In February, ACU Credit Union and University Credit Union (UCU) merged to help increase financial services and provide UCU with an on-site location in Texas. The name will now be ACU Credit Union powered by University Credit Union.

UCU is based in Los Angeles and is connected with Universities in California such as UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, and various other Universities across the country. Two years ago they signed a sponsorship deal with their first university in Texas, UT Arlington, said Derek Knowlton, chief marketing officer for UCU.

“Our goal is to be able to serve the University community no matter where they are,” Knowlton said. “As we started got to talking to them our ideals and principles aligned with theirs and saw this is a good opportunity for us to bring the financial advantages we offer to the University community in Abilene.”

The merger was approved in December 2024 and officially took place on Feb. 1 this year, with no interruption in the services offered.

“They had very limited offerings as far as the financial product that they were offering,” Knowlton said, “when we converted their accounts over, those same members didn’t ever lose access to their funds that they had at the school and then now they actually have those added benefits.”

According to a press release from UCU, the new merger will provide access to more ATMs, better loan rates, and better online services.

“This merger isn’t just about growth—it’s about delivering even greater value to our members,” said David Tuyo, President and CEO of UCU, in a press release. “With our combined resources, ACU Credit Union members will gain expanded access to financial solutions.”

UCU also provides the best rates in the nation guarantee, Knowlton said.

“We have the best rates in the nation guarantee,” Knowlton said, “That doesn’t mean that we will beat out every single person. What it means is that we use nationwide benchmarking that shows the top rates around the country and we guarantee that we’ll be in the best 5% of those rates nationwide.”

For those looking to learn more about UCU’s involvement ACU Credit Union will host an open house on Tuesday, April 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at ACU Credit Union on Campus Court.