BEST IN STATE. WESTconsin Credit Union earned the  no. 1 spot in Wisconsin on Forbes' rankings of top credit unions for the first time. (Altoona location pictured via River Valley Architects)

Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, recently published their rankings of each state’s top credit unions in 2024. Two of the Chippewa Valley’s own, WESTconsin Credit Union and Royal Credit Union, were named among America’s Best-In-State Credit Unions, the former even claiming the coveted No. 1 spot.

Out of the nearly 4,700 credit unions across the nation, only two from western Wisconsin were recognized, and WESTconsin Credit Union – headquartered in Menomonie – topped the statewide list. WESTconsin moved up three spots from its No. 4 placement in 2023.  The financial institution maintains offices throughout west-central Wisconsin, including in Chippewa, Dunn, and Eau Claire counties.

Royal Credit Union, headquartered in Eau Claire, secured the No. 8 spot once again this year for Wisconsin. Royal also repeated in the No. 3 spot among Minnesota credit unions.

The annual ranking is completed from a mix of 80% survey analyses and 20% public reviews, and emphasized those addressing digital fraud head-on. Key survey data (collected over the past three years) included respondents’ satisfaction with their bank or credit union’s customer service, quality of financial advice, fee structures, ease of navigating digital and in-person services, and the degree of trust the institution inspired.

In total, 207 credit unions and 185 banks were ranked across the U.S. Large nationwide banks and credit unions with branches in more than 15 states, like JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, were excluded from the ranking.

View the full rankings from each state at Forbes.com • Learn more about WESTconsin Credit Union online • Learn more about Royal Credit Union online