Advantage Checking

FFCCU’s Advantage Checking account is exactly what you need: simplicity with flexibility. Start with essentials like free digital banking, no monthly maintenance fees, and no minimum average daily balance. Want more? Level up your account to unlock benefits like earning 2.00% APY*

ALL Advantage Checking accounts enjoy ease and accessibility with these features:

ATM and VISA^®Debit Cards
More than 35,000 ATMs
FREE Mobile App
Easy and free bill pay options
FREE online banking
No minimum balance

Level Up and Unlock Bonus Benefits!

Want more from your Advantage Checking account? Meet the bonus criteria in any given month and unlock earnings of 2.00% APY* on your average daily balance between $500-$24,999. Plus, you can make unlimited withdrawals from ATMs for free.*

And if you don’t meet the bonus criteria at any point, there’s no penalty or fee! You won’t earn bonus benefits that month, but you can always enjoy them by leveling up the next month!

Here’s How To Unlock 2.00% APY*

STEP ONE

Enroll in
e-Statements

Enroll here

STEP TWO

Direct deposit at
least $500 per month

Set it up here

FINALLY

Use your VISA® Debit Card for 12 or more transactions per month

Track your status here

KUDOS!

Once again, great service here! My membership goes back almost 40 years with Firefighters Community Credit Union. Never a disappointment.

-Dave

The live chat team always does an outstanding job handling my frequent use of online messaging. I’m hearing impaired and prefer messaging to phone calls. They handle all my issues quickly and thorough...

-Denny J.

I’ve been with FFCCU for over 25 years and always have great experiences. Lisa Snell was no exception: whether online or meeting in person to close my auto loan, she’s fantastic!

-Julie Z.

I experienced a problem with an automatic withdrawal. Emily provided lots of information on how to handle it and secured a refund. More than that: she gave me moral support, when I was feeling very up...

-Irene

I cannot thank Tilisha at the Willoughby branch enough for going above and beyond to get my auto loan approved. It was a pleasure to work with her. Words can’t express how appreciative I am.

-Percaker G.

The quick response was A-1. The respect was apparent, and the knowledge? –muah!– [chef’s kiss] Thanks to the North Ridgeville Branch team!

-Kim M.

Our Financial Service Rep spoke with the travel agency directly to ensure payment for our dream vacation made the deadline. The process reaffirmed that FFCCU is the best credit union for us!

-The Freeborns

Lisa Snell makes every customer feel heard, valued, and appreciated, turning every interaction into a positive experience. Thank you very much Lisa at the Emerald branch location!!

-Gissela S.

Customer service is very understanding, and they make sure that your needs are met. I have been with the Firefighters Community Credit Union for over 40 years and I will remain a member.

-Teresa G.

I work with banks and credit unions on a daily basis, and FFCCU goes above and beyond to help its members. Thank you all for making the process easy to understand and treating me like a person.

-Jennifer

Jovan, Bev, Jenny, and the other personnel at the Wellington branch are absolutely Rock Stars. They have always been so helpful, they are the greatest 😊

-Sue S.

Jenny and Victoria from the Wellington branch were super helpful with getting things going for me, and gave me peace of mind. So grateful for their help!

-Austin L.

More Kudos!

Our Rates

As of May 18, 2025

Account Type	Balance	APY*
ADVANTAGE Checking*	$500-$24,999.99	2.00%
	$25,000+	0.01%

*APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Get unlimited ATM withdrawals and earn 2.00% APY when your average daily balance is between $500-24,999.99 when you meet the following requirements: 12 or more VISA Debit Card transactions posted to your account each month, enrolled in e-Statements and have direct deposit totaling $500 or more within the same month. Earn .01% on the remaining portion of your balance over $25,000.00. ATM fees charged by FFCCU are refunded at the end of the month. ATM fee refunds do no include terminal surcharges, if incurred. Only one Advantage Checking account per member. Account is subject to approval. Call 800.621.4644 for current rates as they are subject to change at any time and without notice.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ADVANTAGE CHECKING

CAN ANYONE GET ADVANTAGE CHECKING?

