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Frequently Asked Questions
To make a payment to your Direct Federal Loan from a Direct Federal Account, navigate to the “Transfers” feature. For the most payment options, including Principal only payments, click on the “Classic” tab. From there you will be able to select which account you want the payment to come from, which loan it should go to, how much you want to pay, and other payment options.
You can find your account numbers within Digital Banking under Account Details.
View Account Information >
At the end of your 10-Year Draw Period, you will enter the Repayment Period. The Repayment Period is 10 years of principal and interest. The rate remains variable based on your Home Equity agreement.
The date that is displayed is the estimated delivery date of the check, not the date the payment is sent from your account.
We currently do not offer FHA loans.
Please report the unauthorized transaction immediately by calling the phone number provided in the alerts or the number on the back of your card. The agent will then take care of marking the transaction as fraud and close the card.
Fraud alerts are sent to cardholders when potentially fraudulent transactions are detected on their accounts. We want to ensure that any questionable transactions were authorized by the cardholder.
We currently do not offer VA loans.
There are no application fees, no closing costs, and no annual fees associated with a Direct Federal Home Equity Loan or Line. If the line is closed within the first two years of being opened an early termination fee of $395 would be applied.
Requested Lines $400,000 and above require an appraisal. Also, if you believe your home value is higher than our assessed value, an appraisal may be required in order for us to approve the amount requested.
Appraisal cost estimates:
Single-family unit - Approximately $500
Multi-unit -Approximately $650.00
It takes about five minutes to apply and you will have an answer within one business day.
We do not offer motorcycle loans at this time, but click below to learn more about what personal loans and lines of credit we offer!
We use a method called “average daily balance.” Refer to the section “Finance Charges” within the Agreement for more information on how your balance is calculated.
Possible reasons for the difference in balance and available balance could be as follows:
-Funds being held according to our check hold policy
($1,000.00 available immediately, remaining balance up to $5,000 are subject to a 2 business day hold, $5,000.00+ are subject to a 5 business day hold)
-Pending transactions have yet to post to the account.
HELOC closings take place at our Branch located in Needham, MA.
You can borrow 120% of the value of your car (subject to our maximum auto loan limit of $100,000). This allows you to finance the entire purchase price, plus GAP insurance and the sales tax.
With Direct Federal, you can open a Home Equity Loan or Line for any amount between $20,000 and $500,000.
On the “Payments” tab of the Bill Pay widget, you will see “Payment Activity”. There you will see what Bills are scheduled to be paid in the current month. By clicking “Next” or “Previous” you can see what is scheduled to be paid or has been paid in the previous month. If you need additional information about any payment such as the payment frequency or the check number, click on the individual payment to be brought to the payment details.Alternatively, if you click on the “Manage Payees” tab within the Bill Pay widget and select an individual Payee you can view historical and scheduled payments for each Payee. Please note that payment history is only available from 2/1/21 and on. Please reference your past statements for payments prior to that.
Direct Federal lends on properties located in the following locations:
Massachusetts Counties: Norfolk, Middlesex, Suffolk, Plymouth, Essex, Bristol, Worcester, and Barnstable
Rhode Island Counties: All Counties in Rhode Island
New Hampshire Counties: Rockingham, Hillsborough, and Cheshire
A Returned Deposited Item (RDI) - is a check that has been returned to a depositor because it could not be processed against the account which it was drawn on. Deposited items can be returned for many reasons, such as insufficient or unavailable funds (funds on hold), stop payment, closed account, missing signature, etc.
Yes. In the application, please select "Refinance Home Loan" as the "Loan Purpose".
At maturity, Share Certificates (CD) will rollover into the same term at the current rate being offered, unless Direct Federal is notified prior to maturity or during the 7-day grace period.
The following must be done if you have lost or misplaced your title after the vehicle loan is paid in full and our lien is released:
Bring the paid loan letter, which includes the lien release statement, to your RMV to request a new title.
You will be responsible for all fees. The RMVs does not allow Direct Federal to apply for a duplicate title on your behalf since we are no longer a lienholder.
We do not offer foreign currency exchange services at this time.
Monthly dividends are available for withdrawal without penalty.
The notification will disappear once your payment has posted to the Loan. Please allow 4-5 days for your payment to process before queuing another payment.
