Because wild dreams need room to grow, we’re bringing even more joy and Belonging to a community we know and love with a brand-new branch. 

Breaking Ground on Our Novi Future—And Yours!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve officially broken ground on our brand-new branch in Novi.

This isn’t just a new building—it’s a new opportunity to strengthen our connection with the people, families, and businesses who’ve been with us every step of the way.

With Novi Mayor Justin Fischer, the Novi Chamber of Commerce, the Novi Education Foundation, Novi School District leaders, local members, and our wonderful Board of Directors cheering on the orsa groundbreaking crew, it’s clear that we’ve always been more than a financial institution.

We’re your neighbor, your partner, and your biggest cheerleader. This new branch will be a space where Belonging comes first, and your wildest dreams can take flight.

Community-centered and designed with our members in mind, the new branch will offer a welcoming, accessible experience with all the personal service and modern tech conveniences you’d expect.

Whether you’re stopping in to chat about your next big dream or just need quick access to your accounts, we’re building a space that feels like home base for what’s next.

An even stronger connection to Novi than ever before

We’ve had roots here for a long time—but this new branch is about deepening those roots. It’s a commitment to growing with you, investing in our shared future, and making it even easier to access the tools, support, and people who can help you thrive.

We’ll be sharing updates along the way as construction moves forward, and we can’t wait to celebrate the grand opening with you soon!

orsa, the credit union you knew as Community Financial Credit Union (CFCU)
Content before 2026 may contain references to our former name.

Novi Groundbreaking Blog Content

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Maximize your high yield savings account with expert tips on earning more interest, avoiding fees, and reaching your financial goals faster. Start growing your savings today.

How to Use a High Yield Savings Account to Maximize Your Cash | orsa credit union

How To Use a High Yield Savings Account: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Cash

A high-yield savings account (sometimes referred to as a high yield cash account) is a great way to grow your money faster with minimal risk, especially if you know how to use it well.

In this article, we’ll discuss how HYSAs work and provide actionable tips for getting the most from your high yield savings account.

How does a high yield savings account work?

A HYSA works like a traditional savings account, but offers significantly higher interest rates. It’s this higher interest rate that makes a savings account high yield.

When you deposit money, you earn interest that is calculated daily and paid monthly, allowing compound growth over time. HYSAs are an ideal way to grow your savings without risk while maintaining easy access to your funds.

5 tips to get the most from your high yield savings account

Here are five simple ways to make the most of every dollar and every percentage point!

1. Watch for fees that cancel out your gains

Not all HYSA’s are created equal. Monthly maintenance fees, minimum balance requirements, or excessive withdrawal charges can quickly eat into your interest earnings.

Before opening an HYSA, carefully review the fee schedule and account terms. Look for accounts with no monthly fees, low or no minimum balance requirements, and transparent policies.

A high-yield savings account is a powerful tool that works best when it's part of a bigger financial picture. Whether you're saving for an emergency fund, a down payment, or a dream vacation, having clear savings goals makes it easier to let your money build value, and helps you stay motivated to make the most of your account's growth potential.

talk to one of our free financial advisors

 to align your savings strategy with what you want most. Whether that’s financial freedom, a new home, or just more peace of mind, we’re here to help you map it out.

Automating a regular deposit into your high yield savings account helps build your balance consistently without having to think about it. Even small, steady contributions can add up fast thanks to compound interest.

To see how easy it can be, try taking our 

. By starting out small and building from there, it’s designed to automatically save you $1,378 over the course of the challenge without breaking a sweat!

4. Link your HYSA to your checking account

Make transferring money between accounts seamless by linking your HYSA to a 

. This connection allows you to easily move funds when needed while maintaining the important separation between your spending and saving money. Most financial institutions offer instant or same-day transfers between linked accounts.

Many financial institutions offer programs that round up your debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfer the spare change directly into your HYSA. For example, with 

, you can send the spare change from every debit card purchase directly into your HYSA. These small amounts add up surprisingly fast without you feeling the impact on your daily spending. It's an effortless way to boost your savings while you go about your regular routine.

