- Starting price
- Free app, $100 to open savings
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- iOS - Android - Web
- Developer
- AdelFi Credit Union
- Launched
- 1957
- Updated
- Jul 27, 2026
The verdict
A real Christian credit union with competitive small-balance rates, no monthly checking fee and a serious ministry real-estate lending arm - and it is privately insured rather than federally insured, a fact its own app listing contradicts. Right for Christian households and ministries who understand American Share Insurance and keep balances inside the covered limits. Wrong for anyone who treats federal deposit insurance as non-negotiable, or who came looking for a budgeting app.
Try AdelFi ↗Opens adelfibanking.com
Almost everything written about AdelFi online reviews it as an app. It is not an app. AdelFi is a member-owned, not-for-profit credit union serving, in its own words, "individuals, families, churches, and ministries across the United States," and AdelFi Mobile Banking is the software it ships so members can move money without driving somewhere. The 4.8 average across 756 App Store ratings - and the listing at Apple ID 1040962793 is the primary member-facing app, not a companion - is a verdict on check deposit and bill pay, not on whether your money is safe, whether you can join, or what a wire costs.
The most important finding is a contradiction inside AdelFi's own material. Its FAQ page states: "By members' choice, this institution is not federally insured," and explains that deposits are protected instead by American Share Insurance, covering "$250,000 per deposit account (NOT per member)." The App Store description - version 4022.0.0, dated 23 July 2026, four days before this review - closes with "Federally insured by NCUA." Both statements are AdelFi's. Only one can be correct, and the one on the disclosure pages is the one a depositor should act on.
Second, AdelFi in July 2026 is a merger in progress. On 1 December 2025, Christian Community Credit Union and AdelFi Credit Union combined into what the press release calls "the largest faith-based credit union in the United States," with "over 125 years of collective credit union experience." Blair Korschun, previously CCCU's chief executive, leads the combined organisation; Susan Rushing, AdelFi's interim CEO, became Chief Risk Officer. The AdelFi name is only four years old - it replaced Evangelical Christian Credit Union in 2022 - while the published history timeline opens in 1957 with American Baptist Ministers Credit Union. Two institutional histories now read as one.
Everything numerical below was read on 27 July 2026. The rates page carried an effective date of 07/24/2026, the consumer fee schedule 1/1/2026. Rates move, and a published APY is a snapshot rather than a promise. Nothing here is financial advice.
✓ The good
- Deposit rates are published openly and dated - the rates page read on 27 July 2026 was marked effective 07/24/2026, with Harvest Savings at 5.00% APY on the first $5,000. Plenty of institutions bury this behind a phone call.
- Neither checking product carries a monthly fee - the Schedule of Fees effective 1/1/2026 lists "Free Checking No charge" and "Harvest Checking No charge," sets free monthly ATM withdrawals at "Unlimited," and prices Online Banking and Bill Payer at no charge.
- Eligibility is national rather than geographic - "Membership is open to Christians from most denominations," and individuals, families, churches, ministries and Christian-owned businesses "can apply online from anywhere in the United States." Nothing read imposes a required donation, membership due or named-denomination affiliation.
- Branch and ATM reach exceeds the institution - "30,000+ Surcharge-Free ATMs + Over 5,600 Shared Branches nationwide" through the CO-OP network, which is how a scattered national membership gets counter service at all.
- Ministry lending is a genuine specialism - AdelFi publishes that it has "funded over $1 billion in ministry real estate loans," and Ministry Banking is a full product line with its own checking, savings and certificates.
- The mission-giving card carries a cumulative total - "Since 1995, members have helped contribute more than $6.9 million to Christian missions," a checkable figure with a start year rather than an unquantified claim about generosity.
✗ Watch out
- AdelFi is not federally insured, and its own App Store listing says it is - "By members' choice, this institution is not federally insured" against "Federally insured by NCUA." A prospective member who reads only the store listing will believe something about the safety of their money that AdelFi's disclosures deny.
- The per-account insurance structure is framed to flatter - the site presents "$250,000 per deposit account (NOT per member)" and "no limit to the number of accounts" as better than federal coverage, illustrating it with ten accounts reaching $2.5 million. That headroom exists only if you open and maintain ten qualifying accounts, and the insurer behind them is a private mutual company.
- The best rates stop at small balances - Harvest Savings pays 5.00% APY only on $0 to $5,000, then 2.25% to $10,000, then 0.10% above $10,000.01. On a $50,000 balance the blended yield is dominated by that 0.10% tier.
