SF Fire Credit Union

I have been extremely happy since coming over to SF Fire Credit Union from BA. I met with a financial planner, who helped me in dealing with Retirement and IRAs. He wasn’t trying to push any sort of service, just wanted to help. For the first time I have dealt with a financial institution that I trust! Thank you SF Fire Credit Union! I feel very proud to be part of a community-​focused institution that helps support their local members!

I do not recommend going with SF Fire if you are looking for a mortgage. They are very slow to respond (expect days and weeks to go by after you apply with no responses to voicemails, emails etc.) If you are looking to actually close a loan and are in escrow, that kind of wait time would jeopardize the deal.
After experiencing the borrower side of it at SF Fire, as a seller I probably wouldn’t rate a SF Fire pre-​approval highly when considering offers, as I would guess there is a strong chance it won’t close.

I really love this credit union! Everything about them is superb… except for one small thing. Their website and encrypted messaging system are very antiquated. I use online banking quite a bit and it would be nice if it didn’t feel like I was time traveling back to 1997 to use a geocities website every time I logged on to check on my accounts. Not to mention ordering checks through their website is almost impossible. The same check vendor works with a different CU I belong to and their interface is much more modern and «working». I even sent screen shots to the CEO of SF FIre about a half a year ago. Hopefully they will make improvements.

The staff at SFFCU are AMAZING! I am so absentminded I forget my head sometimes. I have been able to get a Home Equity Loan with no issues, I am in the fifth year of the loan, every time I want to change something and can’t figure it out online there is someone here to help me. So friendly and helpful. I am now in southern CA now and I am comfortable having my banking done by these folks. The website is easy to navigate and the APP for Android and Apple are idiot proof, I sometimes like to use the APP rather than on my iMac. I just got an iPhone again so I have been using the Android for the last 5 years, so I have used both apps they are different but are able to do the same things on both devices What other CU or Bank picks up the tab for ATM fees, this alone is worth having an account at San Francisco Fire Credit Union. Love it here!
Dan Berns

Im not really sure where all these negative comments come from, this bank has bent over backwards to accommodate me and the staff is always more than courteous. Not to mention, their banking policies are the most customer friendly i have come across, including three credit unions which feel like BOA and WF when compared to SFFCU. It is truly one of the things i miss about living in SF and am thankful to be able to use them remotely. If i could do all of my banking through them, i would. However, i am geographically limited. Props to you SFFCU for putting the customer first.

I transferred my credit debt and bank accounts to SF Fire Credit union a little over a year ago. Been able to pay down what I owe by about 70% and have plans to pay the rest of before the end of 2016. I’ve always had good experiences dealing with their staff. It’s so nice to get a person on the end of the line after pressing two buttons instead of going through an endless phone tree. They offered me an APR that was ½ of what I currently paid with Wells Fargo. I find their system easy to use and truly enjoy being a member. Even when the occasional issue has arisen they’ve gone beyond and above to put things right. It’s also nice to get fees back on ATM usage, free international transactions on my VISA and not have to worry about traveling with them as my bank. This credit union truly changed my life, gave me some hope and helped me tackle a mountain of worry. I’m so glad I made the switch. Oh, and guess what, this place is a non-​profit! So any interest they earn from me goes back to helping other members and keeping fees away. :)

While I am generally happy with SF Fire Credit Union, this is just a shout out to anyone who may be reading who has a credit card with them that their Contesting Charges Dept. is pretty much useless.
I contested a charge imposed by Hertz Rent-​a-​Car (AWFUL company, BTW! Save yourself the headache and never rent a car through them. Truly, the WORST. But I digress…), who charged my credit card without my permission, and sent SF Fire Credit Union all of the necessary paperwork to support it.
I received a call today stating that they could not contest the charge because they called Hertz and Hertz said they «cannot reverse the charge.» They said that I apparently signed my life away on page 5 of the rental agreement that basically gave them permission to do so. What!!! And that was the end of it. One lousy phone call.
I tried to explain that I submitted all of the supporting documentation that was required to show that I fullfilled what I was supposed to with Hertz, but they basically just said that they couldn’t do anything. At one point, I had to ask the woman I was talking to to stop talking over me so I could finish my sentence.
I don’t know if SF Fire Credit Union is just a small company or what, but had I used my Citibank Visa, this would not have been an issue. I would have already had my money back.
I would strongly suggest that when using your credit card for a service like renting a car, hotel room, etc., do not use your SF Fire Credit Union credit card. You will have better protection with a card linked to a larger organization. That is what I will be doing from now on.

SF Fire Credit union got me out of a terrible situation, took care of me, and gained a loyal customer.
I had a small account here with some petty cash I had set up early this year. I hadn’t touched it, and hadn’t even finished setup yet. 10 months later, my wallet was stolen two days before my wedding, on the Friday night before a holiday weekend. My usual bank’s response ended up leaving me stranded when it came to vendors who didn’t accept checks, and I was in a panic.
SFFCU transferred the cash I needed to cover my vendor bills, made sure money was available, and took me from a stammering mess to a happy customer in under 30 minutes. I can’t thank them enough for their great service.

