Common "How To" instructions

To receive an incoming wire to an NIHFCU account, please provide the following information to the bank that is sending the wire to the NIH FCU account.

• Bank Name:  National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union

• Bank Address:  111 Rockville Pike, Rockville MD 20850

• ABA Routing#:  255076944

• Beneficiary Name:  [provide the member’s name]

• Beneficiary Address:  [provide the member’s full address]

• Beneficiary Account #: [provide the member’s full NIHFCU account number which consists of the 6 digit member number plus the 2 digit account suffix]

To send an outgoing wire from an NIHFCU account, please follow these steps.

• Login to online banking from your computer or our mobile app

• Go to “Tools & Resources” and then select “Message Center” (on mobile, first go to “More”)

• Next, click “Compose”

• Use the “Select A Subject” scroll bar to choose “Wire Transfer Domestic”

• You can then specify an Account but this is not required

• Then, you can send the message with the text provided or change it to provide more details. You can also change “domestic” to “international” if the wire request to be go outside the US.

Once you submit, the NIHFCU will get back to you with the necessary form to complete your wire request.  For additional help, call 1-800-877-6440..

Depositing checks with your mobile device is secure, fast and easy! Here’s how!

• Open the NIHFCU app on your device.  If you do not have our free app, click here to download.

• Click the “Check Deposit” widget. If it does not appear, click  the “More” widget and then “Check Deposit.”

• Read the “about check deposit” notification.

• Select the NIHFCU account you want to deposit your check to.

• Type in the amount of the check

• Place the check on a solid dark surface to ensure a quality background for the check images

• Tap “Check Front” and position your check within the check capture box to automatically snap the picture

• Flip the check over, tap “Check Back” and do the same steps (see below for important information)

• Confirm the deposit information and, if correct, click “Deposit Check.”

IMPORTANT: Make sure the check is endorsed with your signature and also includes the following:

“For NIHFCU Mobile Deposit Only”

Checks will not be processed without these two required endorsement steps.

Note: Do not destroy the checks. Hold them until you have received confirmation that the checks cleared and funds are in the depositing account.

Sending money to people you trust through our mobile app. is fast, easy and secure with Zelle.

• Click here to see how, and to view commonly asked questions.

To make transfers among your accounts (including payments on your NIHFCU loans)as well as other verified NIHFCU or external accounts you have previously set up. 

• Login to online banking. On our app., click “transfers” (on desktop, choose “Move Money” and then “Transfers”

• Select the account to transfer “From” and the then the account to transfer “To”

• Next, enter the amount you wish to transfer (if you are making a payment/transfer to a loan – it will present you with the options available for payments)

• Then choose the transfer frequency (One Time or another other interval option)

• Select the transfer date (and the end date if this is a recurring transaction)

• Type in an optional short memo to help recall the purpose of this transaction

• Review the transfer details. Click “Confirm Transfer” to complete the transfer or “Cancel” to make changes.

• Select the “From” account from the menu.

• Select “Add an account” at the bottom of the “To” menu (or click on the tab called More Actions

• Provide the required information including the recipient’s Last Name, NIHFCU 6 digit member # and the 4 digit account suffix. (Click ”Save Account for Future Use” for this information to be saved for future transfers.)

• Obtain and type in your verification code (you can receive this by text, email or call).

• Then, choose the recipient’s account from the “To Account” menu.

• Enter the transfer amount and the date for the transfer to occur.

• Select the transaction frequency from the menu. Then click “Submit Transfer.”

• Review the transfer details. Click “Confirm Transfer” to complete the transfer or “cancel” to make changes.

* The mobile app. interface will be slightly different.

• To verify an external account to transfer “to” and “from”, go to the Transfers widget, select “add an account” at the bottom of the “To” menu, or click on More Actions. (note: External account can only be used with checking accounts and some loans.)

• You now have two options to add an external account: through instant verification where you provide the credentials at your other institution to link the accounts, or you go through the trial deposit process.

• The trial deposit process takes 2-3 business days to verify.

• With either process, you will also go through a verification code process to verify that you are adding an account.

• Once an account is linked, the external account will display in your “to” and “from” accounts lists for transferring.

• With the instant verification process, you may also choose to add the account to your dashboard for viewing transactions and balances.

Note – The NIHFCU mobile app interface will be slightly different.

