If you’re going to reach for a credit card anyway, you might as well get something back for it.

Visa Curva from Earthmover makes everyday spending a little more rewarding with uChoose Rewards®. Cardholders earn 1.5 points¹ for every dollar spent on everyday purchases, whether that’s groceries, gas, dinner out or the occasional online splurge. Those points can then be redeemed for cash back, shopping, travel, event tickets and more.

Curva also comes with no annual fee, competitive variable rates and access to Earthmover’s built-in Card Controls which gives you more say over how, when and where your card gets used.

Available through online and mobile banking, Card Controls lets you set spending limits based on transaction amount, location, merchant type and transaction type. You can create custom fraud alerts, set travel alerts or immediately turn off a card if it’s lost or stolen. You’ll also get clearer merchant information for transactions and easy access to your card wherever you go.

Prefer to keep things simple? Earthmover’s Visa Contour offers another option, with no annual fee, competitive variable rates, generous credit limits and the same digital wallet and contactless payment capabilities.

Two cards. Two ways to spend. But if earning rewards on the purchases you’re already making sounds good, Curva might deserve a spot at the front of your wallet.

Learn more

¹ uChoose Rewards® applies to Earthmover Credit Union Visa Curva cardholders only. Credit union membership required. Cardholders earn 1.5 points per $1.00 spent on qualifying purchases. Points are earned through the uChoose Rewards® program. Certain restrictions and terms apply. See uchooserewards.com or your credit card agreement for complete details. Offer subject to change without notice.

Giving back isn’t something we save for the holidays. It’s something we budget for.

Through our Community Giveback program, Earthmover dedicates funds each year to supporting local 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations doing important work throughout the communities we call home. And that commitment keeps growing.

In 2024, Earthmover donated $30,000 to more than 25 organizations. In 2025, that number grew to $40,000. This year, we’ve set aside $60,000 — and with just over $20,000 remaining, much of it is already at work in our communities.

Recent support includes $2,000 donations to Batavia-based Suicide Prevention Services and Fox Valley’s Food for Health, along with a $1,000 donation to the Sandwich Schools Music Association.

Sometimes, giving back means fulfilling a wish list instead. Earthmover provided $1,000 in requested items to local non-profits like Marklund and Lazarus House, plus $2,000 in baby food, diapers, toys and developmental equipment for Almost Home Kids. Mutual Ground also received $2,000 in requested essentials, including bedding and personal care items.

Different organizations. Different missions. Different needs. That’s intentional. Community Giveback is designed to support a wide variety of causes and help where help is needed most.

And we’re not finished yet. If you know a 501(c)(3) non-profit within Earthmover’s field of membership that could use a hand, we’d love to hear about it.

Submit an organization

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which makes it a good time for an annual reminder: A healthy dose of skepticism online is a very good thing.

Scammers continue to find increasingly convincing ways to get our attention — from phishing emails and fraudulent text messages to calls impersonating financial institutions and other trusted organizations. And they often have one thing in common: urgency. Click this link. Verify this account. Send this payment. Act now.

Earthmover Credit Union also maintains our own Banking Safely resources with information to help members recognize fraud and protect their accounts.

One easy step? Pay attention to your account activity. Earthmover members can use SecureAlerts to receive real-time notifications for activity such as debit card purchases, ATM withdrawals or checks clearing above an amount you choose. That can make it easier to spot something unusual quickly.

And remember: If someone contacts you claiming to be from Earthmover and asks for sensitive personal information, hang up and contact us directly at 630-844-4950.

The scams may keep getting smarter. Fortunately, so can we.

From rising vehicle prices to higher monthly payments, buying a car looks a little different these days. Earthmover’s Mandy Stafford shares what borrowers should know about today’s market, financing locally, refinancing opportunities and the growing world of electric vehicles.

Interest rates have been a major part of the car-buying conversation for several years. What are you seeing with auto loan rates right now, and where do you think things may be headed?
Auto loan rates are still elevated but have been relatively stable. Predicting where rates are headed has been unusually uncertain. I wouldn’t count on a major decline in auto loan rates in the near future. If you’re considering purchasing a new vehicle and waiting for rates to come down, it’s also important to consider the rising cost of vehicles. Any savings from a lower interest rate could potentially be offset by an increase in the vehicle’s purchase price.

What are borrowers most concerned about right now: the vehicle price, interest rate, monthly payment or overall cost of the loan?
Borrowers are most concerned with the monthly payment. As the cost of vehicles continues to increase year after year, so does the monthly payment. Add to the increasing cost of vehicles, interest rates continue to be much higher than they were pre-pandemic resulting in higher payments than borrowers are comfortable with.

When someone can finance through a dealership, an online lender or their financial institution, what’s the advantage of starting the conversation with a local credit union like Earthmover?
The car buying process can be stressful, especially for an inexperienced car buyer. We’re here to help guide our members through the process—from start to finish. Our goal is to take the stress out of the process by giving you the tools you need to make a well-informed decision.

Earthmover is known for competitive auto loan rates. What allows a credit union to keep rates low compared with many other lending options?
Credit unions can often keep auto loan rates low because they are member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperatives. Instead of maximizing profits for outside shareholders, we can return earnings to our members through lower loan rates and fewer fees.

How does getting preapproved before walking into a dealership change the car-buying experience?
Getting preapproved before walking into a dealership can help make the experience more controlled and comfortable for buyers. Having financing already in place means you can avoid making decisions under pressure or taking a higher priced loan with the dealer. Knowing what your payment and rate will look like upfront also gives you a clearer budget, so you can shop with confidence and focus on finding the right vehicle.