In order to get an Advantage Checking account, you must be a member of FFCCU who is over the age of 18. Account is subject to approval.

HOW DO ATM FEES WORK?

ATM fees are made up of two charges: a transaction fee and a surcharge. A transaction fee is charged by the financial institution to users who are not their customers. A surcharge, on the other hand, is applied by the owner of the ATM terminal for providing the cash-dispensing service. FFCCU refunds our charge on up to 8 withdrawals per month, or an unlimited number with a qualifying Advantage Checking account. FFCCU is part of several surcharge-free ATM networks and the additional charge should not be taken by the servicer when using these machines.

HOW DO I DETERMINE MY AVERAGE DAILY BALANCE?

To calculate your average daily balance, determine the sum total of the balance for every day in the billing cycle and then divide the total by the number of days in the billing cycle.

For example, say you have a 30-day billing cycle and start the cycle with a $500 balance. Then, on day 11 you make a $100 purchase, and on day 18, you make a $200 deposit, your daily balances are: $500 for the first 10 days, $400 for the next seven days, $600 for the final 13 days. When you add those daily averages up per day, and divide by 30, you get an average daily balance of $520.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T QUALIFY TO UNLOCK BONUS BENEFITS?

There’s no penalty! You simply won’t be eligible to earn 2.00% APY* and will be limited to eight FFCCU ATM withdrawals before incurring an FFCCU fee.

The best part: if you miss a month, you can still qualify in any given month after! Bonus benefits get unlocked on a monthly basis, so there’s always another chance to level up.

Bill Deighton

Bill has over 40 years of experience in credit unions and previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for 30 years. Bill is a retired Captain of the Cleveland Fire Department. Along with his credit union experience, he has served for 16 years on the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund Board. He believes that credit unions are powered by providing the best customer service to members. Bill volunteers at St. Ambrose Parish and the Fire Museum renovation. Bill and his wife live in Brunswick and have two grown children.

Anthony Missig

Tony is honored to have been the current Board Director since 1999. He has been a credit union member of Cleveland Fire Fighter since 1988. Tony graduated with a BA degree in Business from Hiram College and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College. He is currently an Assistant Chief with the Cleveland Fire Department.

Ben Laurendeau

Ben Laurendeau has been employed in the credit union industry since 1987 in a variety of positions. Ben has held the position of President/CEO with Firefighters Community Credit Union since January of 2005. Ben holds an Associate Degree in Accounting from Terra Community College, A Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Tiffin University and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Baldwin Wallace University. Ben serves as a Director on the Ohio Credit Union League Services Corporation Board and serves on the Ohio Credit Union League Audit Committee.

Gary D. Arbeznik

Gary is a lifelong resident of Greater Cleveland and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2018. Many of his family members have served in the Cleveland Fire department and are long-time members of FFCCU. Gary holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD g from Cleveland State University. He has worked for both Cuyahoga County and the US Attorney’s office in Cleveland during his legal career. Now retired, Gary and his wife live in Lakewood.

Barbara McCullough

Barb is a current Board Director of FFCCU and a fully vested member. She has an MBA in Finance and has spent 25 years teaching to all walks of life. Barb is a volunteer with the Foundation for Geauga Parks, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Lorain County Spirit of America, and Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. Barb is a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area. She and her husband have one daughter.

Alyssa Garcia Evanoff

Alyssa Garcia Evanoff joined Firefighters Community Credit Union as the Chief Marketing Officer in February 2019. Alyssa has nearly two decades of experience in brand management and strategic marketing with a variety of organizations across the Greater Cleveland area. During her career, she has developed successful marketing and creative campaigns that have repositioned brand image and increased brand loyalty through emerging digital trends, content marketing and user experience strategy. Alyssa is a graduate of Miami University and sits on the board of the Cleveland chapter of the American Advertising Federation.

