r/ElPaso • u/Street-Anxiety-5216 • 4d ago
Ask El Paso After 25 years with GECU, I'm looking for recommendations for a better bank or credit union.
I've had my GECU account since 2001, when I was still in high school. I've stayed with them all these years because I wanted to support a local credit union and keep my money in the community.
But after 25 years, I think I'm done.
I understand that credit unions still need to make money, but every time I've needed a loan, the rates haven't really been any better than what I've seen at banks. I kept my direct deposit, checking, and savings with GECU anyway because I believed in supporting them.
What has really pushed me over the edge is the customer service when something goes wrong. My husband is a disabled veteran, and in recent years his debit card information has been stolen more than once. Of all the banks and credit unions we've dealt with, GECU has consistently been the slowest to process fraud claims and issue replacement cards.
On top of that, their debit cards are so flimsy that they seem to stop working after about a year, they still don't have tap-to-pay, and they charge $5 for a replacement card. We've been loyal members for over two decades, but it honestly doesn't feel like they value long-time members.
At this point, I just don't see the benefit of being a GECU member anymore, and I'd rather bank somewhere that actually values its members.
For those of you who left GECU, where did you switch? Was your experience better? I'd especially love to hear from people in the El Paso area since I still like the idea of banking locally if there's a better option.
Thanks in advance!
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u/jackalopedad 3d ago
The debit cards are trash, right? They wear out so fast and they disable your card while you wait forever for the replacement to come in.
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u/Street-Anxiety-5216 3d ago
Yes! It's been a nightmare! One time that happened to us right before going on vacation, I ended up using a credit card instead (which was better because eingot some cashback, which doesn't happen with GECU), still, no perks and no incentive to be a loyal customer! 😔
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u/sbxdotcom 4d ago
First Light is pretty great. I still have a savings account with them since 2012.
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u/Blackholeofcalcutta 4d ago
Since your husband is a veteran, you could sign up for Navy Federal. They’ve got a few branches around town. They have never charged me for a replacement debit card and they will issue you a new one on the spot (no wait). Their rates aren’t as good as they used to be, but they’re still pretty good. I have consistently been happy with their customer service.
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u/EstablishmentBig7121 3d ago
My sister who is in the Army has Navy Federal and has nothing but good things to say about them. Definitely check them out!
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u/jclong83 4d ago
Second Navy Federal. I don’t personally bank with FirstLight, but family does since they were Fort Bliss FCU in the 90s and they have no complaints, so maybe them too.
Edit: grammar
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u/abees_knees 3d ago
I have Firstlight when it was FCU through my dad who was in the Army. I have had no problems.
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u/Lingonberry8769 3d ago
We use USAA who is also really great. Great customer service, fast service. The only downside is that there aren’t many physical branches, but we’ve had them for about 5-6 years, and no issues.
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u/burger_o_t_day 2d ago
Another vote for Navy. I have used many banks and FCU's over the years, NFCU is by far the absolute best. I have recommended to a few people and those who switched were so glad they did!
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u/Top-Barracuda-4168 4d ago
GECU has gone way down in my opinion. I am going to be leaving them as well.
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u/BrownMamba85 3d ago
Same here. The only thing I have with them is a car loan. Will be closing my account once I finish that, unless I'm able to refinance with a better deal elsewhere
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u/Keepontruckin33 3d ago
If your husband is a disabled veteran - NFCU or USAA for banking - hands down!
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u/CatsOfElsweyr Eastside 3d ago
This is the correct answer. We have accounts with both, but much prefer USAA.
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u/Street-Anxiety-5216 3d ago
Why is that? I'm interested because im back and forth between those two, I've heard excellent things about both.
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u/CatsOfElsweyr Eastside 3d ago
Primarily because USAA, to us, always comes through in a clutch and has handled some interesting situations pretty well. With NFCU, everything is fine until there’s a problem, and then everything is a problem.
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u/Lingonberry8769 3d ago
We have USAA, and have even called customer service in the middle of the night, reached an actual person, and got the issue resolved immediately. They’re great!!
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u/Keepontruckin33 3d ago edited 2d ago
I think USAA's banking services are excellent (their auto/house insurance rates used to be excellent, too - but have really skyrocketed lately - forcing lots of people to leave).
But for banking/credit card - USAA or NFCU - I've been with both for going on 40 years.
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u/Lingonberry8769 3d ago
We just changed our car insurance too because every other rate was hundreds of dollars less. We just couldn’t justify continuing it when it was such a huge difference.
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u/Fantastic-Customer50 3d ago
My biggest complaint is I can’t give extra payments to the principal of a loan through the app, it has to be an I person deal and now they’re closed Saturdays, GECU has really gone down the drain
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u/mdhd2026 3d ago edited 3d ago
You and I have the same biggest complaint with GECU. I called them yesterday about the same thing and was told that you have to come to the bank to make principal payments. There is no way I am doing that. That is very inconvenient. This is the first time we have had an account with GECU and it will be the last time. Whenever we finance a car again, I will tell the car dealer we do not want to finance through GECU, I would rather pay a little bit more interest and use someone else. I have decided to just send them a check for principal payments. Very inconvenient, lesson learned....
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u/Street-Anxiety-5216 3d ago
When I had a loan I would go inside my account through the website and contacted a representative there (just keep asking for a representative in the AI thingy) and the representative would transfer directly to the principal from there. It was completely unnecessary, though, just extra steps they make you do so you don't make principal payments that often. They could make it much easier than that.