Think of high yield savings as a springboard to saving even more. For instance, our 

 gives you a consistent 10% APY on your first $1,000. Plus, it offers a higher rate beyond your first thousand AND two ways to earn through both interest and a membership dividend. That means it’s good for building cash fast and setting you on track for a nest egg that can generate even more earnings with higher-wealth accounts, like a 

You’ve got dreams. We’ve got the tools, and 

 has never been easier. Ready to make your money work harder? Let’s grow!

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Looking to make your Impossible Dreams possible? Your membership can help make it happen!

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Max that cash: How to get the most from your High Yield Savings

Read about how orsa has once again earned a top-ten spot in Forbes list of best credit unions in Michigan.

Forbes names orsa credit union one of the best credit unions for the second year in a row.

How we made the Forbes Best-in-State list for a second year in a row
(Spoiler: It’s all you)

 isn’t about having the fanciest app or the biggest billboard. It’s about trust. It’s about showing up for real people, in real communities, and making a real difference.

This award recognition was based on a nationwide survey of thousands of credit union members—folks who rated us on what actually matters: trust, service, transparency, advice, and that all-important human touch.

It also pulled in thousands of online reviews, showing how people 

Turns out, when you lead with heart and hustle, people notice.

This isn’t just about being the “best” credit union in Michigan

It’s about being our best for Michiganders like you, by…

Growing impact across Michigan—together

We believe in making Michigan stronger, better, and even more amazing through Belonging, and this honor is just more proof we’re on the right path. Let’s keep going!

Forbes Best-In-State 2025 Blog Content

See what a bear, a factory, and the iconic Daisy air rifle have to do with igniting Impossible Dreams.

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Membership has its perks—see what’s in it for you. From great rates to exclusive rewards, being a member means more. Check out all the ways we’ve got your back!

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Back-to-Back Best-in-State? Yep. Thanks to you.

Crain’s Detroit Business honors orsa credit union’s president & ceo Tansley Stearns as a fearless force redefining what leadership in finance looks like.

Women Leading, Communities Thriving: Crain’s Names Tansley Stearns a Force in Finance

 Crain’s Detroit Business has named Tansley Stearns, president and ceo of Community Financial Credit Union (Community Financial), to its prestigious list of 2025 Notable Leaders in Finance. This recognition honors influential professionals who drive innovation in the financial sector while strengthening their communities.

Since stepping into her role, Stearns has redefined what it means to lead with both heart and strategy, championing initiatives that expand Community Financial’s positive impact across Michigan. Her people-first approach is visible in everything from groundbreaking financial tools to community programs that meet real needs.

Under her leadership, Stearns launched the 

campaign to support abuse survivors and introduced 

, a cashflow tool that has helped members save over $1 million. She has also led major fundraising efforts, raising $2 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through In the Cellar, established a financial relief program for cancer patients, and replaced roofs for families across Detroit. These initiatives reflect her commitment to building stronger communities—efforts that also contributed to Community Financial being recognized as one of America’s Best Credit Unions by Forbes.

“When the Community Financial Credit Union Board hired Tansley in June 2022, we were impressed by her vision for the potential of cooperative finance,” said Board Chairperson Teri Kuehn, “In three years, she has demonstrated a unique ability to dream and bring bold ideas to execution. We see even more potential for the future under her leadership. We welcome this opportunity to celebrate with her and the team and keep building toward even more impact together.”

Stearns’ commitment to purpose-driven leadership extends beyond her organization. She brought Crisis Text Line services to Northville Public Schools, expanded financial literacy efforts, and founded HERd, an annual event designed to amplify women's voices, financial health, and empowerment in the workplace. In 2024, her work earned her induction into the Herstory Exhibit at America’s Credit Union Museum, celebrating the contributions of women in the industry.

Through her 25-year credit union career, Stearns developed a leadership philosophy she calls “Cushion and Wings.” Cushions offer safety, connection, grace and empathy. Wings challenge people to innovate, speak boldly and imagine new possibilities. Stearns believes blending both concepts creates a culture where individuals thrive and organizations flourish.

