Our Story

Pinnacle Credit Union was founded in 1926 under the name Atlanta Teachers Credit Union. We are currently the second oldest credit union in the state of Georgia. Since opening we have grown into a full-service financial institution. Like other credit unions, Pinnacle is a not-for-profit organization; meaning profits are returned to members in the form of better rates on savings, lower interest rates on loans and fewer fees. The credit union is owned by its members and led by the board of directors that is formed from the membership.

Since 2014, Pinnacle Credit Union has undergone major changes to help improve the member experience. Things like online banking, mobile apps, and depositing checks with your phone are all new to the membership. Management and the Pinnacle team continue to work towards improvement - always keeping the membership at the focus of all developments.

What is a credit union?

Credit unions began back in 1852 in Germany as a not-for-profit financial cooperative. Since then they have continued with a cooperative identity of “based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.” (International Co-operative Alliance definition)

The credit union movement in the U.S. was originally founded and based on a philosophy that individuals, our members, could and should have a voice and some control in how their financial lives and futures were determined. This came as a direct result of the failure of the banks during the great depression. Many hard-working individuals and families lost everything when the US banking system collapsed. Out of that collapse, in 1934 the Federal Credit Union Act was signed, giving individuals the ability to organize credit unions as cooperatives, owned and managed by the people who formed and “joined” them, not some big investors or banks, organized and structured to make profits on the backs on their depositors and borrowers. Credit union profits were designed to come back to benefit the member-owners of the credit union.

Throughout the years, credit unions have continued to put the focus on the membership. The credit union family continues to work together to provide conveniences all over. One of those conveniences is the shared branching network. Pinnacle and thousands of other credit unions allow their members to visit any credit union in the shared branching network to access their funds. That means nationwide, you as a member can easily make deposits and withdrawals at other credit unions.

Pinnacle Credit Union is always looking for members who are interested in volunteering on the Membership Engagement Committee. The committee is focused on connecting Pinnacle with the community and informing management about the memberships needs and interests. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Volunteer@pinnaclecu.org .