We're happy you're here
...and grateful for your support of our mission: to enable anyone to make positive and lasting change in our local food ecosystem. Hopefully these FAQs will help with any questions you may have!
Contact Us
What's the best way to get in touch?
Our phone number is (603) 227-6801. We're available 8AM-4PM (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday (except federal holidays).
We're also available via email: partners@waldenmutual.com. We recommend using the secure Message Center in online banking and our mobile app to discuss any account details.
Send any mail to us at:
Walden Mutual Bank
66 N. Main Street
Concord, NH 03301
To activate your debit card, call (800) 992-3808. To report it lost or stolen, call (800) 472-3272.
Can I visit in-person?
As an online bank, an in-person visit is never required. We do have a physical office in Concord, NH, and are happy to offer appointments Monday through Thursday 9AM-3PM (Eastern Time). Click here to schedule an appointment.
About our accounts
What kind of account is a Grow Local account?
Our Grow Local account is a high-yield cash account, earning competitive interest while driving positive and lasting impact. It includes many of the features you'd expect from a checking account - like mobile deposit, a debit card, and free transfers.
Are there minimum balances on Grow Local accounts?
Our Grow Local accounts have a minimum initial deposit of $100, and have a minimum daily balance of $0.01. Be sure that you do not draw down the balance to $0.00 on any day, as this can automatically flag your account for closure.
Are there fees on your accounts?
Our Grow Local accounts don't incur any monthly maintenance fees. For a full inventory of our account fees and charges, visit our Account Charges page.
What is a Local Impact Certificate of Deposit (CD)?
Our Local Impact CDs pay competitive rates of interest in return for longer commitments. We offer a range of terms, from 3 months to 100 years. Longer commitments allow us to provide more creative financing solutions to the organizations we support.
Opening an account
Can I apply if I'm not a farmer? What if I don't live in New Hampshire?
You do not have to be a farmer to have an account at Walden Mutual and you don’t have to live in New Hampshire. We use your deposits to fund loans to farms, food businesses, and other mission-driven organizations.
How long does the application process take?
Applying takes 5 minutes or less. Click "Sign Up" at the top and choose "Personal". Walden staff will review and respond (via phone or email) within 1-2 business days.
Other notes to remember while applying: please be sure to enter your legal name and legal residential address. Feel free to enter a preferred mailing address, if needed. You'll have a chance to enter a joint account holder during the application.
Why might my application be declined?
If we were unable to approve your application, you will receive an email with a link to review the Adverse Action Notice. The notice will include an explanation for the decision. For more information, contact us at (603) 227-6801. For security reasons, we cannot discuss application details via email.
What about business accounts?
Click “Sign Up” at the top of any page and choose “Organization”. Walden staff will review and respond (via phone or email) within 5 business days.
Can I open a second Grow Local account?
You can! No need to apply again; just login and send us a message in the secure Message Center. To fund the new account, you'll need to authorize a transfer of $100 from your current Grow Local account. If adding a new joint account owner, we will need to speak with them to confirm their information.
How do I open a Local Impact CD?
You'll first deposit at least $1,000 (the minimum initial deposit to open a CD) into your Grow Local account. You'll then submit a CD request (under "Accounts" > "Open a CD" within online banking or our mobile app) that includes the amount and term. We'll then transfer the requested amount from your Grow Local account to open your Local Impact CD. You'll receive a receipt in the Message Center.
Notes: Rates are subject to change daily and are always current on our website.
Once opened, you cannot make changes to the CD (ex. add/withdraw funds, change the term) until maturity. The interest will compound daily and be deposited into the account monthly. The penalties for closing the account before the maturity date are available on the Account Charges page.
What happens at CD maturity?
CDs are set to auto-renew at the same term and at the rate as of the maturity date, however you have a 10-day grace period after the maturity date to make a change. Prior to its maturity, you will get a notice in the mail with your options, in the event that you don’t want your CD to auto-renew. You can request changes to your CD through our app or online banking by submitting an Account Service Request ("Communications" > "Account Service Request" > "CDs" > "CD Maturity Change").