Beyond her role at Community Financial, Stearns serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including In the Cellar, Inc.; Relentless Care Foundation; Michigan Humanities; Painted Hills; and Fostering Love Rescues.

Crain’s selects its Notable Leaders in Finance through a competitive peer nomination and editorial review process. Since launching the series in 2017, Crain’s has recognized more than 5,000 industry leaders who exemplify excellence, innovation, and impact. 

. The story will also appear in Crain’s Detroit Business print edition on June 30, 2025.

orsa, the credit union you knew as Community Financial Credit Union (CFCU)
orsa foundation, the impact champions you knew as the Relentless Care Foundation
Content before 2026 may contain references to our former name.

The biggest "dill" in pickleball charity events is back for the second year with all new challenges to keep the goodness going!

The 2nd Annual Pickleball for Good: Can You Beat $60K?

After an outstandingly successful initial year with $60,395 raised, The Relentless Care Foundation’s Pickleball for Good Fundraiser is back again!

When people don’t have access to affordable housing, their only option is to take on an overwhelming financial burden. It’s a hard cycle to break—and an issue that goes beyond the individual level. It limits the flexibility and growth of our workforce, curbs community mobility, and can even push Michiganders out of their own communities.

More than a good time, we’re playing to do good for Michigan and all the folks who call this great state home. Sponsoring or attending the Pickleball for Good Fundraiser means supporting the orsa foundation’s mission to bring housing within reach for more Michiganders, and to tackle our state’s largest economic barrier by doing so!

Just like last year’s event, we’ve made sure that there’s plenty going on for everyone—even if you’re not a pickleballer! Take a pickleball workshop or come play on the open, mixer, and challenge courts—or just swing by to enjoy the silent auction, strolling brunch, and 30-drink tap wall!

Never played? Don’t worry! Pickleball equipment is provided, and all skill levels are welcome!

Housing affordability isn’t something we can solve on our own, and support from our sponsors and individual donors is what makes every milestone possible. If you’d like to join us in working to make Michigan a place where everyone can prosper, 

you can sponsor our fundraiser or donate to the Relentless Care Foundation right here!

2nd Annual Pickleball Blog Content

When 1 in 2 women face abuse in their lifetimes and 99% of those also suffer financial abuse, is it any wonder that women chose the bear? See their stories.

Choose the Bear: Success Stories

Content warning: This article contains references to domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and economic abuse.

 Success Stories:
A commitment to caring is just that.

Part of being a financial best friend means that we walk with you through the dark times as well as the bright spots. Which is why we’re proud to say that our Choose The Bear

 initiative has helped 35 women facing the perils economic abuse pivot their lives for the better in just the past year.

She Chose the Bear: A true story of Relentless Care

“A member called in to the Care Center in clear distress, crying, stating she needed to talk to someone, but she couldn’t speak loudly. Our Care Center handled the interaction so wonderfully, asking if she was in a safe space or if she needed assistance contacting authorities. She confirmed she was ok, hearing about us from Northern Michigan Women’s Resource Center, and we were her last hope to get to safety.

Having moved here from another state to be with her partner, and having no access to funds of her own, we were able to get her approval of a personal loan to rent a vehicle and drive back to her home state safely with her family.

When the member came to get her funds, she hugged our team member at the branch and asked her to pass the hug to everyone involved. She truly feels we were her last hope, and she couldn’t express the relief she was feeling. She is ready to take her life back.”

They walked with us: Out of the forest and into a better place

“We’ve helped several survivors get a safe place of their own. One was living with friends in a hotel room for over a year. Another had started a new job but could not save enough for a security deposit. We even helped one survivor who had just managed to get into Section 8 housing but had nothing for her kids. With Choose The Bear

, she was able to get a dresser, beds, and some personal items for the children. It really feels good to be able to do that for them.”

