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Financial Education

How to Join Desert Financial

December 04, 2023 | 8 min read

In this article

  • Plain and simple: It’s easy and fast to join Desert Financial!
  • Eligibility: Live, work, volunteer, or worship in our coverage area, have a family member that is already an established member or be an employee of Desert Financial.
  • Desert Financial offers a range of benefits and rewards and is passionate about the Arizona community. Join today!
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We’re so excited you’re interested in joining Desert Financial! With so many big benefits and rewards, you won’t look back at your banking past. The following explains how to join Desert Financial and make the switch from your old bank.

Joining Desert Financial is not only a great move to make, it’s easy to do and fast! If you haven’t read up on the benefits of joining a credit union, here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll get for joining us: Free Checking1, the potential to earn an annual cashback bonus2, convenient online and mobile banking, supporting the community and so much more.

Keep in mind, you will need to open a Membership Savings3 account with $25. This is your share in Desert Financial Credit Union as part-owner! Follow these steps for becoming a member:

1. Only one requirement

Anyone can be a member of Desert Financial. You just have to meet one of these three requirements:

  • Live, work, attend school, volunteer or worship in our membership coverage area, which includes all of Arizona (with the exception of Apache, Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties) OR
  • Be an immediate family member of a current Desert Financial member OR
  • Be an employee of Desert Financial

2. What you need to open an account

Here’s what you need to open an account:

  • Valid driver’s license or government-issued ID
  • Social security number
  • Phone number
  • Email address (required for opening an account online)
  • Date of birth and address

3. Ways to join

You can conveniently open an account online or if you prefer, call us at (602) 433-5626 so we can help you step-by-step through the process. You can also come into a branch where we can meet you personally and ensure you’re all set up in-person. It’s up to you!

4. Making the switch

The first step is to apply for and open an account. Next, if you’re moving all of your banking over to Desert Financial, we created a handy “Switch Kit” for you to reference!

Switch Kit - How to join DFCU

Get to know us better

Desert Financial offers the same products and services as most banks — plus better banking benefits like Free Checking1, fewer and lower fees, and in many cases lower loan rates, higher interest on savings accounts and more. Feel free to tour our website to learn about all of our offerings:

  • Checking and savings accounts
  • Auto loans and refinancing
  • Mortgage loans and refinancing4
  • Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
  • Personal loans
  • Credit cards
  • A suite of business banking solutions

You may be surprised to know that we also offer financial planning products and services for wills and trusts, investments and insurance for life, home, business or Medicare.

Get more & a better way to bank

In addition to financial products and services, we offer MORE such as:

  • Cash Back:  an annual cash bonus,2 sweepstakes, $100 for referring a friend, up to $500 cash back for an auto refi5 and a credit of up to $5,000 towards closing costs through our Real Estate Broker Program when you buy a home and use a Participating Broker!6
  • Convenience:  open an account online and get access to online banking and our top-rated mobile banking app so you can easily stay on top of your finances! Mobile banking makes life easier; you can transfer money, set savings goals and even apply for a loan online with a simple tap.
  • Community:  you support Random Acts of Kindness and local teachers, share in our success and help give back to your community.

Relationship Rewards

Back to that annual cash bonus … The Member Giveback Bonus is a part of our free Relationship Rewards program distributed every year to our members who do the most transacting, saving and borrowing with us. There are three rewards levels, and the more points you earn, the more benefits you get as you level up — from loan and product discounts to fee waivers and a bigger bonus.

Our giving back philosophy

We generously give back not just because that’s what credit unions do, but because we truly care about making lives better. As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to reinvest funds in more ways that benefit you, our members, community and team. Here’s a glance at our giveback efforts:

  • Member perks like our Relationship Rewards program, cash back and sweepstakes
  • Local outreach including nonprofit partnerships, volunteering, fundraising and donations, scholarships, grants, Teacher Appreciation, Random Acts of Kindness and crisis-relief solutions
  • An extensive list of  employee benefits such as our fun culture, giveaways, paid time off for volunteering, 401K matching and our InvestED program offering tuition coverage for online undergraduate programs and a substantial discount on graduate degree programs at Arizona State University

By simply being a member of Desert Financial, you’re supporting all of the ways we give back. You help us share success!

Now that you know how to join and have allowed us to introduce ourselves, we’ll let you make the next move. Make sure to connect with us too on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn to learn more about who we are and what we do for you. We’re always posting new sweepstakes and giveaways!

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Disclosures

1

Checking is free; however, fees for overdraft or additional services may apply. See Fee Schedule. Membership eligibility required. For complete account terms and conditions, refer to the published Statements of Terms, Conditions and Disclosures.

2

For further information regarding the Relationship Rewards program and eligibility of the Member Giveback Bonus, please see the Relationship Rewards Disclosure – Supplement to the Statements of Terms, Conditions and Disclosures.

3

Primary account holder must meet Desert Financial’s membership eligibility and credit qualification requirements, including opening a Membership Savings account with a minimum balance of $25. Checking is free; however, fees for overdraft or additional services may apply. For complete terms and conditions, refer to the published Statements of Terms, Conditions and Disclosures.

4

Mortgage loans are offered by Define Mortgage Solutions, LLC, NMLS ID #1761612, BK#0949053, a subsidiary of Desert Financial Credit Union.

5

Cashback offer is only available for the refinancing of non-Desert Financial auto loans with a minimum refinanced amount of $10,000. Amount of cash back is calculated based on 1% of the total loan amount financed, not including amounts financed for purchased ancillary products such as Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) and Mechanical Breakdown Protection (MBP). Maximum cashback amount is $500. Cash back will be deposited into the primary borrower’s Desert Financial Membership Savings account within one business day of the loan funding. Cashback amounts are subject to all applicable taxes and are the responsibility of the recipient. Offer subject to change.

6

Participation in the Real Estate Broker Program is voluntary. Desert Financial Credit Union and its subsidiary Define Mortgage Solutions LLC do not receive any benefit, monetary or otherwise, from the Participating Broker under this program. Participating Brokers are non-affiliated third parties of Define Mortgage Solutions LLC and Define Mortgage Solutions LLC makes no warranties or representations about the service provided by the Participating Brokers. To participate in this program, the member does not have to finance the mortgage loan with Define Mortgage Solutions LLC. Amount of credit will vary and is based on 25% of the buyer’s agent’s commission up to a maximum of $5,000. For full program details, see the Real Estate Broker Program Notice. Mortgage loans are offered by Define Mortgage Solutions, LLC, NMLS ID #1761612, BK#0949053, a subsidiary of Desert Financial Credit Union.

The material presented here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as financial, investment or legal advice.

Leaving our website

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Desert Financial does not endorse and is not responsible for the content, links, accessibility, or security of any external website. The privacy and security policies of Desert Financial do not apply to the linked website. We encourage you to review these policies upon visiting the linked site to see how they apply to you.