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Joining a credit union and choosing a checking account are related decisions, but they are not the same decision. Start by confirming that you can become a member, then evaluate the account you actually need.
Confirm the route that applies to you
LMCU publishes several eligibility routes: living, working, worshiping or attending school in Michigan’s lower peninsula or Florida; qualifying family membership; and a contribution-based route for applicants elsewhere. Its membership page describes a $5 ALS Foundation contribution for that last route. Confirm the current details with LMCU rather than treating a general description as an individual approval.
The contribution and your membership share are different things. LMCU separately states that a Member Savings account with a $5 minimum balance establishes and maintains membership. Do not assume a contribution funds that account or that an opening deposit pays every potential fee.
Make a two-column decision note
On paper, put membership questions on the left and product questions on the right. The first column might contain eligibility, the required share and who will own the account. The second might contain checking features, ways to deposit money, cash access and fees. This prevents an attractive product headline from answering a question it was never designed to answer.
You do not need to put identity numbers, account numbers or documents in this worksheet. Keep it to questions. Complete any actual application only through the institution’s independently reached official service, where its own disclosures and verification procedures apply.
Look past the opening deposit
Before applying, read the product-specific fee schedule, not only the membership page. Ask whether a fee can apply when Member Savings is your only account and what qualifies for any waiver. LMCU’s Member Savings page describes a non-relationship fee; the account’s ongoing cost therefore deserves a separate check.
Also consider how you would use the account after the first week. Would you have predictable deposits? Do you need a nearby cash-deposit location? Can you use the required digital tools? A product can be accessible online without every service being practical from every location.
A fictional first-week plan
Imagine a new member named Robin who wants a backup checking account. Robin first confirms eligibility and reads the savings-share terms. Next, Robin compares checking options and checks the nearby ATM arrangements. Only then does Robin apply through LMCU and wait for the actual opening result. Robin leaves existing bill payments unchanged until the new account is working.
The useful feature of this example is its order. It is not a promise that an application will be approved, that a particular deposit method will qualify, or that all steps will finish in one session.
Prepare a short readiness conversation
Before starting an application, distinguish what you know from what you still need to verify. You might know that you want individual ownership and a place for occasional deposits, but not know which eligibility route applies or how a particular deposit would become available. An unanswered question is a reason to ask for clarification, not a reason to guess on an application.
- What is the purpose of the new relationship: daily payments, backup access or a separate savings goal?
- Which ownership arrangement do you intend, and does everyone involved understand that arrangement?
- Which services must work from your actual location?
- What information does the official application request, and where can you safely provide it?
Keep this conversation separate from submitting documents. A useful preparation note says “confirm acceptable identification through the official application,” rather than holding copies of identity documents alongside a general banking checklist. If another person is helping you compare options, share the questions, not your sign-in information.
Use a stop-and-check sequence
Consider a fictional variation on Robin’s plan. Robin expects to move soon and has not yet decided whether the new account will receive payroll. Rather than treating the move and payroll change as one large project, Robin first asks which membership route applies to the current circumstances. Robin then checks whether the services needed after the move will still be practical. Only after those answers does Robin decide whether to proceed now or revisit the product choice later.
A sensible pause point is any answer that depends on a condition you cannot yet confirm. Examples include uncertainty about an eligibility relationship, who should own the account, or whether your normal funding method is supported. Pausing does not mean the product is unsuitable; it prevents an incomplete assumption from becoming the basis of a payment transition.
After an opening is confirmed, make a separate operational check. Can you reach the official service, find the disclosures you relied on and identify the correct support route? Review the actual account information for consistency with your intended choice. Resolve a mismatch before redirecting essential payments. Membership approval, usable account access and a completed switch are distinct milestones, so mark each one only when it has actually happened.
Finish with a clear next question
If membership is clear but account fit is not, read the checking comparison framework. If the required share is the confusing part, use the savings-purpose guide. Once an account is open, plan the payment transition before moving money.
A good starting question for LMCU is specific: “Which eligibility route applies to me, what membership balance must remain, and which ongoing fees could apply to the account I am considering?” That is more useful than asking whether membership is simply free.
Sources and limits
Public sources checked November 4, 2026. The checklists and fictional examples are educational analysis, not a private-account test or individualized financial advice.
- LMCU membership: Published membership routes and the Member Savings share requirement; eligibility and account opening remain with LMCU.
- LMCU Member Savings: Membership-share minimum and possible non-relationship fee. Public FAQ and disclosure balance terminology differ; confirm the applicable fee test with LMCU.