American Southwest Credit
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE QUALITY FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO CREDIT UNION MEMBERS.
- Income
- $21.2 million
- Spending
- $17.6 million
- Employees
- 93
- Volunteers
- 12
- Highest pay
- $289,034, president/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Governance
This return does not answer enough of the governance questions to score.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- ASCU SERVES NEARLY 33,500 MEMBER-OWNERS IN A RURAL SETTING THAT IS SPREAD OUT OVER SEVEN SOUTHERN ARIZONA COUNTIES. THE SERVICE AREA IS MOSTLY LOW INCOME DESIGNATED AND FINANCIALLY UNDERSERVED. ASCU HAS SEVERAL LOCATIONS AND ENDEAVORS TO EXTEND FULL SERVICES IN THESE HIGHLY RURAL AND BORDER COMMUNITIES. ASCU COMPLETED A MERGER WITH ARIZONA COPPER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION IN AUGUST 2024, WITH ASCU AS THE SURVIVING ENTITY. THE MERGER RESULTED IN THE ADDITION OF $15 MILLION OF ASSETS AND ALLOWED THE CREDIT UNION TO PICK UP TWO MORE ARIZONA COUNTIES TO OUR MEMBERSHIP AREAS.
- ASCU HAS SUCCESSFULLY BEEN IN THE INDIRECT AUTO LENDING BUSINESS FOR 18 YEARS. HOWEVER, DUE TO ENCROACHING OUT-OF-STATE COMPETITION IN THE AREAS THAT THE CU SERVES, ASCU HAS TURNED ITS FOCUS TO A CENTRALIZED LENDING MODEL BY CONCENTRATING ON ITS EXISTING MEMBERSHIP. CU SALES SPECIALISTS NOW SELL ALL FACETS OF A LOAN, INCLUDING THE REFINANCING OF LOANS THAT ITS CURRENT MEMBERSHIP MAY HOLD AT OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. AS A RESULT, DIRECT LENDING HAS NOW OVERTAKEN INDIRECT LENDING VOLUME AS A MAJOR PORTION OF THE CU'S BALANCE SHEET. THE VOLUME OF VEHICLE LOANS (BOTH DIRECT AND INDIRECT) REPRESENTS HALF OF THE ENTIRE LOAN PORTFOLIO. THE GREATEST SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM RESTS IN THE DEEP AVAILABILITY TO OUR MEMBER-OWNERS. THESE PROGRAMS ALSO BENEFIT THE CONSUMER BY PROVIDING AN ALTERNATE LENDING SOURCE TO DEALER AND BANK FINANCING. THESE CONSUMERS QUICKLY FIND THEMSELVES CREDIT UNION MEMBERS WHO NOW HAVE COMPETITIVE RATES OF INTEREST. IMPEDING COMPETITION, BOTH LOCALLY AND FROM NEARBY LARGER MUNICIPALITIES, HAS CAUSED THE CREDIT UNION TO FOCUS ON DIRECT, CENTRALIZED LENDING WITHIN ITS EXISTING AND POTENTIAL MEMBERSHIP BASE. WHILE INDIRECT AUTO LENDING REMAINS A VALUABLE SERVICE TO ALL MEMBERS, ASCU IS NOW CONCENTRATING ON MAKING DIRECT LOANS THROUGH REFERRALS, WALK-IN'S, AND DIRECT MAILINGS TO TARGETED SEGMENTS.
- ASCU PRIDES ITSELF IN PROMOTING THRIFT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS ITS MEMBER-OWNERS. CONSISTENT MARKET LEVEL DEPOSIT RATES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL DEPOSITORS LARGE AND SMALL. MEMBER-OWNERS HAVE A VARIETY OF AVENUES TO MOVE THEIR MONEY AROUND, INCLUDING DIRECT DEPOSIT, PAYROLL DEDUCTION, ACH ORIGINATION, WIRE TRANSFERS, PERSON TO PERSON TRANSFERS, MOBILE BANKING AND OF COURSE, HOME BANKING SERVICES AND CONVENIENT LOCATIONS FOR WALK-IN TRANSACTIONS. THE MORE SERIOUS INVESTORS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT, MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT PROGRAMS, AND IRAS.
- MEMBER BUSINESS (COMMERCIAL) LENDING IS NOW A LARGE REPRESENTATION OF THE CREDIT UNION'S BALANCE SHEET. REPUTABLE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CONTRACTORS NOW HAVE A LENDING AVENUE THAT OFFERS COMPETITIVE RATES AND TERMS. BUSINESSES ENJOY HAVING A LOCAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTION WHERE THE DECISIONS ARE MADE HERE AND NOT LEFT UP TO A BIG-BANK CORPORATION. SINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION IN 2014, THE CREDIT UNION HAS EXPERIENCED VERY LITTLE REPORTABLE DELINQUENCY AND ONLY THREE LOW-DOLLAR CHARGE-OFF'S IN ITS MEMBER BUSINESS LENDING PORTFOLIO. ASCU WAS ALSO FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PPP (PAYMENT PROTECTION PROGRAM) LOANS TO ITS BUSINESS MEMBERS. MORTGAGE LENDING ALSO REPRESENTS A SIZABLE PORTION OF THE CU'S BALANCE SHEET. ASCU'S MEMBERS BENEFIT FROM COMPETITIVE RATES AND THE ASSURANCE KNOWING THAT THEIR LOAN IS HELD LOCALLY AND NOT SOLD TO A LARGE BANK WHERE QUALITY SERVICE MAY NOT BE THE FOCUS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(14) credit union.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2018 for not filing returns for three years. The IRS now lists it as tax-exempt again.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(14) credit union as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1970.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.