeted by a friendly teller, who was happy to see me because she was the person who opened my account years ago and had returned back to this branch. This relationship banking is something that I value the most about my membership here. I am treated and valued as a person instead of just a number. It doesn't matter if you open an account with just $5. This deposit gives you a share of ownership in the credit union. This particular branch is very special to me for its interior design. Framed old black and white photographs of the City of Roanoke compliment its rustic architectural design, pointing to the historical significance of the Star City of the South. And it also highlights this credit union's mission. Freedom First Credit Union's mission is to help people prosper and communities thrive. To them, "Where People Bank for Good," is not just a neat slogan, it means that they utilize their members collective resources, resulting from their shared success, to be an economic catalyst in our community and improve the quality of life for everyone. One of the service they provide through the Roanoke Financial Empowerment Center is an opportunity to meet with a financial counselor and receive financial education and advice. Another is meeting with a credit union representative to review your current services and if you would benefit from switching some or adding additional ones. And yet another is meeting with a financial planner to talking about savings and investments and the power of compounding interest. Even though I still have an account with a large bank as well, Bank of America, which I've had since I started attending the University. That at that time was known as Bank of Boston, I have great pride of being a banking customer of Freedom First Credit Union and would highly recommend it to all those considering opening an account for the first time or those considering switching financial institutions because they are not happy with the service or personal attention they are receiving elsewhere.