- The merger is visibly unfinished - the FAQ confirms online banking platforms remain separate, two toll-free numbers are still live, forms are tagged "(Original CCCU)" or "(Original AdelFi)," and unified branding plus a digital upgrade are promised for mid-2026 and summer 2026.
- The strongest faith-based commitment appears only in paid content - the claim that AdelFi "reinvests at least 10% of net income annually into Gospel-proclaiming ministries" comes from a Christian Post piece labelled as produced by CP Brand Solutions and paid for by an advertiser. The purpose, mission and values page states no percentage at all.
- There is no published lending screen - AdelFi publishes a statement of faith and cites "biblically-based business principles," but nothing read sets out what it will not finance or how faith shapes underwriting. Members assuming a negative screen exists are assuming.
Best for
- Christian households wanting a values-aligned primary account
- Churches and ministries needing real-estate lending
- Small savers keeping balances under $5,000
- Members who understand private deposit insurance
Avoid if
- You require federally insured deposits
- You hold more than $250,000 in one account
- You want a branch in your own town
- You are shopping for a budgeting app
What AdelFi is
AdelFi Christian Banking is a member-owned, not-for-profit credit union offering personal, business and Ministry Banking products to Christians and Christian organisations across the United States. The product set is conventional: free and high-yield checking, savings and money market accounts, certificates, youth accounts, mortgages and home equity lines, auto and personal loans, credit cards, and church real-estate lending. AdelFi Mobile Banking, the free iOS and Android app, is the delivery channel - transfers, bill pay, mobile deposit, wire initiation, loan payments, debit card controls, alerts and an ATM locator.
The organisation in its current form dates to 1 December 2025, when Christian Community Credit Union and AdelFi Credit Union merged. Its published history timeline reaches back to a 1957 founding as American Baptist Ministers Credit Union, with milestones of $29 million in assets in 1978, over $440 million and 28,700 members in 2007, and over $800 million in 2021.
The insurance question is the differentiator, and not as AdelFi frames it
Most reviews of a bank's app never reach the balance sheet. Here it is unavoidable. AdelFi tells members that "Each account (NOT per member) is insured up to $250,000 through American Share Insurance, with no limit to the number of accounts that can be insured," presenting this as more generous than federal coverage. Separately and just as plainly, the FAQ says the institution is not federally insured. Both are true together: AdelFi is privately insured.
For contrast, federal share insurance through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund covers at least $250,000 per member at each federally insured credit union, and the NCUA's consumer site at mycreditunion.gov/share-insurance states the fund is "backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government." American Share Insurance is a private mutual insurer with no such federal guarantee. That is not an accusation of weakness; it is a materially different risk to price. What is hard to defend is an App Store description telling prospective members the opposite in five words.
Deposit insurance: American Share Insurance, not the NCUA
Coverage is $250,000 per deposit account rather than per member, with no cap on the number of accounts insured. A member holding checking, savings, two certificates and a money market can therefore carry more insured dollars at AdelFi than at a federally insured credit union without using multiple ownership categories. AdelFi's worked example is ten accounts at $250,000 for $2.5 million.
The trade is the guarantee behind the coverage. The merger release calls ASI "increased deposit protection," accurate on the per-account arithmetic and silent on the difference between a private mutual insurer and a federal fund backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Anyone weighing that trade should read AdelFi's FAQ and ASI's own disclosures rather than an app store description, which on this point is simply wrong.
What the rates pay, and where they stop
Deposits, effective 07/24/2026: Harvest Savings 5.00% APY to $5,000, 2.25% to $10,000, 0.10% above $10,000.01. Harvest Checking 4.00% APY to $5,000. High-Yield Money Market 4.00% APY to $100,000. Standard Money Market 0.65% to 1.25% APY, $1,000 minimum; Premium Money Market 0.80% to 2.00% APY, $10,000 minimum. Certificates: Welcome Certificate 3.70% APY at 5 months and 4.00% APY at 10 months, Liquid 1.90% APY at 15 months, Step-it-Up 2.00% APY at 30 months, Term Share 2.25% to 3.60% APY.
Lending, same date: 30-year fixed conforming mortgage 6.570% APR, 15-year fixed 5.737% APR, 5/6 ARM 5.817% APR. HELOC 3.99% APR introductory for six months, then 7.50% to 9.50% variable. Auto 6.49% APR new, pre-owned or refinanced, 6.99% APR lease buy-out or cash out, 8.99% APR private party. MyAdvantage personal loans 8.99% APR over 24 to 36 months, personal credit line 11.75% APR, share secured 3.10% APR. Cards: Visa and Mastercard 0% for 12 months then 14.49% to 28.49% APR; Cash Rewards Visa 0% for six months then 18.49% to 32.49% APR.