Your account will not be debited until the payment has been either delivered electronically or until the check is cashed.Reminder will be sent at 60 days if the check remains undeposited. Should an undeposited check extend to 90 days, Bill Pay will automatically void the check and refund the money to the member’s account at no charge.
You will need to submit a HELOC application and select "Home Equity Increase" as the purpose.
Yes, Direct Federal will allow properties that are placed in acceptable trusts. The trust must be reviewed by our Attorney and must meet all of our guidelines and requirements for the transaction to move forward. The applicant will need to provide a full copy of the Trust agreement for review. The applicant must be the trustee or one of the co-trustees. All trustees must be 18 years of age or older. Additionally, the trustee must be authorized to borrow money and encumber real estate.
You will first need to link your external account to online banking. To link your external account navigate to the transfers and pay menu option and then click on transfers & loan payments. Once you are in the transfers widget click on "more actions" and then "add account." Once your account has been added it will appear in the dropdown menus within the Transfers and loan payment widget.
Once you’ve submitted your application, you will have a personal Mortgage Specialist follow up with you to provide additional help and guidance. Your Mortgage Specialist will be your single point of contact from here. He or she will send you an approval letter, order an appraisal from a licensed appraiser familiar with home values in your area, and prepare your loan for closing. The closing will take place at the office of our attorney in your area, who will act as our agent. Before closing, your Mortgage Specialist will contact you to walk through the final information and answer any questions you might have.
Log in to Online Banking or our Mobile App Hover over Menu item "Tools"Select "Card Management"Select your Visa Credit Card. Select "Balance Transfer", input Card Issuer Details and Submit!
If you realize you need more money to finance your purchase once you start shopping for your car, simply call us at 781.455.6500.
Required documentation will include but is not limited to: an insurance binder or insurance declaration page, income verification, mortgage statement, and valid license or identification.
We offer a variety of options to pay a Direct Federal Loan or Line of Credit.
You can locate your credit card reward points balance on your credit card statement. You can access this statement within Digital Banking.
View credit card statement >
Reminder
Rewards will be processed annually in November and a check will automatically be mailed to you. Minimum of 5,000 points required for redemption.
Some small businesses are able to receive payments with Zelle®. Ask your favorite small business if they accept payments with Zelle®. If they do, you can pay them directly from your Direct Federal Credit Union App using just their email address or U.S. mobile number.
Neither Direct Federal Credit Union nor Zelle® offers purchase protection for payments made with Zelle® - for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for, or the item is not as described or as you expected. Only send money to people and small businesses you trust and always ensure you've used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.
If you are an existing member, the easiest way to check the status of an application is through the Application Center within Digital Banking.
If you are not a member, please visit our Application Status Center.
You will receive three letters notifying you that your title, with Direct Federal listed as lienholder, has not been received. If the title is not received within 90 days of your loan funds being disbursed, your interest rate may be increased to 18.00% APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Once we receive the perfected title, we will revert the rate to the rate on your loan agreement. This will not affect your credit history.
You can update your contact information by updating your account profile in Digital Banking, by calling Member Services, or by visiting our branch.
Dividends start to accrue on the date the account is funded.
We will not transmit sensitive personal information through alerts.
Yes, you will need to submit a HELOC application and select "Home Equity Increase" as the purpose.
Yes, we do finance commercial vehicles!
View Business Loans >
Fraud Alerts are transmitted to the phone number(s) and/or email address associated with the card used at the time of the transaction. If a joint cardholder is receiving alerts, it is because that cardholder’s phone number and/or email address is associated with the card transacting. If the fraud alerts should have gone to another cardholder on your account, we ask that you update the contact information for that cardholder.
You can submit a Stop Payment Request through Online Banking via Tools > Check Services.
Our fax number is 781-433-2922.
We do not offer RV loans at this time, but click below to learn more about what personal loans and lines of credit we offer!
Your IRS forms will be available under Statements within Digital Banking.
View Statements >
Prepayment is allowed at any time without penalty. If you pay-off the balance and decide to close the line within the first two years, you will be charged a $395 Early Termination Fee.
