Membership Eligibility

In order to join BFSFCU, you must meet the membership eligibility criteria* set forth under our federal charter. Eligible persons generally include those who work within the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union, World Bank Children’s Center and Bretton Woods Recreation Center, as well as retirees of those organizations.

Membership also extends to FAMILY members. This includes spouse, children, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, stepparents, stepchildren, stepsiblings, adoptive relationships and household members.

What about aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins? Well, once your family members have joined BFSFCU, they can extend the opportunity of membership to their family members as well.

Certain organizations, comprised of persons who qualify for membership individually, such as ski, bridge, investment or flying clubs, may open organizational accounts with BFSFCU. If you are unsure of your eligibility for membership, please contact us.

Lifetime Membership Policy

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Our "once a member, always a member" policy means that when you (or your family members) join the Credit Union, you may remain a member for the rest of your life, as long as a minimum balance of $5 is maintained in your Membership Share.

Apply for Membership

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In order to apply for membership, you will need the following:

• Membership Application
  
• Account Designation Form 
• $5 purchase of a Membership Share
• Government-issued photo identification
• Appropriate tax form (see below)
  

Tax Forms
Depending on your taxable status with the U.S. government, you will need to submit either IRS Form W9 or IRS Form W-8BEN. To aid you in determining the appropriate form to use, please reference the table below.

IRS Form W-9: Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification	IRS Form W-8BEN: Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding
This form should be completed by members who are U.S. taxpayers. The form must be completed with a valid Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN).	This form should be completed by members who are not U.S. taxpayers and do not have to pay U.S. income taxes. If you do have a U.S. Social Security Number, please include it on the W8 form for reference purposes. Any dividends earned on Credit Union deposits for members of W8 status will generally not be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), unless requested by the member. For joint accounts, if one member is a U.S. taxpayer, they will be considered the tax owner of account as required by IRS regulations and any dividends earned will be reported annually to the IRS.
Instructions for Form W-9	Instructions for Form W-8BEN
This table is a quick reference only. If you are unsure of your taxable status, we recommend consulting a tax attorney. When completing your tax form, ensure that you enter your name as it appears on your government-issued photo ID.

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*Membership eligibility criteria are subject to federal guidelines as regulated by the NCUA. BFSFCU reserves the right to determine membership eligibility as required under federal law and may refuse membership to persons who do not meet the eligibility guidelines as set forth under our federal charter. Member names on all Credit Union records must match the member's name as it appears on the government-issued identification that is provided for identity verification.