How can I open an account with my child?
Minors are welcome to open Grow Local accounts, as long as they apply jointly with an adult. Call us at (603) 227-6801 or send a message in Message Center, and provide the minor’s information (name, SSN, birthday, address, phone, email) to start the process. We will need a photo of their Social Security card to verify their SSN which you can send securely in Message Center.
Our Interest Rates
What are your rates?
The interest rates are subject to change daily, but you can always find our current interest rates on our website. Interest compounds daily and is deposited into your Grow Local account at the end of the statement cycle (around the 15th of each month for Grow Local accounts or the last day of the month for Local Impact CDs). Keep in mind that the daily interest rate is lower than the Annual Percentage Yield (APY), as the APY considers the interest compounding daily over the course of an entire year. You can always see your account's rate in online banking and our mobile app by selecting the account and viewing "Account Details".
How do the interest rate tiers on Grow Local accounts work?
We offer a tiered interest rate as an incentive to our partners to consolidate more of their deposits with us, helping us maximize our impact on the local food ecosystem. Our mission is to enable anyone to make positive and lasting change – not just high net worth individuals – hence a maximum on the higher rate. The interest rate is determined by your account balance each day:
- If your Grow Local account has a daily balance from $.01 to $9,999.99, you’ll earn our base APY on the entire balance.
- If your Grow Local account has a daily balance from $10,000 to $99,999.99, you’ll earn an extra 1.00% APY on the entire balance.
- If your Grow Local account has a daily balance of $100,000 or more, you’ll earn our base APY on the entire balance.
If your account is below $10,000 one day, it earns the base APY. If it’s $10,000 or more (but under $100,000) the next day, it will earn the higher rate.
Note: The relevant rate is determined by the daily balance on each Grow Local account, and not aggregate balances across multiple accounts.
Debit Cards
When will my debit card arrive?
If you requested a debit card, it will arrive in about two weeks. If it has yet to arrive after two weeks, or if you are unsure if you requested one, give us a call at (603) 227-6801 or send a message in Message Center. To request a debit card, submit an Account Service Request in our app or online banking ("Communications" > "Account Service Request" > "Account Maintenance" > "Order Debit Card").
How do I activate my debit card?
Call (800) 992-3808 to activate and set your PIN. If you forgot your PIN, you can also reset it using that same number.
It’s an automated system and you will need to provide this information: the card number, the 3-digit security code on the card, your SSN, and the telephone number associated with your account at Walden Mutual.
Note: If you are a joint account holder, use your SSN and phone number, not the primary account holder’s. You may be transferred to a person to verify your identity. If this happens, call (800) 992-3808 again to set your PIN.
If you run into any issues activating your card, it could be that you waited too long, tried too many times, or that something is incorrect with your information. Give us a call at (603) 227-6801 to troubleshoot.
How do I withdraw cash?
You can go to any ATM to withdraw cash. We reimburse up to $15 per month in ATM fees (domestic or foreign). Reimbursements are issued as statement credits around the 15th of each month.
What are my debit card limits?
For security reasons, your debit card has transaction limits. Transactions may be declined if you attempt to exceed them. Limits are for a 24-hour rolling period (not a calendar day).
For point of sale purchases: $2500 or 20 transactions
For ATM withdrawals: $510 total
If you'd like to request a temporary limit increase, submit an Account Service Request in our app or online banking ("Communications" > "Account Service Request" > "Limit Change" > "Limit Change - Debit Card Purchases" or "Limit Change - ATM Cash Withdrawal").
Can I use my debit card internationally?
Yes! Walden does not charge international transaction fees. You will be reimbursed for ATM fees incurred as part of our ATM fee reimbursement (up to $15/month).
If you don’t want to receive texts/calls to verify your purchases while traveling, submit a Travel Alert through our app or online banking ("Communications" > "Account Service Requests" > "Debit Card" > "Travel Alert") at least one business day before you leave on your trip.
I've lost my card. What should I do?
First, please call (800) 472-3272 to immediately lock your card.
Second: Check your account activity to be sure there are no transactions you don’t recognize (click “Don’t recognize this transaction?” if you do see any suspicious charges).
