More than half a century ago, it was proposed to the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that a credit union be organized to serve employees of Church offices. The workers earned modest salaries and were looking for an organization that was best suited to their needs to borrow and save.
Thus, the LDS Church Employees Credit Union was born in August 1955. Its first location was in an office in the Church Administration Building. The hours to start were 12:00 to 12:30, or by appointment. The first month of operation resulted in 71 members with $697 in savings and $200 in loans. Each of those categories increased several times by the end of 1955. That was the start of an amazing journey that continues today at what is now known as Deseret First Credit Union.
Utah-based Deseret First Credit Union is a full-service credit union that today stands at more than 50,000 members worldwide. Any member or employee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is eligible to join the credit union, regardless of where they live. Deseret First offers a full line of savings and checking accounts; mortgage, auto, and personal loans; and investment services.
Along with its ten Utah branches, Deseret First is a part of the Credit Union Service Center network, giving Deseret First members the ability to access their accounts at nearly 4,600 credit union branches across the United States as if they were walking into a Deseret First branch.
Deseret First can be reached 1-800-326-3328 and www.dfcu.com. Deseret First Credit Union – Serving the LDS community since 1955.