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15 Reasons Why You Should Only Bank at a

Credit Union

It’s All About

Copyright © 2014Massachusetts Credit Union League

New Hampshire Credit Union LeagueCredit Union Association of Rhode Island

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, or trans‑mitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without prior writ‑ten permission of the Massachusetts Credit Union League, New Hampshire Credit Union League, and the Credit Union Association of Rhode Island. Doing so is strictly prohibited.‑

Written by Paul Gentile

Illustrated by Kortney Kaiser

15 Reasons Why You Should Only Bank at a

Credit Union

15 Reasons You Should Only Bank at a Credit Union2

1. “You Are the Star!” A credit union exists only to serve the financial needs of its members! The word “member” sometimes confuses people. To be a “member” simply means you are an account holder at the credit union. The day you open your credit union account, your “membership” begins. Since credit unions are structured as not-for-profit cooperatives, the “members” are its owners. Unlike banks, which have to please their shareholders by earning profits to boost shareholder value, credit unions have no shareholders to please—only their members. Credit unions give back to their members by charging fewer and lower fees than other financial institutions, as well as offering better loan and deposit rates. In 2013, for example, credit unions returned $6 billion in member benefits due to the lower fees and better rates. The average family saves $130 a year by banking at a credit union. That’s value. As the member, you are the star at a credit union! It’s easy to find a credit union to do business with—simply visit www.asmarterchoice.org.

It’s All About You! 3

2. “Your Money is Safe.” When it comes to financial health, ensuring the safety of your money is the top priority. At a credit union, you can be assured your money is safe. No consumer has ever lost a penny in a credit union. Some people think that since they don’t see the FDIC symbol on the door, credit unions aren’t insured by the federal government like banks. Not true. At a credit union, your account is also backed by the federal government and is insured up to the exact same amount —$250,000 — as bank accounts are through the FDIC. The only difference is that credit union accounts are insured with the National Credit Union Administration’s (NCUA) National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. You can learn about that fund here: www.mycreditunion.gov.


3. “You Become Part of Something Bigger” Credit unions are cooperatives. That’s a big deal because cooperatives are designed to benefit their users, not outsiders looking to make money off of them. Cooperatives have a deep-rooted belief system that resembles, in many ways, the principles that the United States was founded on. All of these principles are designed to do one thing: ensure the co-op’s members have the ability to democratically control the co-op and are the primary beneficiaries of the co-op. That ensures the co-op is always operating in the best interests of the members. While there are approximately 6,700 credit unions nationwide, there are approximately 30,000 co-ops. You’ve just become part of something much bigger by joining a credit union.


Co-ops follow 7 common principles:

1. Voluntary and Open Membership

2. Democratic Member Control

3. Member Economic Participation

4. Autonomy and Independence

5. Education, Training and Information

6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives

7. Concern for Community


4. “Your Money is No Good Here!” What? Your money is no good? That’s if you’re talking about fees of course. Credit unions simply do not charge as many and as highly priced fees as banks. That’s a fact and that’s the reason you will be better off than the masses of bank customers paying excessive fees. Consider that more than 78% of credit unions offer no-fee checking accounts, compared to about 39% for banks.

Credit unions also have better loan and savings rates than banks. Why? Structured as not-for-profit cooperatives, credit unions are not designed to earn big profits for shareholders, but rather give as much as they can back to the membership in the form of better rates and lower fees. Some credit unions also return a year-end dividend to members. Consider that for every $1 a credit union gets for being exempt from federal income taxes, $10 goes back to the members in better rates and lower fees. That’s a great deal—for you!


5. “You Can Reach Your Financial Goals” Did you know that credit unions are the leaders in helping consumers make sound financial decisions? Some people call this financial literacy, others simply call it good financial health. Whatever you call it, for decades credit unions have spearheaded efforts to ensure consumers are empowered to make good financial choices. You can feel good that you are banking with a financial institution that cares as much about your financial health as you do! Here are just a few of the financial literacy efforts credit unions support:

• Biz Kid$ is a credit union funded public television series, teaching kids about money management and entrepreneurship. For more information see www.bizkids.com.

• National Credit Union Youth Week,TM an annual April event supported by credit unions throughout the U.S. with a focus on financial education, and the power of savings for all ages. See www.cuna.org/youthweek for more information.

• CU 4 Reality™ is a real world based financial education program that credit unions and schools offer in partnership. See www.cu4reality.org for more information.


6. “You Get Convenience”The average credit union might be much smaller than the average bank, but credit unions have a major advantage over banks—they cooperate. Could you imagine banks working together to serve each other’s customers? Keep imagining, because it doesn’t happen. As cooperatives, credit unions work together to better serve their 99 million members. One of the best examples is in the area of convenience. Many credit unions share each other’s ATMs and branch locations and have created a nationwide no-surcharge ATM network and a nationwide shared branch network. These networks are bigger than those of the biggest banks. What does this mean? If you are a member of a credit union in let’s say Wisconsin that participates in the nationwide shared branch network, wherever you travel in the country you can visit a shared branch location and do business at that branch as if you were back home in Wisconsin. That’s pretty cool and powerful! The names on the sign may be different, but the service you get isn’t. The ATM network works the same way, and of course it’s surcharge-free! To find a credit union branch or ATM near you visit www.co-opatm.org and www.co-opsharedbranch.org.