NIHFCU Debit card holders, as well as our Cash Rewards, Travel Rewards, and Business Rewards credit card holders earn points when they use their card for purchases.  Points can be redeemed for cash, gift cards, merchandise, travel and more…or can be used to make a donation to charity.

To manage your points and to shop/redeem, please visit the CURewards website.  You will need to register your card on your first visit to the site.

Login to your account.  Choose “Manage Accounts” and then “Card Alerts & Controls.”

You will see the NIHFCU card(s) associated with your account. Choose the one you wish to manage.

Then, choose “Alerts and Controls” to do the following on your credit and debit card:

• Block all non-recurring transactions on your card in case of loss, theft, or any other reason. Unblock it whenever you want.

• Restrict transactions above a set limit or deny certain types of transactions entirely (i.e., international, online, ATM, etc.).

• Control spending, snuff out fraud by receiving text or email alerts when a transaction exceeds a specified transaction or monthly limit.

• Receive alerts based on transaction type (i.e., online, in-store, auto-pay, etc.) and merchant type (i.e., groceries, travel, household, etc.).

Additional conveniences for credit card holders include:

• Request a replacement for a lost or stolen card

• Notify us of your travel plans to avoid potential card interruptions

• Make balance transfers to your NIHFCU credit card

• Manage reward points (signature card holders only)

For a lost or stolen debit card, please call 1-800-877-6440

For a lost or stolen credit card, please call 1-800-449-7728

In either instance, we recommend you block your card in our do-it-yourself Card Controls feature inside online banking or our mobile app.  Please view the “Card Control” instructions on this “How To” page.

We’ve taken the hassle and time commitment out of the account switching process. With our ClickSWITCH solution, you can quickly and securely move your direct deposits, transfer funds and reassign recurring automatic payments in just minutes.

Click here to learn more about ClickSWITCH.  For additional support, visit any branch or call us at 1-800-877-6440.

We’ve taken the hassle and time commitment out of the account switching process. With our ClickSWITCH solution, you can quickly and securely move your direct deposits, transfer funds and reassign recurring automatic payments in just minutes.

Click here to learn more about ClickSWITCH.  For additional support, visit any branch or call us at 1-800-877-6440.

Receive emails and text alerts on the account information most important to you. 

• Login to your account in online banking or our mobile app.

• Click the “Alerts” widget. If it does not display, Click the “More” widget and then “Alerts.”

• Select an alert category for a list of available alerts & notifications.

Here are instructions for a two popular alerts. Once you get the hang of it, setting up additional alerts is easy!

“Balance” alert – Be notified when a transaction causes the account balance to fall outside a specified range.

• Select the “accounts” option from the list of categories.

• From the menu, select the NIHFCU account you wish to set the alert.

• Click “Balance” to access the customization options.

• Click the toggle buttons to insert the “below” and “above.” thresholds that will trigger an alert.

• Click the toggle buttons to choose a text, email and/or push notification. Then select “save.”

“Balance Summary” alert – Receive an alert with the selected account’s balance on a recurring timetable.

• Select the “accounts” option from the list of categories.

• From the menu, select the NIHFCU account you wish to set the alert.

• Click “Balance Summary” to access the customization options

• Choose “weekly” or “daily” for the alert frequency and then specify the days and times for the alert.

• Click the toggle buttons to choose a text, email and/or push notification. Then select “save.”

Other alert & notification options available include:

• Transaction alert

• Automatic deposits

• Mobile deposit completion

• External transfer submitted

• Checks cleared

• Savings goal completed

• Savings goal endangered

• Transfer succeeded

• Transfer failed

• Insufficient funds

• Regular Savings transfer

• External transfer blocked

• Security alerts

• Online banking access

• External transfer canceled

You can active, deactivate and change your selections at any time.

Link accounts you have at other institutions to conveniently see your entire financial picture in one place.  It’s fast and easy.  Here’s how!

• Login to online banking or our mobile app.

• On your dashboard, click the yellow “Get Started” button in the “Link External Accounts” area.

• Select the financial institution (FI) to link into you NIHFCU online banking dashboard. If your FI shows up under most popular, then click on it. If not, you can type the name in the search bar.

• Once you have located your FI, type in the required information and click “Enter.”

