Who We Are

Our Mission: To Help Members grow financially.
Our Vision: To be Members' first choice for all financial services.
Our Purpose: To help generations of Members on their financial journeys.
Our Service Attitude: People Helping People, Members Helping Members.
Our Commitment: Not for profit, but for service.

How We Keep Your Money Safe

Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union has been serving Members for over 90 years. Our journey started in the aftermath of the Great Depression when our founders realized TVA employees needed a safe place to save and borrow money. Using the philosophy of “People Helping People”, they formed the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union^®.

Members have relied on KTVAECU^® for nearly a century, and they continue to trust us to protect their money today and long into the future.

Our Past, Present, and Future

In our 90 years of service, we have succeeded through depressions, recessions, and inflation. During the 2008 financial crisis, while banks were failing and receiving government bailouts, we pushed through without accepting any bailouts. In the years since, we have continued to be a trustworthy financial institution for our Members.

We have grown into the third-largest credit union in the state of Tennessee. While most well-capitalized credit unions typically have a 7% net worth, our net worth is over 10%.

Throughout the years, we remained focused on enhancing the financial well-being of our Members and their families. As we navigate the challenges ahead, we are very thankful for the “People Helping People” guiding light philosophy instilled in our operation by our Credit Union founders.

Our Investment Philosophy

We aim to provide a safe place for our Members to save and borrow. At KTVAECU, we support people and our communities, not just businesses. We do not invest in venture capital or startups. Business loans make up a very small portion of our financial portfolio and are only available to Members with which we have well-established relationships. We have less than one percent of assets invested in government bonds. These are all short in duration, with an average life of less than two years.

Our Accountability

We have several components in place to make sure your money is secure. These include financial reports and audits three times a year. A critical component of our internal control is the Internal Audit Department, which reports directly to the Supervisory Committee. Internal auditors meet bi-monthly with the Supervisory Committee to review internal and external audit reports, risk assessments, and internal control practices.

In addition to the Internal Audit Department, independent auditors are engaged to assist in meeting Supervisory Committee’s responsibilities. Examiners from the NCUA and the State of Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions also review annual statements and records.

Based on the satisfactory reports of audits performed by internal and external auditors, Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union continues to be a financially strong and well-managed institution with sound policies and procedures. Click HERE for commonly asked questions.

Who is NCUA?

Like banks, credit unions are federally insured. The NCUA, or National Credit Union Administration, is an independent government agency that insures deposits, protects members, and regulates federal credit unions. The NCUA protects credit unions like Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) protects banks, making credit unions just as safe as traditional banks. The NCUA insures $250,000.00 per share owner, per insured credit union, for each account ownership category. Click the button below to calculate your insurance coverage or learn more about NCUA share insurance.

NCUA INSURANCE ESTIMATOR NCUA INSURANCE INFORMATION

KTVAECU^® Ranked Top 15 Credit Unions for Member Service

Callahan & Associates, a credit union research and consulting firm based in Washington, DC, recently released a list of credit unions that provide the most value to members. We are excited to share what our Members already experience every day: KTVAECU is ranked Top 15 Credit Unions for Member Service nationwide.

Callahan & Associates has provided credit unions with essential data for 35 years. They rank credit unions using the Return to Member (ROM) scoring system. The ROM system evaluates credit union performance in factors beyond traditional regulatory elements. It focuses on the value a credit union provides its members. These factors include Return to Savers, Return to Borrowers, and Member Participation. After their evaluation, Callahan & Associates ranked KTVAECU as 13th in the nation!

At KTVAECU, our focus has been and always will be on YOU, our Member. Our goal is to provide you with the best financial services possible. Recognition like this shows us we are moving in the right direction of “People Helping People.”

90 Years of History

We're so grateful to serve the people of East Tennessee and help you reach your financial goals and dreams. We also recognize the importance of knowing where we started and carrying those core values into the future.

So how did we get here? It all began in 1934, during the aftermath of the Great Depression. Most of the country was still feeling the effects of the stock market crash, and the country was slowly trying to rebuild what it had lost. People were looking for places to save and borrow, and traditional banks weren't providing what they needed. Many banks had shut their doors, and the remaining ones strictly served those with large investments.

Times were hard, but there was also hope. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was one of the new businesses that brought hope to the East Tennessee area—since it promised new jobs and unique opportunities. Not long after its opening, TVA employees realized they needed a financial partner they could trust to help them have a safe place to save and borrow. They were impressed with a new type of financial organization called a credit union, where all Members worked together to benefit each other in a financial cooperative.

On February 21, 1934, TVA employees in Knoxville chartered Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union. Back then, Members were not allowed to have more than $1,000.00 in savings. The maximum loan to any Member was $100.00, and a signature loan could not exceed $30.00.

Charles Hoffman ran our first office, all from his desk on the third floor of the Sprankle Building, and business was only open one day a week.

Just one year later, in 1935, we grew to 300 Members. Times were changing, and we changed and adapted to meet the financial needs of our Members and our community.

Over the years, we have pursued new technology and innovative options for Members while keeping our call for excellent local service. As we grew, we started to partner with area businesses and organizations. We also began volunteering in our schools and community.

Now, fast forward to the present day. After 90 years, Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union serves most of East Tennessee. We've grown to a membership of more than 260,000 and expanded branch locations in the following counties: Blount, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Sevier, and Sullivan, as well as Johnson City!

While times may have changed, we have never wavered from our service attitude of "People Helping People." Our mission has always been—and always will be—to help you grow financially.

No matter where you are on your financial journey, we want to help you achieve your goals and dreams. Consider Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union to be your financial partner for life, where we keep your financial best interest at heart.

We Value You

We believe in putting people first, in lending a hand, and consider our Credit Union to be a family just as much as it is a place of business. We value being:

Locally Based
We live, work, worship, and raise our families in the same communities as you, so we get YOU!
Community Oriented
We focus on YOU and give back to OUR community because we are not-for-profit. Look for us in your area schools, supporting local teams, and volunteering at many community events.
Excellent Service Providers
When you choose the Credit Union, you're not just a number, you're family. We care about you and what's in your best financial interest, not just the bottom line.

If you haven't already, join us, join us now!