Every story can be a successful one. If you believe that you or a loved one are suffering from economic abuse, visit 

 for resources and information to pivot your trajectory for the better.

Choose the Bear: Success Stories Blog Content

Dedicated to helping pivot survivor’s financial trajectories for the better, Choose The Bear™ is our way of supporting women experiencing economic abuse across the state of Michigan. 

Choose The Bear

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As a supporter of Choose The Bear™ , the orsa foundation believes in a future where all Michigan communities are just, thriving, and vibrant.

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Learn More

As advocates and supporters of survivors, the mission of First Step is to eliminate both domestic and sexual violence and to provide comprehensive services to individuals and families impacted by these crimes.

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How to Help

Walk with us

See how orsa is sponsoring the Detroit Roller Derby, an all-women's flat track roller derby team in Detroit, Michigan.

orsa Sponsors Detroit Roller Derby

Community Financial is proud to announce our partnership with 

Why do we love DRD? Because, while they bring grit, heart, and high-octane energy to every skate, hit, and high-five, their mission lines up perfectly with ours. Just like us, they’re all about Belonging, growth, and lifting each other up.

DRD welcomes players of all backgrounds, skill levels, and identities. It’s not just about roller derby—it’s about creating a place where everyone can show up, be seen, and thrive.

From perseverance to teamwork to resilience, DRD athletes are building skills that go far beyond the track. That kind of hustle and heart? It inspires us every day.

By hosting games at Detroit’s iconic Masonic Temple, DRD brings communities together and breathes fresh life into the heart of the city. It's more than a game—it's a gathering.

DRD is powered by strong, smart, bad-ass women—and we’re here for it. Their voice for equality and respect is loud, proud, and rolling full speed ahead.

At home in the D (Just don’t call it a skating rink!)

We believe in what DRD stands for—and we’re honored to support their home season from October through March, right at the 

 in Detroit. And we’re not stopping there. We’re excited to continue that support into the 2025–2026 season.

At every home game, our CFCU Impact Team is in the crowd, chatting with fans, celebrating community, and making Impossible Dreams come true. It’s one of our favorite places to be.

Join us for speed, strength, and serious community spirit

Come catch the action and help us cheer on these phenomenal athletes. (If you’re lucky, you may even score coveted seats on the CFCU Impossible Dreams couch!) Find your game at 

Big news: We’re official sponsors of Detroit Roller Derby!

Big money lessons start small. Discover how student credit unions help kids build real-world money skills, boost confidence, and create healthy financial habits—right from their school! 

5 Reasons Why Parents Love Student Credit Unions at School

Save. Spend. Give.

Saved by the Save. Spend. Give. Program in 2024!

From saving allowances to setting goals, kids learn by doing. A student credit union gives them a hands-on way to understand how money works—long before their first paycheck. In fact, in 2024, our students hit an average account balance of $359.27 per student.

At well over $300 bucks, that’s actually more than the median checking account balance in the lowest percentile of US households in 2022!* And a great start for the kids powering Michigan’s future.

Students can make deposits, manage their savings, and even handle cash serving as tellers (under adult supervision, of course). It’s a safe, encouraging way to teach accountability, routine, and ownership.

There’s nothing quite like watching your child save up for something on their own. Whether it’s a toy, a gift, or just building up their balance, they get to feel proud of their progress—and motivated to keep going.

They get a head start on financial literacy

Understanding how to manage money is one of the most important life skills. Student credit unions make it fun and approachable with their friends and classmates—

so kids aren't left figuring it out on their own later

We’re a for-impact credit union, and that means we’re here to help—not to sell. These programs are part of our purpose to support Michigan families and build a brighter financial future for the next generation, which is precisely why we give kids the opportunity to run the whole deal themselves, from marketing to CEO. (And, for high schoolers, it looks pretty good on a college application too!)

