Affinity Federal Credit Union | SmartStart

Earn 7X the National Average²

Whether you’re saving for a down payment, dream vacation, or rainy day, we’re here to help you earn more toward your financial goals with our high-yield SmartStart Savings account.

Competitive Rates

Earn 3.25% APY on the first $10,000 and 0.75% APY on every dollar after.

Zero Fees

No monthly account fees³ when enrolled in eStatements and no minimum balance requirements.

Federally Insured

Your deposits are federally insured by the NCUA up to $250,000⁴.

CNBC Editor's Pick

2023 CNBC Select Editor's Pick for Saving Accounts

Named "Best Credit Union Savings Account for Deposits Under $10,000" by CNBC Select.

2024 Buy Side Rated for High-Yield Savings Accounts

Buy Side from Wall Street Journal rated SmartStart Savings the “Best Credit Union High-Yield Savings Account for 2024.”

Total Access When You Need It

Enjoy unlimited transfers and withdrawals between your accounts at Affinity or other financial institutions.

Deposit checks, send money with Zelle⁵, schedule transfers and more with our Mobile Banking App.

Grow your savings faster with direct deposits from your paycheck and receive your funds up to 2 days early^{6^.}

HOW TO OPEN AN AFFINITY SMARTSTART SAVINGS ACCOUNT

1

Join Affinity!

Our savings accounts, debit cards and other services are for members only. Joining is easy: Join online or call us at 800.213.5003.

2

Apply for a SmartStart Savings Account

Get started on your application online, in-branch or over the phone—click here to apply online.

3

Fund Your Account

With just a $5 opening deposit and no minimum balance requirement, you can start earning dividends right away. The sooner you begin, the more time you'll have to enjoy higher yields.

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All loan and deposit accounts require Affinity membership with a $5 deposit to a membership eligibility account.

¹ APY = Annual Percentage Yield. APY is effective as of 3/21/2025. The APY is accurate as of the latest dividend declaration date. Dividend rates and annual percentage yield are subject to change after the account is opened at our discretion without notice to you. We do not impose a limit on the amount the dividend rate and Annual Percentage Yield on your account may change. The dividend rate on your account is determined by the credit union.

This account requires an initial opening deposit of $5.00. Fees could reduce earnings on this account. One account per member allowed.

If your daily balance is $10,000 or less, the dividend rate paid on the entire balance will be 3.20%, with an APY of 3.25% . A dividend rate of 0.75% will be paid only on the portion of your daily balance that is greater than $10,000. The APY for this tier will range from 3.25% to 0.85%, depending on the balance in the account.

² Based on the national savings rate referenced from the FDIC’s National Rates and Rate Caps published on March 17, 2025 at FDIC.gov. National average is subject to change without notice.

³ To qualify for no monthly fees and avoid the $2 monthly paper statement fee, upon opening your SmartStart Savings Account, you must enroll in paperless statements (eStatements) either by registering and logging in to your Online Banking or Mobile Banking account. For new members, the paper statement fee is waived for the first 45 days of membership, after that, if you have not enrolled in eStatements you may be assessed a $2 paper statement fee per month. Enrollment in eStatements means you will not receive mail delivery of your statements and you have agreed to Electronic Delivery Disclosure. You may withdraw your consent to receive paperless statements anytime by logging in to your Online Banking or Mobile banking account. If you choose to withdraw from eStatements you will be charged a $2 monthly paper statement fee. Note: The fee is waived for tenant accounts, members age 70 or older, and children age 12 and under.

⁴ Affinity is a federally insured credit union, which means that all members are protected by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, with deposits insured up to at least $250,000 per share owner for each account ownership type.

⁵ Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. Zelle® is available to checking and savings account holders in the U.S. only. To receive money in minutes, the recipient's email address or U.S. mobile number must already be enrolled with Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled consumers typically occur in minutes and generally do not incur transaction fees.

⁶ Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. Once your direct deposit goes into effect, Affinity may make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date. On occasion, we may not receive your deposit information ahead of time from the ACH originator and may not be able to post your deposit early. In this case, your deposit will post on the scheduled posting date. We recommend that you do not write checks or authorize any other withdrawals against your direct deposit funds until you verify the funds have been posted to your account. Affinity FCU is not responsible for overdraft fees or penalties resulting from transactions that occur due to anticipated early direct deposit postings.