The fee schedule, line by line
From the consumer Schedule of Fees effective 1/1/2026. Overdrafts: $14 each time for insufficient funds paid with Courtesy Pay, $14 each for items returned against insufficient funds. Returned items $20.00 deposited or cashed, $30.00 loan payment. Stop payment on check or ACH $30.00. Wires: $10.00 all incoming, $30.00 domestic outgoing, $25.00 international tracer. Cashier's check $8.00, money order $3.00, statement copy $5.00.
The ones that catch people: "Inactive Account (over 18 months) $7.50/monthly" plus a $2.00 escheat notice; monthly minimum-balance charges of $5.00 on savings below $100, $10.00 on Money Market below $1,000 and $15.00 on Premium Money Market below $10,000; $6.00 per money market check beyond six a month; certificate early withdrawal at $25.00 plus 90, 120 or 180 days of dividends by term; "Loan payment by phone - ACH $14.50"; a 1% international service assessment on debit transactions; replacement card $5.00 with a $40.00 rush. Notary on AdelFi documents is free, $15.00 per signature otherwise.
Pricing
Membership
Free to join, $100 to open savings
No membership due. Opening an account requires "a valid government-issued ID, a Social Security number, and an initial deposit for your membership savings account." Harvest Savings is $100 minimum to open, and the fee schedule charges "Savings (if below $100 minimum balance) $5.00 per month" - $60 a year if the balance slips. Savings for minors under 18 is "No charge."
Free Checking
No monthly fee
Listed as "Free Checking No charge," with unlimited free ATM withdrawals, free Online Banking and Bill Payer, and no fee for Zelle or mobile check deposits. Pays no dividend. Overdraft handling is the cost centre: "Insufficient funds paid with Courtesy Pay $14 each time" and returned items against insufficient funds at $14 each.
Harvest Checking
4.00% APY to $5,000
Also no monthly charge, and the highest-yielding checking option published, at 4.00% APY up to $5,000 as of 07/24/2026. The cap is the story: 4.00% on $5,000 is about $200 a year gross at a constant rate, and nothing extra above it. Best used as the account you spend from.
Harvest Savings
5.00% APY to $5,000
The headline rate: 5.00% APY on $0 to $5,000, 2.25% APY to $10,000, 0.10% APY above $10,000.01, effective 07/24/2026, $100 minimum to open. For larger balances the High-Yield Money Market at 4.00% APY up to $100,000 is the relevant product; certificates ran 1.90% to 4.00% APY on the same date.
There is no subscription, which is why the usual pricing frame does not fit. The app is free, membership costs nothing in dues, and the real price of an AdelFi relationship is the spread between what its deposits pay and what its loans charge, plus whichever fee lines your habits trigger.
As a cost structure it is cheap for the disciplined and ordinary for everyone else. No monthly checking fee on either product, unlimited free ATM withdrawals, free Online Banking, Bill Payer, Zelle and mobile deposit. Against that, $14 per Courtesy Pay overdraft, $30 for a stop payment, $30 for an outgoing domestic wire and $7.50 a month once an account passes 18 months inactive.
The minimum-balance fees deserve arithmetic. Savings below the $100 minimum is charged $5.00 a month, or $60 a year against a balance under $100 - erosion no APY offsets. Premium Money Market below its $10,000 minimum is $15.00 a month, $180 a year. Avoidable, but only if you know they exist.
One structural note: the fee document reproduced here is filed on the site as "Schedule of Fees (Original CCCU)" even though its contents are AdelFi-branded and dated 1/1/2026. Legacy members should confirm which schedule governs their account before assuming these numbers apply.
Where AdelFi falls behind
Federal insurance. A depositor comparing AdelFi with a federally insured credit union is comparing a private mutual insurer against a fund the NCUA describes as backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. AdelFi is entitled to that structure and its members chose it; the problem is an App Store listing that tells prospective members "Federally insured by NCUA."
Post-merger fragmentation. Eight months after the December 2025 close, members still face two online banking platforms, two toll-free numbers and a document library where nearly every form is suffixed "(Original CCCU)" or "(Original AdelFi)." Unified branding and a digital upgrade are promised for mid-2026 and summer 2026, the window this review sits in, so anyone joining now joins mid-conversion.
Transparency about the faith commitment. AdelFi publishes a five-point statement of faith - the Bible as "uniquely God-inspired, without error, and the final authority on all matters of faith and practice," the Trinity, salvation through repentance and faith, Christ's substitutionary death, resurrection and return, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual unity of all believers - and a purpose of "Christian banking with eternal purpose." What it does not publish anywhere read for this review is a percentage of net income committed to ministry, a list of excluded industries, or any description of faith-shaped underwriting. The 10% figure exists only in advertiser-paid content.
