Star One Credit Union

Foolishly, I spent way too many years NOT being a customer of theirs.
I rarely have to physically go into the Bank. When I do, I am greeted with professionalism, courtesy and as if I’m the only one there.
Their checking/​savings services are great. Credit card service is outstanding! As for Refinancing — HA, literally, the online process/​approval took place in under an hour and the documentation/​finalization ran smoother than glass. Shhhhh… secret… they don’t normally set up escrow accts (property taxes and/​or insurance) unless you specifically ask for it up front. (at least back when I did it) For back up purposes, make sure to request it in writing. Thereafter, I suggest you confirm your first payment has been made by them. I just happen to check at the end of the week of my first payment being due and it wasn’t paid. I called, they verified they were at fault and immediately paid it and the late penalty fees! =)
The ONLY reason I gave 4-​stars… only ONE branch is open on Saturday’s, but for my needs it’s seriously not a problem… especially given all the FREE ATM service locations they have.

Star One is fantastic and one particular member «Monique» is awesome!!! She is very approachable and very very knowledgable. Always very fast service, always complete the tasks I need in very good time. Very happy with their service!

This place was horrible! WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD. First, I ended up waiting 45 minutes just to be spoken to someone. I only had 1 hour and the guy took another 10 minutes to speak to the customer next to me before actually taking care of my loan. Then when he told me he couldnt finish this loan in 5 minutes I told him lets not waste each other’s time. I figured an hour was plenty of time but unfortunetly it really wasn’t.

Finally they sent the paperwork after begging with their customer support who didn’t want the dmv to know they made this kind of error. Papers were sent the exact day the insurance was about to lapse. Dam that was close. They get a star back I guess. Patelco is much better.

I have always found everyone at this branch to be very friendly and helpful. They are also very nice to my children and have toys for them to play with. Everyone is very patient.
We refinanced our car through them for a wonderful rate
My only complaint is that the ATM is nowhere near the parking lot. That isn’t to say it isn’t a short walk it is a short walk but I can’t see my car so if I have children With me I don’t go to the ATM Because Dragging two kids out of their car seats just to go stand outside the building along Blossom Hill is not a good idea

I needed large cash withdrawals on two separate occurrences, they told me that i should have arranged for that ahead of time, but said they would do as they could and came through — the third time, i actually called some days ahead and again the transaction was smooth.
I went in to inquire about equity line of credit and was provided with thorough, accurate and helpful information delivered by a very friendly and courteous clerk.
Fee structure is advantageous, interest paid for balance is much higher than the large banks, staff is professional.
My only negative comment is about their online bill pay service — very cumbersome to start and too many restrictions on keeping up. Feels like if I took the pain of getting it started, it should remain open and up until i have use for it, be it as seldom use as it may. As it turns out i do most of my electronic bill pay with BofA, this isn’t a real obstacle for me, although i think they should review and improve.
I have been banking with them for 6 years now, not even one negative incident. great outfit.

I needed a notary to notarize (surprised they still do this) documents for a new employer. Monique Easley was so patient with the employer. The employer didnt understand that different rules apply in CA verses the location of the employer in NJ. She was professional and calm even after repeating the same thing five times! Great job Monique.

I have been a member for more years then I want to admit, but that is only because I have never run into one problem with this institution. Many of my friends complain about being charged fees for everything that most people use a bank for and this concept is absurd to me. Not only do I not pay fees like others I know; StarOne has the best 24 hour service I have used to date! Added to everything else StarOne has great mobile and Internet access. A bit of history this credit union was started by Lockheed Martin, and when your work force is made up of men and women who are into Mathematica, theoretical physics and other subject matter along these lines one thing you can be sure of they are going to demand a banking institution of the highest caliber. StarOne is that institution and I have been a satisfied client for over 20+ years.

If you are looking for a savings account with 0.5% APR interest rate with a local bank or credit union. Then look no further, Star One Credit Union is the one with a great rate, local friendly service. They are located off Blossom Hill Rd, near Toys R Us and Schroeder’s.
Opening an account was easy, and you can do most things online other than change your ATM pin which you have to do inside. The beauty of credit unions is they are not for profit, locally owned to help the community and you can use your ATM card at other credit unions with no fees.
Took one star off as you have to wait 2 weeks if you are a new member for funds to clear via check. Otherwise highly recommend Star One for your saving needs.
Staff is friendly, knowledgeable, rates are good, what’s not to like. 4 stars.

