From First Coin to First Debit Card
Children learn money habits by doing, not watching. ACU's youth accounts grow with them: Tree Fort Club savings while they are young, then Teen Savings and Teen Checking from 13 to 17, all with no monthly fee. And because ACU is a credit union, your child becomes a member-owner from day one.
From First Allowance to Full Membership
ACU's youth accounts follow your child from their earliest savings goal through adulthood, with no gaps and no restarts. Savings transitions automatically at the right age, and at 13 your teen can add a checking account of their own. And there is more on the way: a new family banking experience is coming soon to the ACU app, with automated allowance, cash for chores and grades, instant card lock and parental spending limits, savings goals with achievements, and family charitable giving.
A real savings account built for children. Savings planning starts at account opening. Your child names a goal, tracks progress, and learns that saving is purposeful, not abstract. A free annual session with a branch manager keeps them accountable.
The teenage years are when financial habits get locked in. Teen Savings keeps building the goal with dividends, and Teen Checking gives them everyday spending money of their own, with you as joint account holder on both. They build history they will carry into adulthood.
At 18, the Teen Savings account transitions to a Regular Share Savings account. Your child picks an adult checking account (Affinity Free, Affinity Plus, or Affinity Premier) and gains access to every ACU product including loans, credit cards, and investing.
Their First Checking Account, With You Right Beside Them
Teen Checking gives your teen a real checking account and their own ACU debit card, with no monthly fee and no minimum balance. A qualified ACU member co-signs as joint account holder, so you share the account while they learn to manage everyday money.
- An ACU debit card with free, unlimited use at ACU ATMs
- Nearly 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide
- Free mobile banking and mobile deposit
- Free online banking and bill pay
- Free eStatements
- A qualified ACU member co-signs as joint account holder
- No monthly fee and no minimum balance to keep track of
- Pair it with Teen Savings so spending money and savings stay in separate accounts
Coming soon to the ACU app: a family banking experience with automated allowance, cash for chores and grades, instant card lock, and parental spending limits.
The Annual Savings Strategy Session
Every year around your child's birthday, ACU invites the two of you to sit down with a branch manager for a free planning session. Most institutions hand out piggy banks. ACU helps your child build an actual plan.
Research from Washington University's Center for Social Development found that children in low and moderate income families with even $1 to $499 saved for school were about three times more likely to enroll in college and four times more likely to graduate than children with no savings account (Elliott, 2013).
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Set a savings goalTogether, you choose something specific, like a bike, a gaming system, or a college fund, and put a dollar amount and timeline on it.
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Review progress from last yearReturning members compare their balance against last year's goal. The number on the screen is more motivating than any conversation about money.
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Build a monthly savings planThe branch manager helps calculate how much to set aside each month to reach the goal by the target date, so the math becomes real.
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No sales pitchThis session is free and carries no obligation. It is purely a financial education resource for your child.
What Every Youth Savings Account Includes
Both the Tree Fort Club and Teen Savings accounts include these protections and tools from day one. Popular youth banking apps charge $5.99 to $14.98 per month for Greenlight and $8 to $12 for Acorns Early, per NerdWallet’s 2026 roundup, which adds up to $72 to $180 a year before a child saves a dollar. ACU youth accounts have no monthly fee, include a debit card with parental controls at 13, and connect to ACU investment services when your family is ready.
Both youth accounts require just $1 to open. The barrier to starting is intentionally low because the point is the habit, not the balance.
Every dollar in a youth account is federally insured by the NCUA up to $250,000. ACU is a federally chartered credit union, so this coverage is standard, not optional.
Neither account charges a monthly maintenance fee. The balance your child deposits stays their balance, plus whatever dividends they earn.
You are a joint account holder with full visibility. Monitor transactions, set limits, initiate transfers, and freeze the debit card, all from Online Banking.
A free savings planning session with a branch manager every year. Goal-setting, progress review, and a monthly savings plan tailored to your child's age.
As ACU member-owners, your children earn dividends on their balance, because at a credit union every member shares in the institution's success.
Open a Youth Account in 3 Steps
Most members open online in under 10 minutes. No branch visit required to get started.
A parent or legal guardian must be an ACU member to open a youth account. Join online with a $25 Regular Share Savings deposit. ACU membership is open to residents of the Pacific Northwest and to active and retired service members nationwide.
Add a Tree Fort Club (ages 12 and under) or Teen Savings account (ages 13 to 17) with just $1, and add Teen Checking for ages 13 to 17 with a qualified ACU member as co-signer. Bring your child's Social Security number and your own ID. You will be added as a joint account holder.
Name something your child is saving for and put a dollar amount on it. Track progress in ACU Online Banking. Schedule the first annual savings strategy session with a branch manager to build their plan.
"America's Credit Union is a fantastic place to bank. I've been with them for a few years now, and I have yet to come across anything negative. Customer service is quick and friendly, any problems I've had with my accounts were resolved as soon as I let them know. I have never come across any hidden fees with any accounts. America's Credit Union is very, very good to their members and I couldn't imagine banking with anyone else."
Youth Savings and Checking FAQs
What parents ask most before opening a youth account at ACU.
Important Disclosures
All ACU youth savings and checking accounts are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) up to $250,000 per account ownership category. A parent or legal guardian must be a joint account holder on all youth savings accounts, and Teen Checking requires a qualified ACU member to co-sign as joint account holder. The child must have a valid Social Security number to open an account. Account features and transition ages are subject to ACU's current membership policies. America's Credit Union NMLS 449181.
The Best Time to Start Is Before They Ask
Open a Tree Fort Club or Teen Savings account with $1, and add Teen Checking when your teen is ready to manage spending money. The financial habit it builds can last a lifetime.