Jessica Bittner

Jessica Bittner joined FFCCU as a teller in 2009. In 2012 she was promoted to branch manager, and has managed multiple branches throughout the credit union. Jessica holds a Bachelors in Human Resource Management & Business Management, with a minor in accounting from Baldwin Wallace University. She was promoted to COO in 2021.

Kathleen Riggs

Kathleen Riggs joined FFCCU as Chief Retail Officer in 2013. Kathy has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, holding a variety of positions. Kathleen received her bachelors degree in psychology from Kent State University and is a certified trainer of CUNA’s Creating Member Loyalty program.

Paul Humphrey

Paul Humphrey was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He joined FFCCU in 2017 as the Chief Lending Officer. Paul is a graduate of Kent State University. He holds the designation of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) from CUNA. Paul has managed lending programs in both small and large credit unions and brings that unique perspective to serve the members of FFCCU.

John Carrick

John Carrick is the Chief Financial Officer of Firefighters Community Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio. John was hired by Greater Cleveland Firefighters Credit Union (former name of Firefighters Community Credit Union) as an Accounting Assistant in February 1993, was promoted to acting CFO in 1995, and was awarded the position of CFO in 1996. John has assisted in the acquisition of multiple mergers for Firefighters Community Credit Union and has managed two different Merging Credit Unions during the merger process. John is a former member of the Audit Committee of the Cleveland Chapter of the Ohio Credit Union League. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University.

Dennis Corrigan

Dennis has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2017. He is invested in forming bonds between the Credit Union and the community and helping members improve their economic situations. He has a strong desire to have a voice in the decision-making process of an institution that he was raised with and believes in. Dennis has been a part of the Cleveland Fire Department for 25 years and is currently a Captain. Dennis and his wife live in the Cleveland area with their three children.

Damian Borkowski

Damian has served on the Board of Directors for over 10 years. He has been the Citywide Service Manager for the City of Cleveland since 1983 and manages the demolition of houses and buildings. He holds degrees in Law and Engineering and is a member of the Ohio Bar. Damian lives with his wife in the Cleveland area. He has been a credit union member for 30 years.

Rich Bowman

Rich serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors and has been a board member since 2009. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter since 1989 and is presently a Battalion Chief serving the city’s lower west side. Rich is a founding member and Treasurer of the Firefighters Memorial Ride. Since their inception in 2004, they have donated over $250,000 to the families of fallen Fire, Police, and EMS workers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Finance from Cleveland State University.

James E. Polk

James is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and has served on the Board since 1982. He has also held the position of Secretary. Jim is a retired Cleveland Firefighter after 30 years of service. He is the past treasurer of Fire Fighters Local 93 and served on the Union Executive Board for 18 years. Jim is also a former Worker’s Compensation Representative for Local 93 and the NOFF.

Bryan Gallagher

Bryan has served on the FFCCU Board of Directors since 2006 and looks forward to continuing to help the credit union move forward and provide quality services to members. Born and raised in Cleveland, Bryan and his wife live in Lakewood and have three grown children. He holds a degree in Communications from Cleveland State University and spent 40-years as a cameraman for the MLB and NBA. After 33 years, he retired as a Captain from the Cleveland Fire Department. He is a former Sergeant at Arms for Local 93 IAFF and was Secretary for the Firefighters Memorial.

Robert Schwind

Bob is a lifelong Cleveland resident and has been a member of FFCCU since 1993. He has served on the FFCCU board since 2019. Bob is a graduate of Cleveland State University and has served as a Cleveland firefighter for the past 28 years, becoming a lieutenant in 2002. He and his wife live in Cleveland and have two grown daughters.

James Andrews, Jr.

Jim has been a credit union member for over 40 years and has served on the Board of Directors since 2012. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter for 29 years, currently stationed at Engine Company 13. James has served on the Cleveland Firefighters Relief Fund board and was a former Union Steward and Committee Member for Firefighters Local 93. He and his wife have three children.