Beyond the interest rate, what should borrowers compare when deciding between two auto loan offers? What can be hiding in the fine print?
It’s important to look at the total cost of the loan vs. the monthly payment. A lower payment may look good on paper and fit your budget, but those lower payments may come with a much longer loan term, meaning paying more interest overall. You should also look for additional fees. Many dealers will charge origination, documentation, application or processing fees.

A lot of people know they can refinance a mortgage, but may not think about refinancing a car. When does refinancing an auto loan make sense?
Refinancing an auto loan can make sense when the new loan improves your overall monthly cash flow. One often overlooked opportunity is to refinance your auto loan after your credit score has improved since the time of your vehicle purchase. A stronger credit score may help you qualify for a lower interest rate, which can reduce both your monthly payment and the overall cost of the loan.

How much of a rate difference does someone typically need before refinancing becomes worth exploring? Is even a relatively small reduction potentially meaningful?
I don’t believe there is an exact number that makes sense. Even a small rate reduction can matter when the loan balance is large, or the remaining term is long. Another important factor to consider is the lender itself. How easy is it to reach someone when you have a question about your loan? Having a lender that is accessible and responsive can be just as valuable as the rate itself.

Is financing an electric vehicle any different from financing a traditional gas-powered vehicle, and what should first-time EV buyers know before they shop?
Financing an electric vehicle is the same as financing a traditional gas-powered vehicle. A few things to consider before shopping for an EV would be home-charging equipment and installation if you choose to charge at home, the cost of registration and EV specific fees and remaining battery life if purchasing an used EV. We’re super excited about the momentum behind EVs right now and are happy to discuss funding options with interested buyers!

Looking to shift gears?

Explore Auto Lending

Some checking accounts give you a great rate but no local branches. Others give you friendly, face-to-face service but fall short on the digital tools you use every day. And some offer plenty of convenience while doing very little (or nothing) for the community you live in.

Earthmover believes you shouldn’t have to choose.

Velocity Checking brings together the best of modern banking with the benefits of a local credit union. You can earn 2.50% APY¹ on qualifying balances — up to 35 times higher than the national average² — with no monthly fees or minimum balance. You’ll also get the digital conveniences you expect, including online and mobile banking, digital wallet capabilities, Zelle® and access to more than 37,000 fee-free ATMs.

Prefer checking without the bells and whistles? Earthmover’s Pace Checking keeps things beautifully simple with no monthly fees or minimum balance, get paid up to two days early³ with qualifying direct deposits and the same modern digital banking experience you’d expect.

And when you want an actual person? Earthmover has more than 90 local employees across five full-service branch locations, with more on the way.

Most importantly, your money stays connected to the community you call home. As a not-for-profit credit union, Earthmover puts people before profits, returning value to members and supporting local families, businesses and organizations instead of outside shareholders.

High yield. Modern technology. Local branches. Real people. Community impact. Turns out, you really can have it all.

Discover better checking

¹ 2.50% APY: APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Earthmover Credit Union membership required. In order to qualify for 2.50% APY on account balance, members must maintain a minimum account balance of $0.01, must be enrolled and active in Earthmover's Online Banking, be enrolled in paperless statements (eStatements) or be 65 years of age or older, have an active Earthmover Visa Credit Card and complete at least one (1) transaction OR make a minimum of 15 Visa debit card transactions per month with a $10.00 minimum per transaction amount (does not include ATM withdrawal), and have a total direct deposit amount of at least $500.00 in savings and/or checking. Direct deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g. IRS tax refunds), do not constitute direct deposit activity. 2.50% APY is only valid up to $5,000.00. Any balance greater than $5,000.00 will be paid at the stated dividend rate and APY for that tier. Dividends earned will be posted to the account on the second business day of the month following the dividend period. Offer and rate is subject to change without notice. See an Earthmover Credit Union team member for more details.

² 35x Higher Earnings: As of August 2026, the national average APY for interest-bearing checking accounts in the United States is approximately 0.07% APY, according to FDIC data.

³ Get Paid Up To 2 Days Early: Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. Not every employer submits and settles their payroll early. Earthmover Credit Union generally makes these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to two (2) days earlier than the scheduled payment date. If you have questions on your payroll timing, please consult your employer’s payroll department.

Sometimes saving money starts with simply having someone take a closer look.

Through our Insight program, Earthmover employees actively look for opportunities to improve members’ financial lives — whether that means lowering the cost of a loan, shortening a loan term or finding ways to help savings earn more. And sometimes, those opportunities add up to a lot.

One member came to Earthmover with a $28,600 auto loan financed elsewhere. By refinancing with Earthmover at a lower rate and shorter term, the member is expected to save approximately $5,900* in interest.

Another member had used a $60,000 home equity loan from another financial institution to consolidate debt. Earthmover helped refinance the loan with a term five years shorter, resulting in more than $21,000 in estimated interest savings.

In another case, Earthmover refinanced a member’s $59,588 second mortgage into a home equity line of credit. By reducing the rate from 8.37% APR to 6.25% APR and shortening the repayment period from 235 months to 180 months, the member lowered the monthly payment and is expected to save more than $29,000 in interest.

Insight is about looking beyond the transaction and asking a simple question: Can we make this better for the member?

Sometimes the answer is a lower rate. Sometimes it’s a shorter term or a higher yield. But it always starts with paying attention — and putting the member first.

Curious what Insight can do for you? Swing by any branch today and let’s get started.

*Interest saved is calculated for comparison purposes only. Actual savings may vary and are not guaranteed.