• Obtain and then type in the temporary passcode your FI will send you and then click “Next.”

• Once your accounts are visible and the “cog” icon stops spinning, click “Close.”

• Return to your dashboard and the external account balances should be presented.

• You can then click on these accounts to review activity, categorize transactions, and generate charts for up to the last 6 months.

The “Financial Wellness” feature provides a graphical summary of your activity to help you make decisions about how you send your money. Here’s how!

• Login to your account and select the “Financial Wellness” widget. If this does not appear, select the “More” widget and then “Financial Wellness.”

• Click the “Spending” tab within the Financial Wellness screen to view a 12 month chart of total spending and a pie chart of your  spending by category.

• Click the bars to look at spend for an individual month. The pie chart will update automatically as will the list of corresponding transactions at the bottom.

• Click any section of the pie chart to isolate a particular category for more analysis.

• Click any of the transactions for more detail or to change the transaction category.

• At the top of your screen, click the inverted triangle (All accounts) to include or exclude an account(s) from the spending review. If you have linked external accounts, you will also have the option to include or exclude those.

The “Financial Wellness” allows you to create savings goals to help you save for a big purchase or anything else. Here is how!

• Login to your account and select the “Financial Wellness” widget on the left hand column of your dashboard. If it does not appear, select the “More” widget and then “Financial Wellness.”

• Click the “Savings Goals” tab within the “Financial Wellness” section.

• Click the yellow “Create a Savings Goal” button start setting up your goal.

• Select the NIHFCU account in which to save for a specific goal, then click “Next.”

• Choose a savings category which best matches your goal.

• Create a title for your goal, the amount to save, and, if applicable, the target date. Then click “Create Goal.”

• Your Savings Goal will now appear on the Financial Wellness screen. It will show a summary, how close you are to achieving the goal, and if you would like to move the balance to another NIHFCU account or add to your goal from another NIHFCU account. You can also edit your goal or remove the goal.

Card Controls is a convenient do-it-yourself way to manage certain aspects of your NIHFCU credit and/or debt card. Here’s how.

• Login to your account and select the “Card Controls.” If it does not appear, click the “More” widget and then “Card Controls.”

• You will see the NIHFCU card(s) associated with your account. Choose the one you wish to set or manage card controls.

To BLOCK or UNBLOCK your NIHFCU credit or debit card

In case of card loss, theft or fraud (or any other reason), this allows you to temporarily stop any transactions from being done on the selected card.

• Click the “Active” button.

• Click the “Block This Card” button and then the “Yes, Block” button.

• You will see a red “Blocked” button confirming your selection.

• To unblock at any time, click the red “Blocked” button and follow the same instructions.

• Once your card is unblocked, you will see a “green” active button to confirm your selection.

• If you have authorized text or email communication for your card, you will receive a message each time you change your card status.

Note: At this time, block/unblock is the only card control available for debit cards.

To UPDATE REGISTRATION for your NIHFCU credit card – This authorizes us to send you communications about your card to your mobile device or email. This may include basic card status information and other notifications related to other controls you select in the future.

• Select an Alert Delivery Method, either mobile or email and then click “save”

To REPLACE your NIHFCU credit card – This lets you notify us of a stolen or lost card and to quickly request a replacement.

• Click “Lost” or “stolen” and insert the Last Date Used and Date the card was lost or stolen.

• Read the important information before clicking the “Report as Lost” or “Report as Stolen” button.

TRAVEL NOTICES for your NIHFCU credit card – The NIHFCU scans card usage to help identify unusual or unauthorized purchases. This function notifies us of your domestic or international travel to help avoid potential credit card disruptions.

• Input the start and end date of your travel

• Select if the travel is domestic or international and input destination, then click save

BALANCE TRANSFER to your NIHFCU credit card –  this function let’s you quickly transfer balances from non-NIHFCU cards to your NIHFCU credit card with likely better rates and terms.

• Insert the non-NIHFCU card issuer details (issuer name, account #, address and transfer amount)

• Read and agree to the important disclosures and then “submit”

ENABLE FOREIGN TRANSACTIONS on your NIHFCU credit card – This allows card transactions to be processed outside of the U.S. When enabled, a processing fee may occur for each foreign transaction.