S.F. has so many banks and this is the only bank offered FREE customer parking, FREE fresh coffee with Half and half milk on an iced bucket and FREE fresh bake cookies like they were still warm.
OMG, I feel so spoiled!
Also, if you have a dog, don’t walk away without getting a doggie treat.
Honestly, I kind of regret I only took 2 cookies that morning. They were additive

They seem to be the most efficient and warm-​feeling shared co-​op credit union in SF. I drive out of my way because of the great service here. Their hours are fantastic, opening early and closing later on Saturdays, which is key with my schedule.

Love this bank. It’s the best. It came highly recommended to me, and now I highly recommend it to others. Awesome customer service and overall a great, easy experience whenever I go there or deal with them. It’s nice to support a local business. I even moved to the South Bay and it has been easy to keep my account with them.

Called the bank directly and asked if I could get a cashier’s check and explained that I’m not actually a member but my credit union is a co-​op credit union. Representative said yes we can do that for a small fee. Drove thirty minutes to the branch and after twenty minutes of waiting I was denied a cashier’s check. Manager hid in back office and didn’t want to help and instead made her employee speak with us. I wasted money on the toll and parking. Very disappointing and unprofessional. Teller was very nice and courteous but offered no other options or assistance.

Not only are credit unions the way to go, but SF Fire Credit Union is the best of its kind I know of. I like that I can access any ATM anywhere and get refunded of surcharges I might get, this is especially helpful when traveling abroad. Not many banks or credit unions do that. They also have better interest rates for savings accounts, better than commercial banks.

Great credit union. I’m so glad that after 7 years with Bank of America I made the switch.

The best decision I have ever made was leaving the big banks to go over to SFFCU. They care about the community and it shows.

The service is amazing!!!
First off, I’ve had a bank of america all my life, and did not know to much of credit unions. I did my research and out of all the credit unions in the bay area. I have to say SF Fire Credit Union was the best choice. I qualified for this credit union because I went to school at San Francisco State. And If you go to school there, I would recommend to open an account with this credit union.
Their interest rates on their credit card is low compared to most banks and their rate of return is higher than most banks.
I like how the minimum amount to start an account is 0 dollars so it was very easy to open one.
I also liked that when I call, I get to talk to a real live person right away and they are very nice and helpful.
I have a lot of change, and one of the perks I really like is that they have a coin star machine that does not take out any percentage if you are a member.
I am a very satisfied member

I joined SF Fire for the sole purpose of getting free ATM transactions. While they have done well with that, including my overseas transactions, they have caused massive headaches elsewhere. First and foremost, their online banking website must have been designed in 1997. It’s embarrassingly dated and archaic, and I fear for my online security every time I log in. And why can’t I have a freaking user name for logging in, instead of a member number? I need to do a lookup every single time I log in. Seriously, get with the times.
About six weeks ago, I had a mysterious check charged to my account that did not belong to me. After the first three calls to customer service, and after a wait of over four weeks, the transaction had not been corrected. Then they brilliantly charged me a SECOND TIME for the same check. After another call to customer service and being put on hold for fifteen minutes. I was told that the person who could authorize the correction was unavailable, but he/​she would call me back before closing time that day. Of course, I received no call.
SF Fire may be great for some things, but they clearly have a deficient back-​end IT system that is a ticking time bomb for a security breach. I’m currently searching for another bank or credit union that will give me similar ATM reimbursements.

I’ve been a member since I moved to SF in 2012. I initially loved how the don’t charge fees to use other ATMs and then they even refund you the fee that other banks charge you. I think we can all agree those are the most annoying fees ever.
Their credit card has minimal fees as well. No cash advance, balance transfer, or foreign exchange fees. They will occasionally allow you to collect points on balance transfers.
The customer service couldn’t be better. They are all very nice and will follow-​up with you if they cannot provide immediate resolution. They needed to fix a glitch regarding the amount of funds immediately available after I deposited a check. They gave me a call after it was fixed.
I definitely encourage everyone to join, I couldn’t be happier about where I keep accounts.

SFFD Fire Credit Union is AWESOME!
First, the service — outstanding.
Second, the response times at the branch, as well as via the online chat are superior to any bank. Even email correspondence with associates is on point.
Third, the staff — Rujni, Adrian, Simon have all gone above and beyond for me with my home loan, cashiers checks, and everything I need. Literally every person that works here is responsive, helpful, and seems to be happy — so obviously management is doing something correctly. I also love the seasonal events and celebrations — pumpkin contest, ornaments and decorations.
If you are eligible, do yourself a favor and open an account here or refinance your mortgage — you can thank me later ;)

#1) I talk to real people. Smart people. People to whom I can relate.
#2) My valuable time is not wasted by inefficient IVR and impersonal call center processes. When I call, I am immediately routed to someone who can help. And if they can’t, they transfer me — quickly — to someone who can.
#3) Decisions are made quickly, logically, and contextually.
#4) Creative financial services options — far superior to any I’ve seen with a big bank.
#5) They play fair. Rates are reasonable, and I feel like we’re in a proper business relationship — they’re of course profiting from me, but they’re not bleeding me dry.