Branch presence. Thirty thousand surcharge-free ATMs and 5,600 shared branches is a good answer to owning almost none, but it is a shared-teller answer. Complex in-person work still routes to phone and mail, and the fee schedule's "Express mail charge $40.00 + $20 for Sat" hints at how documents move.
AdelFi vs. EveryDollar vs. FaithFi: a category mismatch worth naming
These three get listed together in Christian finance directories and should not be ranked against each other. AdelFi is a chartered financial institution that holds your money, insures it, lends against it and pays dividends on it. EveryDollar and FaithFi are software that reads your money. A star rating comparing them is comparing a savings account to a spreadsheet.
The practical distinction is what happens when something goes wrong. If EveryDollar mis-categorises a transaction you fix a label, and at $17.99/mo or $79.99/yr you can cancel. If FaithFi's bank link drops you re-authorise through Plaid, at $8.99/mo or $74.99/yr. If AdelFi fails, the question is who makes depositors whole, and the answer is American Share Insurance rather than the federal government. That is a different order of consequence, and it is why this review spends its length on insurance and fee schedules.
They stack rather than substitute. Nothing stops a member banking at AdelFi and budgeting in EveryDollar or FaithFi. If the question is which Christian budgeting app to use, AdelFi is not an answer. If the question is where your paycheque should land, EveryDollar and FaithFi are not answers.
The bottom line
AdelFi is a long-established Christian credit union with open national eligibility, no monthly checking fee, a dated and itemised fee schedule, competitive small-balance rates as of 07/24/2026, and a billion dollars of ministry real-estate lending behind its claim to serve churches. It is also privately insured rather than federally insured, its own App Store listing says the opposite, its best rates cap out at $5,000, and its strongest stewardship claim lives in paid advertising. Read the FAQ and the fee PDF before the marketing. This review is not financial advice, we do not recommend financial products, and rates and fees change without notice - compare AdelFi's published numbers against at least two other institutions on the day you decide, and confirm the insurance arrangement in writing before you deposit.
Alternatives to AdelFi
EveryDollarA budgeting app, not a bank - free manual budgeting, then $17.99/mo or $79.99/yr for bank syncing. Sits alongside a credit union account rather than replacing one.
FaithFiFaith-integrated budgeting from Kingdom Advisors at $8.99/mo or $74.99/yr for Pro, with a free tier that cannot connect to a bank. The nearest thing to AdelFi in stated values and nothing like it in function.Any NCUA-insured credit unionIf federal deposit insurance is a requirement, this is the substitute. You lose the faith framing and the ministry lending desk; you gain coverage the NCUA describes as backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.Crown Financial MinistriesThe stewardship-education side rather than the banking side, running biblically-framed money courses since 1976. AdelFi's advertiser-paid content cites free courses developed with Crown, so the two are complements.GoodbudgetEnvelope budgeting with the only permanently free tier among the serious budgeting apps, $10/mo or $80/yr for Premium. Useful if the reason you looked at AdelFi was discipline rather than deposits.Frequently asked questions
Is AdelFi NCUA insured?
No. AdelFi's FAQ page states: "By members' choice, this institution is not federally insured." Deposits are covered by American Share Insurance at "$250,000 per deposit account (NOT per member)," with no limit on the number of accounts insured. Yet the App Store description for version 4022.0.0, dated 23 July 2026, ends with "Federally insured by NCUA." Those statements contradict each other and we are not reconciling them. Federal share insurance covers at least $250,000 per member at each federally insured credit union and the NCUA describes its fund as backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government; American Share Insurance is a private mutual insurer with no such backing. Verify the arrangement with AdelFi directly before depositing.
Who is eligible to join AdelFi, and is a donation required?
AdelFi states that "Membership is open to Christians from most denominations" and that individuals, families, churches, ministries and Christian-owned businesses "can apply online from anywhere in the United States." Opening an account requires "a valid government-issued ID, a Social Security number, and an initial deposit for your membership savings account," with Harvest Savings at $100 minimum. Nothing read on the site requires a donation, a membership due, or affiliation with a specific denomination. AdelFi publishes a statement of faith but does not state on that page that members must formally affirm it. Foreign organisations may open accounts only with a U.S. taxpayer identification number and U.S. legal documentation.
What rates does AdelFi pay, and as of when?