• Click the toggle button to “yes” to allow foreign transactions or “no” to not allow, then click “save”

CREDIT CARD REWARDS

• Click this to go to the CURewards website to manage and shop for gift cards, merchandise, travel, cash back or to donate to charity with your rewards points.

Auto and Personal Loans, and Credit Cards

• On your online banking dashboard, scroll to the loan and select the “Pay” button.

• Select the NIHFCU account you want to transfer from to pay off your loan.

• Select the “Pay-Off” button. Choose the date and click “Submit Transfer.”

Note: Credit card payments can be made directly from an outside account by clicking the “Card Management” widget.  Then, select “Make a Payment” and follow the prompts.

See the “Transfer funds” How-To instructions for additional details on making transfers inside online banking.

Home Loans (Mortgages and Equities)

• To pay-off and permanently close a mortgage home equity loan or line of credit, please call us at 800-877-6440 or email us at PayOffRequest@nihfcu.org so we can contact you with the required documentation and payoff information.

Student Loans

• You can receive student loan payoff information by contacting University Accounting Service at 877-530-9782 or by logging into your student loan account.

There are several ways to stay on top of your NIHFCU balances.  The fastest and most convenient are:

• Login to your online banking all your account balances will display on your dashboard, or

• Open your NIHFCU mobile app and you account balances will display on the initial Accounts page

Note:  While in online banking or our app, we also recommend setting up automated Alerts & Notifications to get emails or text messages with updates on your balances (see the “Alerts & Notification” FAQ on this page for more details).

Additionally, you can also get balances by:

• Calling us at 1-800-877-6440 or stop by any branch to speak to an NIHFU representative

• Using Access 24, our automated telephone banking service (800-900-0644), and following the prompts

Auto and Personal Loans, and Credit Cards

• On your online banking dashboard, scroll to the loan and select the “Pay” button.

• Select the NIHFCU account you want to transfer from to pay off your loan.

• Select the “Pay-Off” button. Choose the date and click “Submit Transfer.”

Note: Credit card payments can be made directly from an outside account by clicking the “Card Management” widget.  Then, select “Make a Payment” and follow the prompts.

See the “Transfer funds” How-To instructions for additional details on making transfers inside online banking.

Home Loans (Mortgages and Equities)

• To pay-off and permanently close a mortgage home equity loan or line of credit, please call us at 800-877-6440 or email us at PayOffRequest@nihfcu.org so we can contact you with the required documentation and payoff information.

Student Loans

• You can receive student loan payoff information by contacting University Accounting Service at 877-530-9782 or by logging into your student loan account.

There are several ways to stay on top of your NIHFCU balances.  The fastest and most convenient are:

• Login to your online banking all your account balances will display on your dashboard, or

• Open your NIHFCU mobile app and you account balances will display on the initial Accounts page

Note:  While in online banking or our app, we also recommend setting up automated Alerts & Notifications to get emails or text messages with updates on your balances (see the “Alerts & Notification” FAQ on this page for more details).

Additionally, you can also get balances by:

• Calling us at 1-800-877-6440 or stop by any branch to speak to an NIHFU representative

• Using Access 24, our automated telephone banking service (800-900-0644), and following the prompts

• Most NIHFCU accounts can be opened right here on our website using our online account application.  You can also visit any NIHFCU branch or give us a call at 1-800-877-6440.

To open any account with NIHFCU, you must be (or become) a member of the credit union, but that is done as part of the account opening process.

If you are not yet an NIHFCU member and want to open an account on our website:

• Visit our online account application 

• Select “No” where asked if you are a current member.

• Select “Open an Account” if you want to establish just a savings, checking, or other account (no loan)

• Select “Open an Account and a Loan if you also want to apply for a consumer loan at the same you open your initial account with us.

Note: You can apply for any loan at the NIHFCU without membership.  However, if you are approved for the loan, you will need to establish membership before the loan is disbursed.

If you are a current NIHFCU member:

• Login to your NIHFCU online banking account.

• Click the “Quick Apply” widget, select the account you wish to open and follow the prompts

Log in to online banking or our app, then:

• Go to “Tools & Resources” and then to “estatements”

• Click “View Statements” and consent to the “Terms & Agreements”

• Create your user profile and then “save”

• You are now ready to view your statements (brand new members will not have any to view at this point)

• To change your delivery methodology or profile in the future, go to “User Profile” inside online banking