As part of your loan agreement with Direct Federal, and because your car is serving as the collateral for the loan, you are required to provide the title to us within 90 days of opening the loan. The title must display your name as the owner and list Direct Federal as a lienholder. Being a lienholder means we have an interest in the property that is on the title until the loan is paid in full.
If we receive a title for your vehicle that does not have “Direct FCU” listed as lienholder, forms to add lienholder will be mailed to you. Please complete the highlighted sections and return them in the envelope provided along with a check made payable to the applicable RMV so we can file for lien placement on your behalf.
Note: If the envelope is lost, please send documents to:
Direct Federal Credit Union
Attn: Loan Servicing
50 Cabot Street
Needham, MA 02494
Zelle® is a great way to send money to family, friends, and people you are familiar with such as your personal trainer, babysitter or neighbor.1
Since money is sent directly from your Direct Federal Credit Union account to another person's bank account within minutes1, Zelle® should only be used to send money to friends, family and others you trust.
If you don't know the person or aren't sure you will get what you paid for (for example, items bought from an online bidding or sales site), you should not use Zelle®. These transactions are potentially high risk (just like sending cash to a person you don't know is high risk).
Neither Direct Federal Credit Union nor Zelle® offers purchase protection for payments made with Zelle®- for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for, or the item is not as described or as you expected. Only send money to people and small businesses you trust and always ensure you've used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.
Go to the Bill Pay widget and click on the “Manage Payees” tab. Then select “Add Payee”. You can add a Payee by searching your Payee within our database. If your payee is there, the information about the Payee will auto-fill. If it is not in our database, you can select “click here to create a Payee manually.” You will need to have your Payees information nearby including Name, Account Number, Email address, and Mailing Address.
If you are moving to a different state within the U.S., a state change request should first be submitted through Online Banking or by calling our Contact Center at 888.2DIRECT.
IMPORTANT: Direct Federal cannot process the state change for you. You must complete this process with the applicable RMV.
This request allows us to print/prepare the title so you can process the state change at the RMV. We will mail the title to you at the address we have on file. Then bring it to the RMV to complete the title and registration in your new state. We cannot do this for you.
IMPORTANT: The process is different for owner retained states. If you live in an owner retained state, you do not have to file a state change with us. Simply go to your new RMV to title and register there. Please make sure all Direct Federal’s information is correct on all documentation so that we get notified of the state change.
Going to the RMV before filing a request with us will result in delayed processing of your forms. The RMV will contact us to request that the title be mailed to them, resulting in a higher chance of title loss. In this case, we will not be able to provide you with a duplicate title unless Direct Federal is listed as lienholder.
Yes, Direct Federal debit and credit cards can be added to Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
The amount you can borrow depends on the equity you have in your home.
Direct Federal allows up to 80% Combined Loan-To-Value (CLTV).
With Direct Federal, you can open a Home Equity Loan or Line for any amount between $20,000 and $500,000.
You have 60 days. If, for whatever reason, you do not use the loan during that time period and need another one, simply call us at 781.455.6500.
Different Mortgage programs will have varying qualifications. Please contact a mortgage specialist to discuss your options.
Send message to Mortgage Specialist >
There is no cash advance fee.
Bill Pay allows you to pay all of your bills, outside of Direct Federal Credit Union, in one place. Your payments will be delivered electronically or by check depending on the recipient. You can schedule one-time or recurring payments.
Login to Digital Banking and access the transfers widget. After choosing your account and loan from the dropdown menus, you can then specify the frequency for your recurring payments.
Login to Digital Banking >
If you are travelling within the U.S., you will receive phone calls, text messages and emails. If you are travelling internationally, you will receive emails. You will only receive text messages if your mobile phone plan allows you to receive them while traveling outside of the United States.
We currently do not offer safety deposit boxes at this time.
There are no balance transfer fees.
There are no closing costs.
We do not charge for the coin machine but you must be a member to use it.
The coin machine is available Monday-Friday (8am-3pm) and Saturday (8am-11pm).
Please contact us at 888.2DIRECT if you plan on coming into the Branch to use the coin machine.
Fraud alerts are automated phone calls, text messages and emails that are sent when potentially fraudulent purchase activity has been detected on a credit/debit card account. Messages are triggered by Direct's fraud detection system.
Text messages will be sent to cardholders in the 50 United States at no charge.
