Savings

The regular share or savings account is the basic account for membership in the credit union. The first thing that you open when you join the credit union is this account. All other accounts are subaccounts. To be a member in good standing, you must have at least $5 on deposit in your regular share account.

The money you have deposited into your regular savings beyond the $5 minimum is always available to you.

You can access your account with Cajun Cash(R) ATM card, online banking, or the First Pioneers app.

All accounts at First Pioneers Federal Credit Union are covered for loss up to $250,000 by the NCUA, a US Government Agency.

Open Regular Savings Online

“L’Argent” means money or silver in French and is the designation used to identify our Money Market Account.

This account is a great “in between” account in that the yield is higher than regular savings, but you don’t have to give up easy access to your funds. Our L’Argent Account requires that you start with at least $500. You can make two withdrawals per month from the account without any fee. Additional withdrawals beyond that are allowed, but there is a $10 fee.

Open L'Argent Money Market Online

Already a member and need to add an account? Log into online banking and choose "New Account" to add a savings account.

Our Christmas Club Account is meant to help you put money aside throughout the year and so that you have extra money for the holidays. Our Christmas Club Account pays the same interest rate as our regular savings and we will deposit your Christmas Club funds in your regular savings account on the first business day of November.

Open Christmas Club Savings Online

Already a member and need to add an account? Log into online banking and choose "New Account" to add a savings account.

What is Lucky Lagniappe Savings and how does it work?

It is an account that helps you make the most of your money: set aside just $20 per month and you are automatically entered to win $100, $1,000 or even $5,000.

• Savings account we are offering exclusively to our members
• $5 minimum opening deposit
• Every $20 saved earns you an entry into a state-wide cash prize drawing
• Similar to a club account – make a commitment to save for 12 months
• Sign up now and start saving – the only requirement is that you are in good standing with the credit union.

Prizes:

• Monthly, 10 prizes for $100 each
• Quarterly, two prizes for $1,000 each
• Yearly, one grand prize for $5,000

Are there any fees?

• There are no monthly service fees, this is a free account.
• There are fees for any early withdrawals before the 12 months is up.
• This account is meant to help you save – for a down payment, vacation, a nest egg, or emergencies.

What if I have an emergency and need to close my account?

You are able to take two withdrawals for a fee before closing your account (first withdrawal incurs $10 penalty; second withdrawal incurs $25 penalty). If you have an emergency and really need to close your account, you can do so without penalty but have to wait 90 days before you are eligible to open another account.

Can everyone in my family have an account?

Yes! Children/minors can have an account:

• Jointly with a parent (minor is primary) OR
• Individually (with a parent/guardian agreeing to terms and conditions)

When are the prize drawings?

Monthly drawings occur around the 15th of each month for the previous month’s entries, and we will notify you after the drawing if you are a winner.

Account Holder Requirements

• At least one account holder must be 18 years of age or older, OR an individual minor may hold an account w/parental agreement to participate.
• Must be a member in good standing to be determined by individual credit union.
• Account must be open and active to win at the time the drawing is conducted. All earned entries at the time of account closure are forfeited.
• Credit Union Employees/Board members/family/spouses may participate.
• Business and trust accounts, or other non-consumer accounts, are not eligible.

Withdrawal Limits

• Maximum of two withdrawals per twelve-month period.
• A third withdrawal per twelve-month period requires account closure, without penalty.
• An account may be closed at any time, without penalty, however all earned entries are subsequently forfeited.
• If an account is closed, the consumer is ineligible to open another Lucky Lagniappe account at the same credit union for a period of 90 days and all entries earned up until that point are also forfeited upon closure.
• An account may be closed at any time, without penalty, however all earned entries are subsequently forfeited.

Early withdrawal fees

• First withdrawal = $10
• Second withdrawal = $25
• Third Withdrawal = account closure is required (no penalty); all entries forfeited
• Note: all fee income is the property of the individual credit union

After 12 months of savings

• Allow rollover to traditional CD savings product at the same credit union at the end of the 12- month anniversary savings date, without penalty.
• After a consumer has reached their 12-month anniversary date from account opening, the consumer is permitted to make one penalty-free withdrawal from the account during the anniversary month. For example, if someone opens an account January 13, 2021, they have all of January 2022 to exercise their one time, penalty-free withdrawal. After 12 consecutive months of savings, the account will automatically roll-over to a new savings period. As a reward for saving, the balance will also re-set to zero at the beginning of the new program savings period. The consumer will earn entries in the first month of the new savings cycle based on the current new balance.
• For example, if someone has a $100 balance in their PLS account at the end of their 12-month anniversary and they choose to continue to save funds in their PLS account, they will have already earned their 4 qualifying entries for the upcoming month’s drawing.

Max number of total entries in state-wide drawing:

• Max number of total entries (per month) in state-wide drawing = 5 ($100)
• Max number of total entries (per quarter) in state-wide drawing = 15 ($300)
• Max number of total entries (per year) in state-wide drawing = 60 ($1200)

Limited to 1 consumer account per person (or joint membership account, with primary account holder receiving entry) per participating credit union. An account holder is only eligible to win once per state-wide drawing pool; for example, an account holder, regardless of the number of entries, may only win one monthly state-wide drawing per month, and one quarterly state-wide drawing per quarter.

Open Lucky Lagniappe Savings Online

Already a member and need to add an account? Log into online banking and choose "New Account" to add a savings account.