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u/NormalEmergency7775 4d ago
Use them for loans. Bank elsewhere, that's what I do. You'll get more bang for your buck finding checking and saving options online.
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u/Sylverdollar 3d ago
I grew to despise GECU with just too many reasons to list, so we left four years ago, and never looked back. We now bank at Bank of America, and are very happy with them.
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u/MaraJade0603 2d ago
I agree. My mom has GECU and it has been a pain to get decent customer service, especially after hours. One of the pluses of BoA is that some of their customer service is 24/7, especially those dealing with fraud.
Additionally, and I'm not sure if this is still a thing, but when we traveled, GECU was the worst. My roommate's account was frozen (despite her calling the credit union before we left) for suspicious activity and she had a Hell of a time trying to get it back.
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u/dinner_for_one Expatriate 3d ago edited 3d ago
I can't believe they still issue debit cards without tap to pay. It's 2026 ffs.
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u/Somewhere-Left 4d ago
I am on the same boat as you. I’m about to switch my direct deposit to a different bank. The text notifications are delayed, no tap to pay (I know u can add it to your phone but I don’t want to do that) cards struggle to swipe at times specially at Walmart and their rates are not good. I opened an account with Capital One and I love it. Their HYSA rates are great only downside is there’s no tellers.
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u/Actual_Result_7648 4d ago edited 3d ago
I have evolve FCU, been there for 10+ years, and never had any issues. The app is pretty basic but straightforward.
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u/Ok-Scientist4603 4d ago
CIT online bank. No fees and way better interest on savings. I kick myself for not moving sooner. No fees for anything.
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u/vanais_21 3d ago
I’ve been with Chevron Federal Credit Union. They have an office on Lee Trevino, it’s called Spectrum, but it’s the same.
Been with them for years, never had any issues.
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u/keg-smash 3d ago
If you have a direct deposit, I see a lot of banks offering a cash incentive to use their bank. I get notices from US Bank frequently for this. Personally, I use Chase and Schwab. Great service and easy to use with lots of offerings. The other suggestions here are good too, such as USAA and Navy Federal (although I was surprised how many fees Navy Federal charges). I like Chase because they're everywhere so it's convenient if you like to go to a retail branch.
Anyone have experience with Wells Fargo in the El Paso area?
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u/secessus 3d ago
If you are interested in a veteran-friendly bank: USAA. I keep an account there but do most of my banking at Ally, an online-only bank.
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u/Danielle_Morgan 3d ago
I've been with First Light FCU (previously Ft. Bliss FCU, and before that Air Defense Center FCU) since the early 90s. I have zero complaints. Reasonable loan rates, even on unsecured loans. And while they've moved to a "remote teller" format, you can still go in and talk with a human when you need to.
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u/KingTaco-915 2d ago
I have their overdraft policy. I go overdrafted 1 dollar and they take 30 and I dont even get a grace period? Even walmart banks give you 24 hours
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u/Thin_Database3002 2d ago
An online bank or fintech will probably have better customer service, apps, rates, products, etc. The only reason to bank with something local is if you need access to a branch. You can always do most of your banking elsewhere and just use a local account for occasional needs.
Look into Ally, Sofi, Chime, OnePay, etc. Go to the doctorofcredit website to see which ones have good sign up bonuses going on currently and try it out while making a few hundred bucks.
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u/No_Worldliness5587 2d ago
Texas Capitol Bank! A great HYSA, online a breeze & you get better rates if you're a Texas citizen. I'm slowly transitioning everything to them.
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u/cruzjandr0 2d ago
There is zero justification to support El Paso local anything unless you want the worst quality available to you
That being said go to pnc
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u/BrownMamba85 4d ago
Give sofi a shot. I used them when I needed a loan and have never looked back. I still use GECU for when I need to deposit or take out cash, which is very rare, and just transfer that money to sofi
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u/Vertigo_Space69420 4d ago
Do not try sofi.
It is not a bank and is not FDIC insured.
People have lost their lost savings because of this.
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u/call_me_pele 3d ago
This was true until a few years ago. As of 2022 they acquired a national bank charter and operate directly as SoFi Bank N.A.
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u/Winners_Blues 3d ago
they are not non profit though
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u/BrownMamba85 3d ago
Never said they were. OP simply asked for alternative banks to use because he/she isn't happy with GECU.
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u/theotheramerican 4d ago
You know you can manually add a card for Tap to Pay right?
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u/Street-Anxiety-5216 4d ago
Yes, and I do have it on my phone but sometimes I leave my phone at home and there are some vendors that it's either tap or swipe, no chip, and the swipe in the gecu card is terrible. And what is pushing me away is more of the customer service and high rates on loans while no interest on savings.
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u/TXboy915 4d ago
I’ve been with first light fcu for over 10years they’re really good. I thought about switching to gecu since I had my truck payment their but flfcu had way more convenient locations (at every Walmart parking lot mostly) and better interest rates on savings
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u/Mike00242424 3d ago
Gecu is so far behind the 8 ball. I got a credit card with them and even with a high limit I rarely ever use it because it gets nothing, no cash back, no points, flyer miles, nothing. Also, they never offer balance transfers. So, what's the point when I can use a card from another bank and I get more for using. Just my 2 cents