Customers with international telephone numbers will only receive emails. They will not receive text messages or phone calls.
With Direct Federal, you can open a Home Equity Loan or Line for any amount between $20,000 and $500,000.
You can apply for a credit limit of up to $25,000.
Agree to receive your monthly statement through email (e-Statements)
AND
- One direct deposit into your account a month
OR - Five or more debit card transactions per calendar month.
(Excludes ATM + Zelle transactions)
Upon confirming that a transaction is valid, you may retry the transaction immediately.
One of the following must be done if you have lost or misplaced the title that was mailed to you while the loan is still open:
Contact Direct Federal at 888.2DIRECT to request a duplicate title. Processing time will depend on the RMV. You will be responsible for the state’s duplicate title fee.
Contact your state’s RMV if you live in an owner retained title state for a duplicate title. You will be responsible for the state’s duplicate title fee.
The title proves that you own the vehicle. The registration is permission from the state to operate it on the road. It will come to you with license plates and/or a sticker to display on the vehicle. In most states, your registration should always be with your vehicle, just like your license plates.
The final step of owning your new vehicle is to register and title it at your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (RMV). It may also be known as the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), or the Department of Transportation (DOT), depending on your state. For simplicity here, we will refer to it as the RMV.
Direct Federal only holds onto the title while your auto loan is open if you do not live in an owner retained state. If you live in an owner retained state, the RMV will send you the title to keep safe until your loan is paid in full.
If rates rise from the time you apply until the time you use your loan, you will get the lower rate that was in effect when you applied. If rates fall from the time you apply until the time you use your loan, you will get the lower rate in effect at the time of purchase.
You can get free checks with a Hub or Community checking account. Your initial check order is sent at the time the checking is opened. You can also reorder checks through online banking, our member service center, or in the branch.
Information on your rights to dispute transactions and how to exercise those rights is provided in the Agreement.
You are eligible for cash advances by going to ATMs or banks that are part of the Visa network. You can also transfer cash advance funds from your credit card to a Direct Federal savings, checking, or money market account. Direct does not charge a cash advance fee.
You can only cancel a payment if the person you sent money to hasn't yet enrolled with Zelle®. To check whether the payment is still pending because the recipient hasn't yet enrolled, you can go to your activity page, choose the payment you want to cancel, and then select "Cancel This Payment". If you do not see this option available, please contact our customer support team at 7814556500 for assistance with canceling the pending payment.
If the person you sent money to has already enrolled with Zelle®, the money is sent directly to their bank account and cannot be canceled. This is why it's important to only send money to people you trust, and always ensure you've used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.
If you sent money to the wrong person, please immediately call our customer support team at 7814556500 so we can help you.
Completing your mortgage application online is just like completing one on paper — with the added benefit of being able to complete it anytime, anywhere. Plus, at any time, you may stop and save your application; then return to it later. Expect your application to take about 15 minutes to complete. A series of prompts and helpful tips will guide you through each screen to help you through each stage of the application process, which includes the following steps:
Start App – You’ll be asked to select a username and password to ensure security and privacy. Create and enter your username and password here and make a note of them for your records.
Loan Details – Enter the address, price and other information related to the property.
Personal Info – Provide the name, date of birth and social security number for EACH borrower.
Employment Income – Tell us about your current employment situation, including gross income and any additional income you may receive.
Expenses – What is your current monthly expense for housing?
Asset Info – Provide a list of your financial assets, including bank accounts and investments, in order to verify that you have access to sufficient funds to complete the transaction.
Submit App – After a few final questions, simply submit the application to Direct Federal and a mortgage specialist will follow up with you
Once you get your title, there may be some changes that need to be made before the title is ready to be given to Direct Federal. Please do not write on your title, as this will void the title. In the Names and Mailing Address of Owners section, it must list you as the owner and your current address. If the title application with the RMV is completed properly, we will be notified that the title has been created with "Direct FCU" as lienholder.
IMPORTANT: The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on your Loan Note and Agreement must match the VIN on your title. If you are aware of any discrepancies, please contact us as soon as possible.
If the vehicle you are titling is for your business and you would like it in your business name, you must open a business membership and apply for a commercial loan. If you have started the loan as a personal vehicle loan, the title will need to be in your name.
