Golden 1 Credit Union
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (April 2026) |
 | |
 Golden 1 headquarters in Sacramento | |
| Formerly | California State Employees’ Credit Union #1 |
|---|---|
| Type | Credit Union |
| Industry | Financial services |
| Founded | (1933) |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 70 branches (2026) |
Key people | Donna A. Bland (President & CEO) |
| Products | Checking, savings, consumer loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, online banking, investments, insurance |
| Revenue | 336,409,243 United States dollar (2012)  |
| $110 million (2026)[1] | |
| Total assets | $21.5 billion USD (2026)[1] |
| Members | 1,100,000 (2026) |
Number of employees | 2,000+ (2026)[1] |
| Website | golden1.com |
Golden 1 Credit Union (or Golden 1) is a credit union headquartered in Sacramento, California. Golden 1 is one of the nation's largest credit unions and the second largest credit union in the State of California.[2] It currently serves its members throughout California with more than 70 branches, including home loan and financial resource centers, and over 30,000 CO-OP ATMs nationwide.[3]
History
[edit]Founded in 1933 as California State Employees' Credit Union #1, it officially changed its name to Golden 1 in 1977.
Golden 1 launched its college scholarship program in 2013, and has since granted approximately $5 million to nearly 600 Californians.[4][5]
On June 16, 2015, Golden 1 acquired naming rights for a new arena in the heart of downtown Sacramento to replace the Sacramento Kings' Sleep Train Arena. This investment cost $120 million over 20 years, with an average annual value at $6 million. It is one of the largest naming rights deals for a single-tenant NBA arena and the first time a credit union has put its name on a major sports facility.[6]
In June 2018, Golden 1 became the first state-chartered credit union to be granted statewide field of membership in California. This made Golden 1 one of the nation's largest credit unions and the second largest credit union in the State of California.[2]
In 2023, Golden 1 was included as part of Fast Company’s “Brands That Matter” list.[7] It also pledged $10 million to invest in Del Paso Heights over five years in order to improve equity and economic inclusion.[8] The following year, the credit union opened its first financial resource center, also located in that community.[9] Its second financial resource center opened in Madera, California in October 2025.[10]
In 2025, Golden 1 was included as part of American Banker’s “Best Credit Unions to Work For” list for its fifth consecutive year as well as Forbes’ and TIME’s “America’s Best Midsize Employers” ranking.[11][12][13]
In 2026, Forbes included Golden 1 on its “America’s Dream Employers” list,[14] whereas Newsweek and USA Today ranked the company on the “America’s Best Regional Banks & Credit Unions” and “America’s Best Customer Service in Financial Services” lists, respectively.[15][16]
As of 2026, Golden 1 had over US$21 billion in assets and more than 1.1 million members.[2] The current President & CEO is Donna A. Bland.[17]
Operations
[edit]Golden 1 serves its members throughout California with more than 70 branches, including home loan and financial resource centers, and over 30,000 CO-OP ATMs nationwide.[2] It provides relief programs for those needing financial stability assistance amid pay disruption or unexpected circumstances.[18] Golden 1 also offers payroll assistance loan programs, providing interest free, 60-day loans equal to a member's net federal payroll deposit for one month.[19]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Annual Report 2025" (PDF).
- 1 2 3 4 "The Top 100 Credit Unions in the USA". Retrieved 2014-04-14.
- ↑ "Golden 1 Credit Union - About Us". Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- ↑ Poukish, Hannah (30 May 2025). "California students can get $20,000 for college. Here's how to apply before the deadline". Sacramento Bee.
- ↑ Stafford, Sabra (1 September 2025). "Golden 1 awards nearly $500k in scholarships, including Newman valedictorian headed to Stanford". Westside Connect.
- ↑ "Introducing Golden 1 Center: Golden 1 Credit Union and Sacramento Kings Announce Naming Rights Partnership for Sacramento's World-Class Entertainment & Sports Center" (Press release). Sacramento Kings. June 16, 2015.
- ↑ Barker, Rebecca (3 October 2023). "You can bank on these 3 brands when it comes to financial health". Fast Company.
- ↑ Smith, Marcus (31 July 2023). "This Sacramento neighborhood was given a $10 million investment to improve the area". Sacramento Bee.
- ↑ Wulff, Rachel (23 January 2024). "Golden 1 Credit Union brings financial resource center to Sacramento's Del Paso Heights". CBS.
- ↑ Gonzales, Dylan (3 October 2025). "Golden 1 opens first Central Valley financial resource center in Madera". The Business Journal.
- ↑ Place, Nathan (18 August 2025). "The best credit unions to work for in 2025". American Banker.
- ↑ "Best Midsize Employers". Forbes.
- ↑ "America's Best Midsize Companies of 2025". TIME. 10 July 2025.
- ↑ Rabkin Peachman, Rachel (18 November 2025). "America's Dream Employers". Forbes.
- ↑ Cunningham, Jennifer. "America's Best Regional Banks & Credit Unions 2026". Newsweek.
- ↑ "Which banks, credit cards and insurers have the best customer service?". USA Today. 23 January 2026.
- ↑ "Donna Bland Named President and CEO of Golden 1 Credit Union". Retrieved 2010-12-28.
- ↑ "Golden 1's Support to Federal Employees Amid Shutdown". California Credit Unions. 3 October 2025.
- ↑ Calvey, Mark (1 October 2025). "Credit unions lend a hand to furloughed government employees in Bay Area". San Francisco Business Times.