Third, call us to request a new card. View the fees associated with replacement cards on our Account Charges page.
Online Banking
How do I access my account?
When your application is approved, you're sent two emails: one with instructions for logging in and one with a temporary password which is valid for 24 hours. To log in, go to waldenmutual.com and click “My Account” in the top right. If you forgot your password or the temporary password has expired, click “Forgot Password” to generate a new temporary password.
If you are a joint account holder, click “Register” on the login screen referenced above to set up account access.
Do you have a mobile app?
Yes! Walden Mutual Mobile Banking is available for iOS and Android. Login with the same username and password you use to access online banking.
Money Movement
How do I move money into my Grow Local account?
Here are five easy options for moving money into your account:
- Initiate a transfer out from another bank, using our routing number (011402121) and your Grow Local account number.
- Link an external account within online banking or our mobile app ("Money Movement" > "Transfers" > "Add Account") and initiate a transfer in.
- Deposit a check using your device camera and our mobile app ("Check Deposit").
- Initiate a wire transfer from another bank to Walden. View instructions here.
- Mail a check to Walden Mutual Bank, 66 North Main Street, Concord, NH 03301. Make it out to yourself, and write "for deposit only" on the back with the last few digits of your Grow Local account number, but don't sign the back.
When will the funds from my deposited check be available?
For deposits made before 3PM ET on a business day, the first $225 is usually available before the end of that day. Any remaining balance will have a (minimum) 2-business day hold. Please note that longer holds might apply to mobile check deposits due to other factors (i.e. check amount, relationship history) and, if applicable, you will be notified in Message Center. For specific questions, please feel free to reach out.
What are mobile check deposit limits?
You can deposit up to $10,000 per calendar day. If you need to deposit more than $10,000 in a day, submit an Account Service Request in our app or online banking ("Communications" > "Account Service Request" > "Limit Change" > "Limit Change - Mobile Check Deposit").
How do I deposit a check made out to multiple people?
If a check is made out to two people, both must be signers on the Grow Local account. If the check says “or” between the two names, only one account holder needs to endorse on the back. If it says “and”, both account holders must endorse.
How do I know if my mobile deposit went through?
If you instantly receive an email confirming the deposit, your check was successfully received. The deposited check will appear in your transaction history the next business day. You can also see it in the app's Mobile Deposit Activity tab.
What is Bill Pay and how do I access it?
Bill Pay is an alternate way of making payments within online banking and our mobile app, including single or recurring transfers to individuals or businesses.
Some commonly-used payees (i.e. utility providers, credit card issuers) will be enabled for electronic payments. For others, you'll provide payment information and the payee will receive a paper check in the mail. An estimated delivery date is provided for all payments.
The account you are paying from must have available funds equal to (or greater than) the payment amount on the date the payment is delivered, or the payment may not be completed.
To access in online banking: "Money Movement" > "Bill Pay"
In our mobile app: "More" > "Money Movement" > "Bill Pay"
Can I wire money to someone same day?
Yes. The daily cut-off time for us to receive your outgoing wire transfer request is 2PM Eastern Time. The completed wire request form must be received by the cut-off time to be processed by the close of business. Call us at (603) 227-6801 as early as possible so we can send you the request form and to ensure adequate time for processing. Relevant fees apply.
Do you offer Zelle?
We don't offer Zelle. However, you can link your Grow Local account and debit card to other P2P apps like Cash App and Venmo. Be sure to check with these third-party services on transaction limits or other restrictions.
How do I order checks?
Submit an Account Service Request in our app or online banking ("Communications" > "Account Service Request" > "Checks" > "Order Personal Checks").
Note: Business and Community Grow Local accounts have a separate process for check ordering and receive alternate instructions when the account is opened. See our FAQs for Organizations.
Account Security
How can I play my part in keeping my account secure?
- Use a strong password that you have not used anywhere else. Change your password regularly.
- Never log into online banking or our mobile app on public wifi network or in a place someone could see you type your credentials.
- Set alerts ("Tools" > "Settings" > "Alerts") to get notifications regarding account activity.