Ask your child’s school if they have a student credit union program—and if they don’t, let’s start one together. We’re here to help every young dreamer become a confident saver. Learn more about CFCU's 

5 Reasons Why Parents Love Student Credit Unions at School 

In 2024, we committed $60,000 to purchase over 20 acres of land destined for affordable housing in northeastern Michigan. Thanks to their relentless pursuit of doing the right thing, it was only the beginning…

Additional $220k secured for affordable housing in Michigan

Igniting impossible dreams of homeownership

raised for affordable housing in Michigan!

A partnership of partnerships: Rallying around our Michigan family

Too often both rural and inner-city communities don’t get the support they need and deserve. Knowing the extreme need for our neighbors across Michigan, the 

 assembled a partnership of partnerships to raise an additional 

 to support affordable housing, from operating capital to educational programs, for Michiganders who need it.

Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Michigan

In Hillman, a rural community just minutes from one of our CFCU branches in Michigan’s north country, Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Michigan is currently building five new, affordable, single-family homes.

In addition to committing an initial $60,000 to cover the land purchase in 2024, the Relentless Care Foundation team is partnering with Habitat for Humanity on a federal grant application to help ensure that working people can afford these homes.

 will empower Habitat for Humanity to create Belonging for more first-time buyers by ensuring the biggest barriers to homeownership don’t stand in their way. We do all of this because we see people, not numbers.

Bridging the rural-urban divide: Using our learnings to enhance affordable housing in Detroit

Seeing affordable housing success coming together in Hillman, we’re combining what we learned up north with a little hustle and grind to boost up our neighbors in Detroit.

While rural and urban communities both face very different challenges, they share many of the same underserviced issues around housing... a place that we know we can make a difference.

Working our partnership of partnerships, from Community Financial Credit Union to the FHLBank Indianapolis to the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp., we’ve secured operating and educational funds to help make housing and home ownership affordable and attainable for the big city neighbors we serve every day. And we intend to keep supporting with more down the road.

Not just one (or two!) and done: A commitment to care that is truly relentless

The Relentless Care Foundation isn’t your average charitable foundation. While most charities drop into a community, make a headline and disappear, this latest success is further proof that our RCF team is dedicated to making real change over time. Walking with our partners and making the connections necessary to keep progress moving forward for the good of the community.

There’s more to come for Detroit and Hillman. This summer the Relentless Care Foundation is applying for further FHLBank Indianapolis funding, while seeking to secure infrastructure money to expand an affordable neighborhood in Hillman through the MSHDA (Michigan State Housing Development Authority). We can’t wait to see what comes together next!

Learn more about the Relentless Care Foundation

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Relentless Impact in action

See how the Relentless Care Foundation is helping Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity build more affordable housing and preserve existing housing through critical repairs that allow residents to keep their their homes.

Expanding and Preserving Homeownership with Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity

"One of the biggest needs in Otsego County is emergency home repairs," said Felicia Guyot, project manager for Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity. 

"Thanks to the grant from the Relentless Care Foundation, we’re able to address those needs more quickly than before."

The non-profit organization also offers an Aging in Place program that help elderly people preserve their independence by making critical repairs to their house so they can safely stay in their home longer.

Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity

Foundation x Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity Video Blog Content

Whether you’re new to giving or a seasoned donor, your support helps us award more grants to Michigan communities.

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Build Belonging

The orsa foundation believes in a future where all Michigan communities are just, thriving, and vibrant.

Get Inspired

News

Breaking Ground on Our Novi Future—And Yours!

Story

Max that cash: How to get the most from your High Yield Savings

News

Back-to-Back Best-in-State? Yep. Thanks to you.

News

Women Leading, Communities Thriving: Crain’s Names Tansley Stearns a Force in Finance

Story

The 2nd Annual Pickleball for Good: Can You Beat $60K?

News

Choose the Bear: Success Stories

News

Big news: We’re official sponsors of Detroit Roller Derby!

News

5 Reasons Why Parents Love Student Credit Unions at School

News

Additional $220k secured for affordable housing in Michigan

News

Expanding and Preserving Homeownership in Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity

News

Healing Through Art at the New Hope Center for Grief Support

Story

Cybersecurity and Business Accounts: What Every Michigan Business Needs to Know in 2025