Altura Credit Union is California's largest credit union headquartered in Riverside County, offering savings, checking, mortgages, and wealth management to members across Southern California.
Editorially reviewed by Harvey Brooks
Altura Credit Union was founded in 1957 as Riverside Schools Credit Union to serve county school district employees. Over decades, it expanded through strategic mergers—notably absorbing Riverside County Federal Credit Union in 1998 and Visterra Credit Union in 2015—to become Riverside County's largest credit union with $1.1 billion in assets and 118,000 members as of 2016. The organization is federally insured and state-chartered by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
Altura offers a comprehensive suite of financial services including checking and savings accounts, consumer loans, commercial and residential mortgages, credit cards, and wealth management services. Members access these services through 19 full-service branches and 52 ATMs, plus membership in the CO-OP Financial Services and CU Service Centers interbank networks, expanding ATM access nationally. The credit union also operates Auto Expert, a subsidiary providing vehicle buying and locating assistance to members and partner credit union members.
What distinguishes Altura is its broad field of membership eligibility—open to anyone living, working, worshiping, or attending school in Riverside, San Diego, select Orange County and San Bernardino County cities, plus U.S. military personnel and March Air Reserve Base employees and their retirees. This inclusive membership policy reflects its evolution from a school employees' credit union to a community-focused financial institution. Auto Expert also received the California Award for Performance Excellence Gold Award in 2007, equivalent to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Altura is best suited for Southern California residents seeking credit union membership with competitive rates and member-owned governance. However, membership eligibility is geographically limited to specific Southern California counties and military affiliations, making it inaccessible to residents outside these areas. As a credit union, it may have fewer digital-first features than larger national banks, though specific product comparisons would require direct review of current offerings.
Yes. Altura is a registered company headquartered in , , founded in 1957. They hold a rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Membership approval and account opening typically takes 1-3 business days. Loan decisions are usually faster than traditional banks.
CreditDoc Diagnosis
Altura is best for Southern California residents within its defined membership area or military-affiliated individuals seeking traditional full-service credit union banking with local branches. The primary caveat is strict geographic limitation—membership is restricted to specific Southern California counties and military affiliations, making it inaccessible to most U.S. consumers outside these boundaries.
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