About 121 Financial

Our History

1935: Born in the Great Depression

In reaction to the swath of bank failures, Florida Telco Credit Union was born on January 28, 1935— one of the very first credit unions in the US— with an initial capital pool of $155.

1977: First Free-standing Branch

We constructed our first free-standing branch that opened to the public in 1978.

1988: Second Branch Opens

Our second branch opened in downtown Jacksonville located in the Bellsouth Tower (today known as the AT&T Tower), providing more convenience to our members.

1991: Our First Merger

We merged with Gulf Life Employees Federal Credit Union which expanded our local membership eligibility to include insurance company professionals. Two more branches opened in Baymeadows and Orange Park.

1999: Community Charter Obtained

With the obtainment of a community charter, more people in our community qualified for membership. Now those who lived, worked and worshipped in the five northeast Florida counties in the Jacksonville area (Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns) as well as active/retired phone company employees and their families could join our credit union.

2006: Membership Expansion & Business Services

Our membership eligibility continued to expand. We now welcomed those who lived, worked or attended school in six additional adjacent counties (Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Flagler, Putnam and Union) to join our credit union. For more inclusivity, we also redefined “family members” to include any person related to the primary member by blood or marriage. We launched our Business Lending services to focus on our mission of developing our local community by providing funding for small businesses in the Jacksonville area.

2010: A New Name

We now call ourselves 121 Financial Credit Union. An official name change was needed to better reflect our membership and our dedication to the Jacksonville community.

2015: A New Merger

By merging with Duval Federal Credit Union, we welcomed their members to the 121 Financial family.

2016: Technology Upgrades

A system-wide technology upgrade and the creation of a new management team further improves the financial experience of our members.

2017: A New Home for HQ

We moved our headquarters to Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood.

2020: A Jumbo Achievement

121 Financial acquires the naming rights to the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, introducing 121 Financial Ballpark, home to the double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball team.

2024: MERGER WITH VYSTAR CREDIT UNION

Effective March 1, 2024, 121 Financial Credit Union began operating as a division of VyStar Credit Union, bringing together two Jacksonville hometown credit unions to serve our members and the community.

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