Who we are and what we believe
HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit federally insured financial cooperative owned and operated by our members. Chartered in 1936, we serve individuals in the field of education including employees, retirees, students and their parents of Oahu schools except secondary schools in Honolulu, as well as companies and associational groups.
HawaiiUSA's mission is to improve our members' lives through our "Life matters" commitment.
Explore HawaiiUSA's History
HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union has been providing financial services to our members for 80 years. In 1936, teachers and principals on the Island of Oahu bonded together to form three credit unions based on grade levels that took advantage of the new federal regulations enabling organizations with a common bond to form credit unions.
Our Credit Union opened its doors on November 6, 1936, as Oahu Teachers No. 3 Federal Credit Union. Our field of membership comprised elementary school teachers of schools in the Honolulu District, as well as teachers of schools of all grade levels in what was then called “rural” Oahu. Over the years, our credit union benefited from the tremendous growth of population and the corresponding expansion of the school system in the Leeward, Central and Windward districts.
Our credit union ended its first year of operation with 138 members and assets of $4,499. We have since grown into the largest credit union in Hawaii by asset size of more than $1.5 billion, and we are also the largest credit union by membership with more than 123,000 members being served through 14 branch locations on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
The membership has changed to include not only teachers, but also principals and other school employees such as secretaries, counselors, cafeteria workers, volunteers and janitorial staff. Employees of all schools (not only elementary) outside the Honolulu school district, as well as students and parents, are eligible to join. In 1971, our name was changed to Oahu Educational Employees Federal Credit Union.
For many years, the membership remained predominately teacher- and school-oriented, providing a stable yet maturing membership base. There were several amendments to our charter expanding the field of membership to its current approved position, which include more than 6,000 Select Employee Groups (SEGs). A significant membership amendment occurred when the definition of immediate family member was revised to include those living outside of the household.
On February 23, 2000, the Board of Directors approved to change our name to HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union. This name change was important to accurately reflect the changes in our membership and also to gain a marketing advantage for membership expansion. Although our core membership and focus remains with the educational community, the passage of legislation by Congress allowed HawaiiUSA FCU to aggressively seek membership expansion through Select Employee Groups. After months of planning and pre-notifications, the conversion to our new name was completed on July 1, 2000. Our name better depicts our current field of membership and lays the foundation to provide service to our members statewide and possibly nationwide.
In February 2009, HawaiiUSA FCU reached a milestone as members' assets reached more than $1 billion in our credit union.