Question 1

What is SAFE Federal Credit Union?

Accepted Answer

SAFE Federal Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative serving the Midlands region of South Carolina. With approximately $1.88 billion in assets and over 142,000 members, SAFE is the largest Midlands-based credit union in South Carolina. The name SAFE originally stood for Shaw Air Force Employees Federal Credit Union, reflecting its military heritage. The credit union specializes in providing consumer banking services, personal loans, mortgage lending, and business banking to residents across a seven-county service area.

Question 2

When was SAFE Federal Credit Union founded?

Accepted Answer

SAFE Federal Credit Union was founded in 1955 by fifteen civilian employees at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter County, South Carolina. These civic-minded individuals pooled their cash resources to charter a credit union that would serve their fellow employees at the military installation. Over the past seven decades, the credit union has evolved from serving a small group of base employees to becoming a comprehensive financial institution serving the broader South Carolina Midlands community.

Question 3

Where is SAFE Federal Credit Union headquartered?

Accepted Answer

SAFE Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Sumter, South Carolina. The administrative office is located at P.O. Box 2008, Sumter, SC 29151.

Question 4

Where does SAFE Federal Credit Union operate?

Accepted Answer

SAFE Federal Credit Union operates 19 branch locations across the Midlands region of South Carolina. The credit union serves a seven-county area including Clarendon, Florence, Lee, and Sumter counties, as well as parts of Lexington, Richland, and Kershaw counties.

Branch locations span multiple cities including Sumter (with seven full-service branches), Columbia, Lexington, West Columbia, Irmo, Florence, Camden, Lugoff, Manning, Bishopville, Santee, and Shaw Air Force Base. Additionally, the credit union maintains numerous shared service locations at convenience stores, medical facilities, university campuses, and other community sites throughout the region. Members also have access to over 5,000 credit union branches and 30,000 ATMs nationwide through the CO-OP Shared Branch Network.

Question 5

What services does SAFE Federal Credit Union offer?

Accepted Answer

SAFE Federal Credit Union provides a comprehensive suite of financial services including:

Deposit Accounts: PowerUp Checking (offering 3.00% APY on balances up to $20,000), Traditional Checking, Youth Checking (for ages 15-17 and 19-29), savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit.

Lending Products: Auto loans, mortgage loans (including purchase and refinance options), personal loans, credit cards (Visa), home equity lines of credit, and business loans. The credit union also offers specialized products like checking overdraft lines of credit up to $15,000.

Digital Banking Services: Online banking with bill pay functionality, mobile banking app with mobile deposit, Pay a Person transfers, external funds transfer capabilities, account alerts, and digital wallet integration for Visa debit and credit cards. The credit union also operates Personal Teller Machines (PTMs) that provide face-to-face video access to tellers with extended hours.

Additional Services: Notary services, retirement planning, investment services, financial education workshops and webinars, and signature guarantee (Medallion stamp) services.

Question 6

What makes SAFE Federal Credit Union unique?

Accepted Answer

SAFE Federal Credit Union distinguishes itself through several key characteristics that reflect its military heritage and community-focused mission.

As the largest Midlands-based credit union in South Carolina, SAFE maintains deep roots in the Shaw Air Force Base community while serving the broader civilian population. The credit union offers specialized programs for military personnel including the Mission: SAFEkeeping Program, which provides active-duty service members and activated National Guard members with personalized financial advice, flexible loan repayment terms, and preferred-rate emergency loans. Retired service members from all military branches are automatically eligible for membership.

The credit union's commitment to returning value to members is demonstrated through its annual giveback program, where a portion of net revenue is returned to members as dividends and interest rebates. SAFE operates over 400 Select Employee Group (SEG) partnerships, allowing employees of these organizations to join even if they don't live in the seven-county service area.

Community engagement is central to SAFE's identity, with the credit union sponsoring food drives, community shred events, cleanup efforts, holiday programs, scholarship opportunities, and school improvement initiatives throughout the Midlands region. The institution emphasizes personalized service with a family-oriented approach, treating members as partners rather than customers.

Question 7

What type of financial institution is SAFE Federal Credit Union?

Accepted Answer

SAFE Federal Credit Union is a federally-chartered credit union, regulated by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) for up to $250,000 per account.

As a federal credit union, SAFE operates under a cooperative ownership structure where members are also owners with voting rights to elect the volunteer board of directors. Unlike for-profit banks that serve shareholders, SAFE's not-for-profit status means all earnings are returned to members through higher dividends on deposits, lower interest rates on loans, and reduced fees.

Membership eligibility is determined by the credit union's field of membership, which includes individuals who live, work, worship, or attend school in the seven-county service area (Clarendon, Florence, Lee, Sumter, and parts of Lexington, Richland, and Kershaw counties). Additionally, employees and members of over 400 Select Employee Group organizations, family members of existing members, and all retired military service members are eligible to join regardless of location.

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About SAFE Federal Credit Union in the United States