Alternatives Federal Credit Union

What their website says about applying

• Reach out and talk with our team. We’ll work collaboratively with you to ensure you’re well-prepared and informed throughout the loan application process. source
• Two years of financial statements and tax returns. source
• Proof of Income (paystubs, social security benefits statement, disability) source
• Talk with a loan specialist about next steps, what you may qualify for, and what documents you’ll need. source

Phone numbers and addresses are the ones on the lender's own site and the CDFI Fund list. CDFI Atlas does not take applications.

• No or thin credit history considered If you have no credit history at all, we can help you establish one with our source
• Low or damaged credit considered Our purpose is to help you find solutions, even if you have had credit issues in the past. source
• Collateral required Sufficient collateral that is readily identifiable source
• Business plan required Detailed business plan outlining the business structure, product/service description, marketing strategy source
• First-time homebuyer program Financial assistance and support may be available for first-time homebuyers source

Only rules the lender's own pages state. Other requirements may apply.

Read from 7 pages of the lender's website on 2 Nov 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Extracted with AI help from the pages listed below and checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a person. Confidence: medium. The pages fetched state loan products but give no loan amounts, and the personal and auto loan detail pages were thin. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.

Based on what their website said when we read it on 2 Nov 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.

1. How do I become a member, and is there a fee or a minimum deposit?
   Credit unions lend only to their members.
2. What are the smallest and the largest loans you make?
   No loan amounts are stated on their website.
3. What is the APR, including fees, on your auto loans and credit-builder loans?
   Their website does not state an APR. The APR includes fees, so it is the number to compare.
4. What interest rate and fees should I expect on your commercial real estate loans and equipment loans?
   Their website does not state a rate for this.
5. How long can I take to repay?
   No repayment terms are stated on their website.
6. Do you offer free coaching or help preparing my application?
   CDFI certification requires development services, such as training or advice, alongside lending.
7. What documents will you need from me, and how long does a decision usually take?
   Their website describes some application steps (above); ask for the full document list.

Write down the answers, who you spoke to and the date, and ask for the terms in writing before you sign.

On file with the NCUA as ALTERNATIVES (charter 23283). Source: NCUA 5300 Call Report quarterly data (public data) as of 30 Jun 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026: total assets, members and branch addresses.

An office shows where the lender has a branch, not where it lends or whom it lends to. Credit unions serve members only; check who can join. For the ZIP-code search, credit-union offices are placed at the centre of their ZIP code (approximate).

Figures from the 5300 Call Report filed by Alternatives Federal Credit Union (NCUA charter 23283, filed as “ALTERNATIVES”). Source: NCUA 5300 Call Report quarterly data (public data), cycle 30 Jun 2026; year-earlier figures from the 30 Jun 2025 cycle; downloaded 3 Nov 2026.

Loan mix (balances on 30 Jun 2026)

Balances are loans outstanding on the report date, not loans made during the year. A category with no balance does not mean the credit union never makes that kind of loan. Credit unions lend to members only; check who can join.

Alternatives Federal Credit Union reported 41 originated home loans for 2025 under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, totaling about $3.7M (median loan about $75,000). 18 were home-purchase loans.

Where the loans were made

Counties with the most 2025 originations, out of 7 counties with at least one; 100% of its 2025 loans were for properties in New York:

• Tompkins County, NY (21)
• Chemung County, NY (6)
• Seneca County, NY (4)
• Tioga County, NY (4)
• Cayuga County, NY (3)

Filed under LEI 254900HXPUN0BQEZ4350 as “ALTERNATIVES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION”; matched by its RSSD ID on the CDFI Fund list, which the HMDA reporter panel links to this LEI.

Source: FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data for 2025, snapshot frozen 2 Jun 2026, loan-level records read through the CFPB HMDA Data Browser API on 3 Nov 2026. Originated loans only; applications that were denied, withdrawn or not accepted are not counted. HMDA publishes each loan amount as the middle of a $10,000 band, so totals and medians are approximate. Counts under 3 are not shown. How we match lenders.

For comparison, not an offer and not a rating. Past records show what this lender did, not what you would be offered. Peer groups and sources: methodology. Assets and loans: FFIEC and NCUA Call Reports (see the loan-mix section). Home loans: FFIEC/CFPB HMDA data.

Other certified CDFIs in Ithaca and New York

• ADIRONDACK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONLoan fund · Saranac Lake, NYSmall-business loansVerified
• Amplify Equity, Inc.Loan fund · Elmira, NYSmall-business loansVerified
• Ascendus Inc.Loan fund · New York, NYChild-care facility financing, Credit-builder loans, Small-business loansVerified
• BOC Capital Corp.Loan fund · Brooklyn, NYEnergy / solar / efficiency loans, Microloans, SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage), Small-business loansVerified
• BlocPower L.L.C.Loan fund · Brooklyn, NYEnergy / solar / efficiency loansVerified
• Brooklyn Alliance Capital, Inc.Loan fund · Brooklyn, NYMicroloans, Small-business loansVerified

All 76 CDFIs in New York