- Enable multi-factor ("Tools" > "Settings" > "Security") and biometric ("Tools" > "Settings" > "Biometrics") authentication.
- Never give anyone your login information. Even if you have a joint account holder, they should establish their own login credentials.
I got a call asking to confirm account activity. Is it legitimate?
We may call you to confirm account activity. Save our number - (603) 227-6801 - as a contact in your phone so you know it’s us.
We also may call, text or email if there is suspicious activity on your debit card. If you receive a “Fraud Protection Alert” from the Walden Mutual Fraud Prevention Center, please call the number provided as soon as possible - (833) 735-1892 or (833) 735-1894.
Can I add a joint account holder to my existing account?
Certainly! Since you are already in our system, there's no need to re-apply. Just send us a request in the Message Center with the person’s information (Name, birthday, SSN, address, email, cell phone number) and then give us a call at (603) 227-6801 with both of you present so we can verify all information and get authorization from the new joint owner.
Can I designate a beneficiary?
Yes, you can have one beneficiary (Payable On Death) per account. Send a note in Message Center with the person’s legal name, SSN and birthday and we will add them as a beneficiary on your account(s).
Can I move my accounts into a trust?
Yes, your accounts can be moved into trust ownership. If the trustees are the current account owners, you can fill out our Trust Certification Form and return it to us with the trustees’ e-signatures. Send us a message or call to request the Trust Certification Form. If the trustees are not on the account already, we will need to collect their information to add them. If the trust has its own EIN, we’ll also need to know that ahead of time.
How can I dispute a transaction?
If you don’t recognize a transaction on your account activity, contact the merchant (often the phone number is listed in the transaction description) to see if they can provide more info; also check with your joint account holder to see if they recognize it. If you believe the transaction to be unauthorized and your debit card is involved, immediately call 800-472-3272 to report a compromised card. We will then need to close it and issue a replacement. Finally, click “Don’t Recognize this Transaction?” and complete the form to report it to us.
How can I deposit cash?
As a digital bank, we don’t handle any cash, and other banks’ ATMs will not accept cash deposits for your Walden accounts. If you need to deposit cash often, consider keeping an account at a local bank and transferring funds from there to Walden. Another option is to get a money order from a post office or convenience store, which you can then deposit just like a check with our mobile app (up to $10,000 daily). And, don’t forget that you could just spend your cash instead of depositing it! Some local independent businesses prefer cash for purchases to avoid costly credit card processing fees.
When will my direct deposit be available?
When a deposit is pending, you will see the transaction at the top of your account activity (“Pending”) with the anticipated posting date. For some eligible direct deposits, we're able to make the funds available to you up to two days early. There's no enrollment or fee required for this service. However, early direct deposits are not guaranteed and can vary based on scheduling and payment instructions set by the payor.
How will I receive my 1099-INT tax document?
A paper copy of your 1099 is sent by mail in January. Be sure your address is up-to-date by January 15th to be sure it gets to you! You can also reference the total interest earned last year within online banking. From the Dashboard, click into an account and select the “Tax Information” tab. You’ll need to click the “Interest Earned” dropdown at the bottom to see last year’s amount, and you can print that page to keep a summary for your records.
Will Apple Pay and Google Wallet be supported?
We hope to support both Apple Pay and Google Pay in the near future. Due to the substantial work involved with setting these up, we continue to evaluate the timeline, weighing our resources and other product enhancements. Know that these integrations are top-of-mind for our team in 2025, and we’ll be sure to keep you posted as we have more updates to share! In the meantime, our debit cards already support contactless tap-to-pay - just hold it near the reader in the same way you would with your phone.
What’s Walden Mutual Bank’s routing number?
Our routing number for ACH transfers is 011402121. Separate instructions apply for wire transfers.
I tried linking my Walden account to a third-party system and it’s not working.
Since we’re a relatively new bank, there are some systems that don’t yet recognize our routing number (011402121) as valid - even though it’s been ours since October 2022! Unfortunately, there's not much we can do to resolve this on our end, though we’d be happy to provide you with an official account verification letter or voided check if the place you’re attempting to link says this will help. You could also try alternative methods, such as linking your Walden debit card or initiating payment through the Bill Pay feature in our online banking.
