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FourLeaf Federal Credit Union (formerly Bethpage) stands out for its competitive rates, lack of fees, and transparent terms and qualifications. It also scores high for its multiple contact methods and presence in almost every state. Its main weakness is its slow funding time. Also, the non-digitally-inclined might be distressed at the lack of physical branches.
FourLeaf Federal Credit Union (formerly Bethpage) stands out for its competitive rates, lack of fees, and transparent terms and qualifications. It also scores high for its multiple contact methods and presence in almost every state. Its main weakness is its slow funding time. Also, the non-digitally-inclined might be distressed at the lack of physical branches.
FourLeaf Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered credit union, the largest in the Northeast (it has some 30 branches in New York City and Long Island alone) and the 15th largest in the U.S. It has over 470,000 members nationwide. Founded in 1941, the company offers a wide range of savings and loan products and wealth management services.
FourLeaf Federal Credit Union offers HELOCs with a 10-year, interest-only initial period and a 20-year repayment term after that. You also have the option to convert some or all of your current balance (a $10,000 minimum) to a fixed-rate loan with a five-, 10- or 20-year repayment period at no additional fee — although the maximum term can’t exceed your account maturity date. To convert, you’ll need to draw a minimum of $10,000 for each fixed-rate loan. You can have up to three fixed-rate loan balances at a time.
In 2024, Bethpage Federal Credit Union announced it’d be changing its name to FourLeaf Federal Credit Union. The change took effect in 2025. If you were already a Bethpage customer, your account numbers and logins won’t change, but you’ll see new logos and signage throughout branch locations and the credit union’s website. As FourLeaf, the credit union continues to offer home equity options.
FourLeaf earns a perfect 5 out of 5 for affordability because of its competitive APR and lack of fees and closing costs.
FourLeaf scores a 4.7 out of 5 for availability because of footprint in nearly all states, thanks to a robust digital-banking platform, as well as its flexibility in allowing you to convert HELOC balances to fixed rates.
FourLeaf earns a 3.3 out of 5 for borrower experience because of its relatively long funding period (especially compared to online lenders) and its limited in-person support.
You can tap into your home equity — the difference between your home's worth and what you owe on your mortgage — with a home equity loan or a HELOC. With those funds, you can tackle a variety of expenses, like debt consolidation or home renovations.
However, before you dive in, it's important to figure out your loan-to-value ratio (LTV). Lenders use your LTV to determine how much of your equity stake you can actually borrow. (It’s typically 80 percent, although some lenders allow you to access as much as 90 percent.) The amount of equity they’ll let you tap is one consideration when choosing a lender. Be it a retail bank, online lender or credit union, it may offer different home equity loan rates and terms, too. That’s why it’s important to shop around for the best deal.
FourLeaf gets an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since 2024. Trustpilot gives FourLeaf 3.9 stars.
On Bankrate, customers highlight the ease of working with FourLeaf and praise its high-quality service: “Representatives made me feel supported and empowered throughout the entire process, from initial inquiry to final approval,” as one client put it. Several also cited the “great prices.”
To qualify for a FourLeaf HELOC, you need to become a member, which requires opening a savings account with a minimum of $5. You will also need to have homeowners insurance and, in some cases, flood insurance.
FourLeaf’s best rates typically go to borrowers with a maximum combined loan-to-value (CLTV) ratio of 65 percent and who make an initial draw of at least $25,000. The maximum CLTV for borrowers with a 700 FICO score is 75 percent. You can take advantage of the lower introductory rate as long as you haven’t obtained an intro rate in the past five years; your CLTV is below 75 percent; you draw $25,000 initially and maintain that balance for one year; and set up auto-payments.
Note: FourLeaf Federal Credit Union doesn’t offer HELOCs to borrowers in Texas.
If you’re interested in applying for a HELOC from FourLeaf Federal Credit Union (and already a member), you can request a call from a loan officer online, call 800-628-7070 or visit a branch. Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
The documents you will need to obtain a HELOC from FourLeaf include:
To determine a mortgage lender’s Bankrate Score, Bankrate rates lenders on a scale of one (1) to five (5) stars — with five (5) the highest rating — based on a variety of factors relating to the lender’s products and services. To assign our ratings, we assessed each mortgage lender across three core areas:
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Selected lender
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FourLeaf Federal Credit Union
NMLS: 449104
Bankrate score
4.3
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
4.1
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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Bankrate score
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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Bankrate score
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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Loan amount |
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$10,000-$1 million |
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Min. credit score required |
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720 for introductory rate |
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Repayment terms |
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10-year draw period and 20-year repayment term for HELOCs |
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Funds available in |
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35-38 days |
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Recent customer review |
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Fourleaf ruined the BFCU customer experience FlCU has ruined BFCU Cx. The new loan management peocess brings Four Leaf back to the 20th century. They said the new experience will be better after July 10th. It is far worse.... Bill S. |
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To help you make the most informed decisions, our home equity lender reviews team suggests an alternative home equity lender for each lender reviewed. In most cases, this alternative 1.) shares the same strength (affordability, availability or borrower experience) as the lender reviewed; and 2.) rates highly for Bankrate Score. In the event more than one lender meets these standards, we suggest the one with the higher Bankrate Score.
NMLS: 449104
4.1
21 ratings
81% of customers would recommend this lender.
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