Direct Federal’s lienholder information:
Direct Federal Credit Union
ISAOA/ATIMA
50 Cabot Street
Needham, MA 02494
Direct Federal Credit Union
ISAOA/ATIMA
50 Cabot Street
Needham, MA 02494
$395 if the line is closed during the first two years.
Navigate to the transfers and pay tab and then click on transfers and loan payments. Please note, that Principal payments CANNOT be made from external accounts. Once you have navigated to the transfers widget, select which accounts you'd like the money to come out of and which loan you will be paying. Once the accounts are selected the "Principal Payment" option will appear. Your loan must be up to date.
When you mark a transaction as fraudulent, the response message you receive will include our fraud detection department’s toll-free number and it asks that you call to review the card activity, or you will receive a call from a fraud detection agent to review. The agent will be able to review the activity with you and clear the card for use.
Unfortunately, you are unable to hide payees. If you have a payee that you do not use or do not use often you can add a “z” in front of the payee nickname to add it to the bottom of the list. Alternatively, when setting up Payees, you can add “tags” to each payee. This will allow you to sort by tag. For example, for Payees you pay each month you could add the tag “Monthly Payment”. You will then be able to sort by all Payees with the tag “Monthly Payment”.
We currently do not offer 529 plans.
View our banking account options >
Keeping your money and information safe is a top priority for Direct Federal Credit Union. When you use Zelle® within our mobile app, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your Direct Federal Credit Union account safe.
Your first payment is due on the 30th of the month following the month you use your auto loan. For example, if you use your loan during September, your first payment will be due on October 30.
Yes! You can start a chat with us by clicking on the text bubble icon on the login page and the dashboard
There is no annual fee.
Within Online Banking, select your Loan and click on the specific payment you would like more information on. Then select "Breakdown" and you will be able to view the Principal and Interest breakdown of your loan payment.
Cash Back rewards applies to purchases posted on your account less credits for returned merchandise. Point cash value of $.01 will be earned for every qualifying dollar. Rewards will be processed annually in November and a check will automatically be mailed to you. Minimum of 5,000 points required for redemption.
Any phone numbers that Direct Federal has in your records may be sent alerts.
You will automatically be enrolled to receive all fraud alerts via the contact methods on your account, ie., email address, cell phone, home phone, work phone, etc.
You can find a full list of participating banks and credit unions live with Zelle® at Zellepay.com.
If your recipient's bank or credit union isn't on the list, don't worry! The list of participating financial institutions is always growing, and your recipient can still use Zelle® by downloading the Zelle® app for Android and iOS.
To enroll with the Zelle® app, your recipient will enter their basic contact information, an email address or U.S. mobile number, and a Visa® or Mastercard® debit card with a U.S. based account (does not include U.S. territories). Zelle® does not accept debit cards associated with international deposit accounts or any credit cards.
We currently do not offer land loans but please check back in with us in the future!
This feature is for existing Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) only. You cannot get a Fixed-Rate Carve Out without first having a Home Equity Line of Credit. However, a HELOC can be converted to a Fixed Rate Carve Out during the initial HELOC closing.
The HELOC limit will be reduced by the amount of the fixed rate loan, but once it is paid off, the limit will replenish. Terms available: 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. 20 years can only be obtained at the time of the original HELOC closing. There are no fees associated with a Home Equity Carve Out.
Maximum number of Fixed-Rate Carve Outs: 3
We do not pull credit for carve outs.
Primary Residences Only.
Single-family home, 1-4 family, or condo.
Direct Federal lends on properties located in the following locations:
Massachusetts Counties: Norfolk, Middlesex, Suffolk, Plymouth, Essex, Bristol, Worcester, and Barnstable
Rhode Island Counties: All Counties in Rhode Island
New Hampshire Counties: Rockingham, Hillsborough, and Cheshire
No, Direct Federal Credit Union does not charge any fees to use Zelle® in our mobile app.
Your mobile carrier's messaging and data rates may apply.
1. You can opt out of text alerts by replying “STOP” to the text message
2. You can opt out of phone calls when the alert system calls you.
3. Click on the Unsubscribe link in the email to stop the emails.
4. Contact our Call Center to ask to stop receiving fraud alerts.
5. Visit a branch to ask to stop receiving fraud alerts.