Methodology & data sources
CURate compares the national average rates that US credit unions and banks pay on deposits and charge on loans. This page documents exactly where every figure comes from, the snapshot date, and how the calculators work. Transparency is core to our accuracy: we never invent a number.
Primary data source: rates
Our rate tables are the NCUA Credit Union and Bank Rates, 2025 Q4, published by the National Credit Union Administration. The report gives the national average rate at federally insured credit unions versus banks for 23 deposit and loan products. The underlying interest-rate survey is collected for the NCUA by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The figures we use are rates as of December 26, 2025 (the 2025 Q4 report, the latest available at publication). The data is a US government work in the public domain.
Secondary source: credit-union directory
The largest-credit-unions directory (50 institutions) lists assets, members and headquarters drawn from NCUA Quarterly Credit Union Data (the 5300 Call Report) and each credit union's public reporting. Asset figures are approximate and rounded to the nearest $0.1 billion. The NCUA does not publish per-credit-union deposit or loan rates, so directory pages deliberately show size and membership facts only - never a per-credit-union rate, which we would otherwise have to guess.
- NCUA Quarterly Credit Union Data (5300 Call Report) and credit-union public reporting
- NCUA Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) (share insurance facts)
Data sources table
| Source | Refresh cadence | License |
|---|---|---|
| NCUA Credit Union and Bank Rates (2025 Q4) | none | Public domain (US government work) |
| NCUA Quarterly Credit Union Data (5300 Call Report) | none | Public domain (US government work) |
| NCUA Share Insurance Fund | none | Public domain (US government work) |
How the calculators work
The calculators run entirely in your browser and do not store your inputs. They use the NCUA national average rates above:
- Savings & CD: future value with annual compounding, comparing the credit-union average APY against the bank average APY for your amount and term, then showing the difference in interest earned.
- Auto loan: standard fixed-rate amortization to compute the monthly payment and total interest at the credit-union average APR vs the bank average APR, then the interest saved.
Assumptions & limitations
- All rates are national averages, not the rate any one credit union or bank offers. Your rate depends on the institution, your credit, the balance/loan amount and market conditions.
- The report is a quarterly snapshot; rates change continuously. We carry a dated "rates as of December 26, 2025" line wherever rate data appears.
- Worked examples use simple or annual-compounding interest on the opening balance and ignore fees, taxes and promotional rates.
- Products not in the NCUA report (for example a standalone IRA savings rate) are omitted rather than estimated.
Corrections
Spotted an error or a newer NCUA report? Tell us and we will update. See our disclaimer - this is general information, not financial advice.
Last updated: 2026-06-22