Compare the best banks and credit unions in Alaska — up to 0.10% APY, verified fees, minimums, and membership rules from 17+ local institutions.
Alaska residents have access to a mix of state-chartered credit unions, regional community banks, and nationwide online banks. This page ranks the strongest options for savings APY, checking rewards, and CD specials — all verified against the institution's own rate page as of September 2026.
Best banks and credit unions in Alaska 2026
Credit Union 1 — CD: 3.55% APY, $500 min, no monthly fee. 12-month 1 Year Certificate: $500.00 - $99,999.99 tier; the certificate table carries its own effective date of 12/19/25 on the page. Read Sep 7, 2026 on cu1.org. Rates as of 2026-07-01 per the page.
Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union — CD: 3.50% APY, $400 min, no monthly fee. 12-month 1 Year Member Share Certificate: $400 to $9,999.99 band; a penalty of 30 days' dividends applies if funds are taken out before maturity on a certificate maturing in 365 days or less. Read Sep 7, 2026 on mvfcu.coop. Rates as of 2026-08-26 per the page.
Global Credit Union — CD: 2.60% APY, $500 min, no monthly fee. 12-month 12 - 17 Months Certificate: $500 minimum balance column; the same 2.60% applies at every minimum from $500 to $250,000. Read on globalcu.org/rates/certificate-account-rates/. Read Sep 7, 2026 on globalcu.org. Rates as of 2026-09-06 per the page.
First Bank — CD: 2.05% APY, $500 min, no monthly fee. 12-month 12 - 23 Months Fixed Rate Time Deposit: Minimum balance to open the account is $500; $0.00 - $24,999.99 band; a withdrawal penalty may be imposed for early withdrawals. Read Sep 7, 2026 on firstbankak.com. Rates as of 2025-12-11 per the page.
First National Bank Alaska — CD: 2.00% APY, $750 min, no monthly fee. 12-month 365 Days Certificate of Deposit: $750.00 - $4,999.99 balance column; the same 2.00% applies at every balance band up to $100,000+. Read on fnbalaska.com/rates/cd. Read Sep 7, 2026 on fnbalaska.com. Rates as of 2026-09-01 per the page.
Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union — Money Market: 0.30% APY, $2,000 min, no monthly fee. Money Market Shares: Base Rate tier with a $2,000.00 minimum balance; $10,000 and $50,000 tiers pay 0.30% and 0.50%. Read Sep 7, 2026 on mvfcu.coop. Rates as of 2026-08-26 per the page.
Global Credit Union — Money Market: 0.20% APY, $5,000 min, no monthly fee. Money Market: Lowest tier is a $5,000 minimum balance to earn; $10,000 pays .25% and $25,000 pays .30%. Read Sep 7, 2026 on globalcu.org. Rates as of 2026-09-06 per the page.
First Bank — Money Market: 0.15% APY, $2,500 min, no monthly fee. Money Market: Minimum balance to open the account is $2,500; lowest tier $0 - $24,999.99. Read Sep 7, 2026 on firstbankak.com. Rates as of 2025-12-11 per the page.
Every bank with a branch in Alaska
7 FDIC-insured banks run 112 full-service offices in Alaska. 5 of them are community banks, and 5 operate nowhere else. This is the federal record: every figure below is the regulator's own.
First National Bank Alaska — 27 offices in Alaska, and nowhere else, holding $3.59bn at 30 June 2025, leverage ratio 11.95%.
Northrim Bank — 21 offices in Alaska, and nowhere else, holding $2.81bn at 30 June 2025, leverage ratio 10.26%.
KeyBank National Association — 10 offices in Alaska, of 941 nationwide, holding $1.09bn at 30 June 2025, leverage ratio 9.92%.
First Bank — 9 offices in Alaska, and nowhere else, holding $799m at 30 June 2025, leverage ratio 10.16%.
Mt. McKinley Bank — 5 offices in Alaska, and nowhere else, holding $519m at 30 June 2025, leverage ratio 18.85%.
Denali State Bank — 5 offices in Alaska, and nowhere else, holding $463m at 30 June 2025, leverage ratio 11.65%.
Deposits by office come from the FDIC Summary of Deposits, counted each 30 June; the leverage ratio is capital as a share of assets, from each bank's latest Call Report. Nothing here is blended into a score. Search by ZIP to see the offices nearest you.
Branches by town in Alaska
Where a bank runs more than one office in a town, every one of them is listed on a page of its own.
12 federally insured credit unions run 94 offices in Alaska, between them serving 1,388,271 members. 4 carry the NCUA's low-income designation. Figures are from each credit union's own NCUA Call Report.
Global — 27 offices in Alaska, 801,895 members, $12.9bn in assets, net worth ratio 9.67%.
Nuvision — 10 offices in Alaska, 204,942 members, $3.94bn in assets, net worth ratio 11.87%.
Advancial — 1 office in Alaska, 141,745 members, $2.39bn in assets, net worth ratio 7.92%.
Credit Union 1 — 15 offices in Alaska, 96,058 members, $1.53bn in assets, net worth ratio 14.36%.
Matanuska Valley — 10 offices in Alaska, 65,250 members, $985m in assets, net worth ratio 10.40%.
Tongass — 13 offices in Alaska, 14,609 members, $247m in assets, net worth ratio 12.96%.
True North — 5 offices in Alaska, 13,157 members, $237m in assets, net worth ratio 10.19%.
Northern Skies — 2 offices in Alaska, 13,846 members, $223m in assets, net worth ratio 13.47%.
Spirit of Alaska — 4 offices in Alaska, 9,231 members, $201m in assets, net worth ratio 14.62%.
Mac — 5 offices in Alaska, 18,242 members, $176m in assets, net worth ratio 11.40%.
Alaska Air Group — 1 office in Alaska, 8,824 members, $136m in assets, net worth ratio 14.37%.
Alaska Dist Engineers — 1 office in Alaska, 472 members, $14m in assets, net worth ratio 8.15%.
A credit union is measured differently from a bank and the numbers are not interchangeable: the net worth ratio here is the NCUA's capital measure under 12 CFR 702, where 7% is well capitalised, and shares are the credit union equivalent of deposits. Membership usually turns on where you live or work, so a local credit union is often open to you even when its name suggests otherwise.
What makes a Alaska bank account worth opening
Look at four things in order: the APY (does it beat the FDIC national average of about 0.60%?), the monthly fee (anything above $0 should come with a clear waiver path), the minimum opening deposit, and the membership rule for credit unions. Alaska residents typically qualify for at least one large state-chartered credit union on residency alone, and that credit union is often the highest-APY option available locally.
Is my money safe at a Alaska bank or credit union?
Yes, if the institution is federally insured. FDIC covers banks up to $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category; NCUA covers credit unions at the same limits. Every institution in this directory carries one of those insurances — the FDIC or NCUA ID is listed on the full provider row.
Rates and fees change frequently. Confirm current figures directly with each institution before applying, and see our editorial methodology for how this directory is built and maintained.