Why do some ecommerce sites show my debit card as belonging to a different bank?
Rest assured, we are not secretly owned by any other bank! As a mutual bank, we are owned by our depositors – you and only you! Some ecommerce merchants reference only the first 6 digits (“card prefix”) of a card to figure out what bank issued it. Our card prefix used to be exclusive to a different bank (Wells Fargo). Merchants are now supposed to look at the first 8 digits to see which bank issued the card. If a merchant is still only referencing the first 6 digits, that can lead to this confusion where they display the incorrect bank. While it can be upsetting to see another bank’s name displayed, this won’t affect any transactions!
Can I deposit a check in a foreign currency?
Yes, we can accept checks for deposit in Canadian Dollars (CAD), but not through our app’s mobile check deposit feature. You will need to mail it to us at Walden Mutual Bank, 66 N. Main Street, Concord, NH 03301. Write “For deposit only” and the last 3 digits of your Grow Local account number on the back, but don’t sign it. Keep in mind, it takes 14 business days for us to process these checks, and you'll be charged an International Check Deposit fee. Currency conversion rates are determined at the time of processing the deposit, and there may be additional holds per the funds availability policy in our account disclosures.
I just moved to a new address. How can I update this on my account?
It is important that you inform us of any changes to your contact information. Fortunately, it’s easy to do – just log into online banking or our mobile app and go to Tools > Settings > Contact to update your information.
I just got married, changed my name, or registered a DBA name for my business. How can I update this on my account?
Changing the legal name on your account does require some official forms on our end. Please send us a message in Message Center or give us a call and we will prepare the forms you need.
Is my account FDIC insured? What if I need more coverage?
Your deposits are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000 per account holder. If you have a joint account, you are each insured up to $250,000. We recommend reviewing the FDIC site for full details on how this insurance works, or use this calculator. If you have more than $250,000 in deposits across your Walden accounts, we partner with IntraFi to offer additional insurance. There are no additional fees, but the interest rate on your deposits is slighly lower to help cover our fees we pay to IntraFi. Contact us to learn more about opting in to IntraFi.
Can I redeem paper savings bonds?
As a cashless digital bank, we're not set up to redeem Treasury bonds.
How do I categorize transactions for budgeting?
Transactions in your Grow Local account are automatically categorized based on merchant data and aggregated in the “Analytics” tab. Within a transaction’s details, click the category to change it or create your own custom categories. This feature is only available on the web version of online banking (not on our mobile app).
What’s the difference between instant and manual linking?
When linking an external bank account within Walden’s online banking (from Money Movement > Transfers > Add Account), there are a few options. The “Instantly Add an External Account” option prompts you to login to your other bank to authorize the connection. However, we’re dependent upon the data provided to us, so this method is only compatible with some institutions.
If instant linking doesn’t work with your other bank, you can select the option to "Manually Add an External Account." This is the old-fashioned way of verifying you own an account, in which you'll be prompted to enter the account number and routing number. Then, wait a 1-2 days to find the micro-deposits we send over (between $0.01 and $0.99). Finally, log back into your Walden account, scroll to the bottom of the dashboard, and click "confirm" on the banner to enter those amounts.
What is account aggregation?
When instant linking an external account, you may be asked if you’d like to enable aggregation. This optional feature displays the live balance of the external account on your Walden dashboard. Compatibility varies based on the data provided to us by your other bank, and opting in or out of aggregation won't affect your ability to make transfers.
Why don’t the account numbers match on the external account I linked?
When instantly linking an external account in Walden’s online banking, we request data from the other bank. Sometimes they intentionally mask the real account numbers for security reasons. Chase Bank, for example, is known to provide “substitute account numbers” when sharing data. You will then see an unfamiliar account number in your Walden online banking and in transaction notifications from us. Rest assured, this won’t affect any transfers! Consider renaming accounts (use our nickname feature) to keep track of which accounts you’ve linked.