I’ve been banking with Star One for 30 years (when it used to be the Lockheed Credit Union) and have been patronizing this location since it opened. With just a few minor exceptions, I have to say this credit union is absolutely stellar.
The customer service is fantastic. When you call, it is a simple touch of a button and you can immediately talk to a live person. The online and telephone account access are easy to use. When I’ve had problems in the past, they have been dealt with immediately to my satisfaction.
Once, I placed an online order using my Star One VISA card. A month later the item still hadn’t arrived, and the company would not return my multiple phone and email messages. I wrote a letter to Star One disputing the charge, and faxed it to them late at night. When I checked my account at 10:00 the next morning, it had already been credited the full amount. About two weeks later, I received a call from a Star One representative, letting me know that the company had credited my account for the charge — and she APOLOGIZED that she was going to have to withdraw the duplicate credit from my account. Seriously — customer service does not get better than that. I have had similar positive experiences with all my dealings with Star One.
Their accounts pay more interest than any other bank I’ve seen, and they also pay interest (albeit at a low rate) on their checking accounts. You need only keep a $ 300 minimum balance in your checking account, or $ 50 in your savings, to avoid all monthly fees. Star One does NOT nickel-​and-​dime you to death with fees as so many banks do.
They also have agreements with many other credit unions, as well as 7 – 11, so that it’s easy to find locations to make deposits and withdrawals for free.
There are a few minor cons:
They recently got brand-​new ATMs, and they are horrible. It takes a phenomenally long time to make deposits, particularly if you have multiple checks to deposit. I know significantly better technology is out there, because the credit union down the street from Star One has ATMs that are also envelope-​free and you can make deposits in about one-​hundredth the time (and these ATMs were there before Star One’s, so they’re not newer). I don’t know why Star One chose inferior technology for its new ATMs, but it is VERY annoying.
Star one also offers very good rates for its credit accounts (mortgage, credit cards, car loans, etc.), but they are extremely particular about who they loan to, so don’t plan to qualify for anything unless your credit score is outstanding.
Despite these small drawbacks, overall I would recommend Star One without hesitation. They really are a customer-​oriented organization.

This branch is very clean and the ATMs are great. But the teller service can occasionally be less than stellar, one teller in particular. She tends to be unpleasant, and on one occasion when I asked her if they offer student accounts, she very rudely told me «No.» No suggestions of other similar accounts, nothing. I may be overreacting, but you really had to be there. I hope this girl gets over herself and her crappy Tiffany bracelet.

Always a pleasant experience. Toys in the corner to distract my kids while I make a deposit. Friendly tellers. Super easy to use ATMs.

I have only great things to say about this place ! They treat me like I’m special and not just another customer ! Their acct. specialists (They open new accts.) have been very friendly, kind and expedient. Very painless to deal with when opening a new acct. ! They have competitive rates as well. I highly recommend a second look at their customer service and will never deal with Wells fargo again !!!

This is probably my favorite bank in Almaden next to Wells Fargo. I’d have to say that the customer service is great, most people that work here are very understanding and helpful. I have been an account holder here for over a year and everything has been great. You can come in here and not have to worry about filling out deposit/​withdraw slips as you do at many other banks around. All you really need is your account number and ID for most transactions.
I haven’t had to deal with any erroneous fees or sales pitches from the tellers. They do offer many other financial services here which are great. Secured loans, home loans, credit cards, checking, car loans. Their branches are specifically native to Santa Clara with four branch locations in the South Bay, so don’t expect to find them in SF.
Additionally, they offer online ²⁴⁄₇ access to your accounts and ATMs which are part of the co-​op network (most credit union ATMs and 7-​Elevens) have surcharge free access. I had actually never used my ATM card and eventually lost it somehow. Recently talked to the teller after making a deposit and she made a replacement right THERE and THEN! You can’t get much better service than that!!!