PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC, September 3, 2026 - Democrats Abroad, the official arm of the Democratic Party outside the United States, announced the start of their group membership with State Department Federal Credit Union. Democrats Abroad is now the first and only Americans abroad organization that is both free to join and free to open a U.S. bank account with SDFCU.
Democrats Abroad International Chair Martha McDevitt-Pugh notes, “Americans abroad shouldn’t have to choose between living overseas and maintaining access to basic U.S. financial services. We’re proud to help connect Americans abroad with a financial institution that understands their unique needs.”
Marlene Schwartz, SDFCU Board Chair said, "The SDFCU Board of Directors is delighted to welcome Democrats Abroad to our global family. We are excited to offer Democrats Abroad members access to United States based financial services. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship."
“For years, we’ve received emails from our members who said they need access to U.S. banking products but are unable to open even just a basic U.S. checking account because they live abroad,” said Rebecca Lammers, Chair of the Democrats Abroad Taxation Task Force. “This group membership with SDFCU is a practical step forward that can make a real difference in the daily lives of our members.”
Democrats Abroad members can now apply to access U.S. banking services with SDFCU which include:
- U.S.-based checking and savings accounts
- Online and mobile banking access
- Support for international addresses and phone numbers
- International money transfers and multiple-currency transfer options
- Credit card options with no foreign transaction fees on eligible products
- Mobile wallet integration
- Membership opportunities for eligible family members
U.S. citizens living abroad face a wide range of tax and financial-access barriers, such as difficulties with banking. These can range from cashing an IRS refund check or making federal student loan payments, to adding a non-U.S. spouse as a beneficiary on a U.S.-based retirement account. Democrats Abroad’s membership at SDFCU aims to reduce financial barriers and expand access to services that help Democrats Abroad members maintain a normal financial life while living abroad.
For more information please visit the Democrats Abroad website at https://www.democratsabroad.org/sdfcu_credit_union_for_americans_abroad
Membership at Democrats Abroad is free. Members must be of voting age by the next general election and live outside of the United States. To join Democrats Abroad visit https://www.democratsabroad.org/join
Existing Democrats Abroad members can explore SDFCU's membership eligibility requirements, account options, and services at https://www.sdfcu.org
Two webinars with SDFCU take place on September 10 at 3am and 1pm EDT to introduce their banking services. Members can RSVP at https://www.democratsabroad.org/sdfcuwebinars
About SDFCU
State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU) is a member-owned, full-service financial institution that is committed to serving its nearly 90,000 members worldwide. With $2.9 billion in assets, SDFCU is an Equal Opportunity Lender and offers a full range of financial products and services that address the diverse and global needs of its members. SDFCU is federally insured by NCUA and is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with six branch locations. Learn more about SDFCU at SDFCU.org.