Read on 27 July 2026 from a rates page marked effective 07/24/2026, so these are current as of that date and will move. Harvest Savings 5.00% APY on $0 to $5,000, 2.25% APY to $10,000, 0.10% APY above $10,000.01; Harvest Checking 4.00% APY to $5,000; High-Yield Money Market 4.00% APY to $100,000; certificates 1.90% to 4.00% APY. Lending starts at 6.570% APR on a 30-year fixed conforming mortgage and 6.49% APR on auto loans. Check the live page before relying on any of it.
What does faith-based mean in practice at AdelFi?
AdelFi publishes a five-point statement of faith and a stated purpose of "Christian banking with eternal purpose - serving Christ followers and ministries to faithfully steward God's resources to advance the Gospel." Operationally, the concrete published items are a Ministry Banking division that has "funded over $1 billion in ministry real estate loans" and a Cards that Give to Missions programme through which members have contributed "more than $6.9 million to Christian missions" since 1995. What it does not publish on its own site is any percentage of net income committed to ministry, any list of screened-out industries, or any faith-based lending criteria. The claim that AdelFi "reinvests at least 10% of net income annually into Gospel-proclaiming ministries" appears in a Christian Post article explicitly marked as paid advertiser content produced by CP Brand Solutions.
What did the 2025-2026 merger change for members?
The two credit unions combined effective 1 December 2025. The release states members of both institutions keep their current accounts and services without interruption, and cites American Share Insurance coverage up to $250,000 per account as "increased deposit protection." Practically, the transition is incomplete as of July 2026: online banking platforms remain separate, both 1-800-634-3228 and 1-800-347-2228 are still in service, forms carry "(Original CCCU)" and "(Original AdelFi)" tags, unified branding was slated for mid-2026 and a digital upgrade for summer 2026. Former CCCU members sign in at adelfibanking.com with existing credentials.
Should I move my banking to AdelFi?
That is not a question this site answers - we describe financial products and do not recommend them. What we can say is what to check. Decide whether private coverage through American Share Insurance is acceptable to you, since the App Store listing's "Federally insured by NCUA" line is contradicted by the credit union's own disclosures. Download the Schedule of Fees and confirm which version governs your account type. Compare the rates page against at least two other institutions on the day you apply, because the figures here carry an effective date of 07/24/2026 and nothing more. On the app, two documented limits: transaction approvals work only through a browser, not in the mobile app, and mobile deposits must be submitted by 10:00 PM ET for same-day processing. Nothing in this review is financial advice.
Sources & further reading
- AdelFi press release: two Christian credit unions unite in strategic merger (effective 1 December 2025) ↗
- AdelFi: Become a Member (eligibility, ID and Social Security number, initial deposit) ↗
- AdelFi personal rates page, marked effective 07/24/2026, read 27 July 2026 ↗
- AdelFi consumer Schedule of Fees PDF, effective 1/1/2026 ↗
- AdelFi FAQs: American Share Insurance coverage and the statement that the institution is not federally insured ↗
- AdelFi membership benefits: per-account insurance, 30,000+ surcharge-free ATMs, ministry lending totals ↗
- Apple App Store listing for AdelFi Mobile Banking, version 4022.0.0 ↗
- Christian Post sponsored content by CP Brand Solutions, 6 June 2025 (the only place the 10% of net income figure appears) ↗
More Budgeting & Stewardship Apps
Monarch MoneyThe strongest general-purpose money tracker in this category and the one with no method attached - it shows you everything you own and owe, brokerages included, and declines to tell you what to do about it. No free tier at any price, and not a Christian product.
YNABA zero-based budgeting method with software attached, sold at $14.99 a month or $109 a year with no free tier of any kind - and the most expensive way to discover you were never going to do the weekly work.EveryDollarRamsey Solutions' zero-based budgeting app, relaunched in January 2026, with a genuinely usable free tier and every piece of automation behind a paywall - and it only makes sense if you have already decided to work the Baby Steps in order.
GoodbudgetDigital cash envelopes from Dayspring Technologies, with the only permanently free tier among the serious budgeting apps and a paid tier that quietly added the bank syncing Goodbudget was once famous for refusing - the free plan is still manual entry, but that is now a price point rather than a principle.FaithFiThe app arm of Faith & Finance, the daily biblical-stewardship broadcast Larry Burkett began in 1988, now owned by Kingdom Advisors and wrapped around a Plaid-connected envelope budgeter. The teaching half is free to anyone with a podcast player - the budgeting half is not free at all, because every bank connection sits behind Pro.
SubsplashThe all-in-one church platform megachurches keep choosing - fully custom-branded apps across phone, web, and TV that make a 5,000-member ministry feel like an Apple keynote.