Member-owned · Not-for-profit · Since 1953
Banking that answers to neighbors, not shareholders.
For seventy-three years, members across Pierce, Thurston, and South King counties have built a different kind of bank together: better rates, lower fees, and a quarterly dividend that comes back to the communities it came from.
$684M
In assets, owned by members
42,800
Members across the South Sound
1953
Founded by Tacoma shipyard workers
5.15%
APY on our Commons Savings (12-month avg)
Why a credit union
A different structure produces different banking.
We are not a bank. We are a cooperative owned by the members who use it. That single difference quietly shapes every product, every fee, and every decision we make.
One member, one vote
Every member is an owner with one vote at the annual meeting, regardless of balance. The board is unpaid and elected from the membership.
Profits return to members
We are a not-for-profit cooperative. Earnings come back as better rates on deposits, lower rates on loans, and a patronage dividend in strong years.
Federally insured by NCUA
Your deposits are insured to $250,000 per member, per ownership category, by the full faith and credit of the United States government.
4% of net income, every year
We commit a fixed 4% of net income each year to scholarships, financial education, and community grants across the South Sound.
Accounts members ask for first
Free checking, real savings rates, no fine print.
Commons Checking
A free, everyday checking account with no minimum balance, no monthly fee, and refunds on out-of-network ATM charges.
0.50% APY
$0 / month
Commons Savings
A high-yield, federally insured savings account that earns substantially more than the national average, with no balance tiers or rate games.
5.15% APY
$0 / month
Sapling Youth Account
A first checking and savings pair built for ages 13 through 17, with parent visibility and a financial literacy curriculum baked in.
5.50% APY on first $1,000
$0 / month
Member Money Market
A liquid money market account with tiered rates for larger balances, monthly check writing, and the same federal insurance as your savings.
Up to 5.35% APY
$0 with $2,500 minimum balance
The rate board
Published openly. Updated the first of every month.
We do not bury rates behind a contact form. Every account and loan rate is on this page, and the board reviews them quarterly. If anything changes, members get thirty days of notice.
Need a loan estimate or deposit projection? Our salaried member services team will walk you through it. No commission, no upsell.
| Product | Rate |
|---|---|
Commons Savings All balances, $5 minimum | 5.15% APY |
Money Market $25k+ Tiered to 5.35% above $100k | 5.10% APY |
6-month certificate $500 minimum | 4.80% APY |
12-month certificate $500 minimum | 5.25% APY |
24-month certificate Bump-up eligible | 5.40% APY |
60-month certificate Bump-up eligible | 4.95% APY |
Auto loan, new Up to 84 months | 5.49% APR |
30-year fixed mortgage Owner-occupied, qualified | 6.625% APR |
HELOC Variable, prime + 0.25% | 8.25% APR |
Rewards Visa Plus 2% cash back | 12.99% APR |
Personal loan Starting rate, 12–60 months | 9.99% APR |
Student refinance Variable, 5–15 years | 5.99% APR |
Borrowing, the cooperative way
Member-priced lending, underwritten by people in Tacoma.
Every loan is reviewed by a credit committee at the credit union. We hold most of our mortgages on our own books, which means the person you call about your loan is the same person who closed it.
Auto loans
5.49% APR
New, used, and refinance auto loans with same-day decisions, no application fee, and a $250 rate match if you find lower at another lender.
Mortgages
6.625% APR (30-year fixed)
Fixed-rate, ARM, FHA, VA, USDA, and Washington State Housing Finance Commission first-time buyer programs, underwritten in house.
Home equity & HELOC
8.25% APR (HELOC)
Tap your home's equity for remodels, debt consolidation, or a college funding bridge, with no application fee and no annual fee.
Credit cards
12.99% APR
Two member-priced credit cards: a low-rate Commons Visa and a Rewards Visa with no foreign transaction fees and a real cash-back rate.
The South Sound, repaid
$1.8M reinvested in our communities in 2025.
We commit 4% of net income each year to scholarships, small business grants, and financial education. The board approves every grant in open session at the monthly board meeting.
4%
Of net income reinvested in community each year
$1.8M
Total community giving in 2025
9,200
Volunteer hours from employees in 2025
240+
Partner employers and community groups
Members talking
The kind of relationship that outlasts a quarterly statement.
“We refinanced our auto loan from a dealer at 11.5% down to 5.9%. The whole thing took twenty minutes and saved us about $4,800 over the life of the loan.”
Yumi & Cole H.
Members since 2022
“After my husband passed, the team in Lakewood walked me through every account, every transfer, every form. Nothing felt transactional. That mattered.”
Marian B.
Member since 1987
“I started my bakery with a $35,000 SBA loan from Cascade Commons. Three years later they helped me buy the building. They are the reason I am in business.”
Rosa V.
Owner, Pacific Crumb Bakery
Join 42,800 neighbors
Open an account in about ten minutes.
All you need is a government ID, a Social Security number, and a $5 deposit to open your Member Share Account. Add Commons Checking, Savings, and a debit card in the same session.