Nationwide CO-OP Shared Branch Network

• 5,000 branches

• 2,200 kiosks

Nationwide CO-OP Surcharge-Free ATM Network

• 30,000 Surcharge-Free ATMs


7. “You Stay on Main St. Not Wall St.”Derivatives. Hedge Funds. Complex Mortgage-Backed Securities. No it’s not a foreign language, it’s the language of Wall St. and while Wall St. isn’t always bad for America, greed is. Greed and striving for profits led to the housing collapse that spiraled the country into a downward economic cycle that is still being felt years later. Big banks were at the heart of these problems. Credit unions were not. Credit unions do not mix on Wall St. and they do not stretch their members’ wallets too thin to put them in loans they cannot afford. At a credit union, you are firmly planted on Main St., not Wall St.!


8. “You are in Control!” Credit unions are democratically controlled by their members. That means, as a member, you have a say in the direction of the credit union.

Ever feel you’ve been held hostage by a big company that changes policies that hurt consumers? If so, you should bank at a credit union where you can have a voice in who sits on the board of directors and sets those policies. Obviously, most members don’t want to get involved in how the credit union is run, but isn’t it nice to know you have a strong voice if you see things moving in the wrong direction!

Rest assured these board members aren’t sitting on the board because of a big payday or lavish perks. Most credit union board members are unpaid volunteers! They volunteer their time to ensure the credit union is doing all it can for you, the member.


9. “You Can’t Get Rid of Us!” A common misconception about credit unions is that if you leave your employer, your place of worship or your community, you will no longer be able to bank at your credit union. Not true. Unless you do something to cause harm to the credit union, once you are a member, you are always a member! You can be assured that as long as your account is maintained in good standing, your credit union will be with you wherever life takes you. Also, if you move far away from your credit union, that doesn’t mean your credit union can’t continue to serve you. Credit unions are leaders in remote delivery services such as mobile banking and online lending applications. You can take your credit union with you!


10. “Your Wallet Size Doesn’t Affect Your Say!” Credit unions are the purest type of financial cooperative, guaranteeing one vote per accountholder. At a big bank the big shareholders carry the most votes to influence the direction of the bank. At a credit union, whether you have $50 or $50,000 on deposit your vote is counted equally. This ensures no accountholders have greater influence on the direction of the credit union.


11. “You Are Making a Smarter Choice!”Credit unions are “a smarter choice” for your banking needs so it’s unfortunate that many consumers still don’t know what a credit union is. Some think that credit unions are only for government workers or people who work for a specific company. Not true! You can’t join every credit union, but there is a credit union for everyone! Many more people are waking up to the power of credit unions. In 2013, more than two million consumers joined credit unions! Across the country there are now more than 99 million credit union members that together have more than $1 trillion on deposit with credit unions. Credit unions are not as well-known as banks, but they are no secret to their 99 million members. If you want to bank with an organization that you can trust has your best financial interests at heart, it’s time to make a smarter choice and bank at a credit union. To find a credit union that you can join, visit www.asmarterchoice.org.


12. “You Aren’t Costing Your Neighbor Any Money”Some of the reasons to bank at a credit union aren’t all about dollars and cents like better rates and lower fees. Some reasons go much deeper than that. Consider that the banking industry has been bailed out by you, the taxpayer, on more than one occasion and you may not even have a bank account. Credit unions have never been bailed out by the government and have never had to be rescued at the hands of taxpayers. That goes hand in hand with the credit union mission of financial health and financial literacy. Credit unions practice what they preach!


13. “You Are Just a Number!” And that number is No. 1 at a credit union. Credit unions have consistently scored top rankings in customer service for banking, in consumer polls. Numerous annual customer service surveys show credit unions beat banks in customer service. At a credit union you just have to get used to being No. 1!

There are too many survey results to list here. See the appendix for how credit unions outshine others in trust and service.


14. “Your ‘Network’ Just Got Bigger!”More often than not you have a much better chance at a credit union than a bank of knowing your fellow members. That’s because credit unions serve people with a similar “common bond.” Depending on where you live, work or worship will determine which credit unions you can do business with. So let’s say you join a credit union that serves your town or your county, there’s a good chance you’ll know some of your fellow members. If you do business with a credit union that serves your place of work or worship, you are almost certain to know some of your fellow members. Who cares? Since credit unions are not about profits, but about serving members’ financial needs, you will quickly find being a member brings a feeling of community and opens up networking opportunities. Your credit union can help you grow your personal and business networks!


15.“Your Values Matter” More and more consumers want to do business with values-based organizations. Whether going green for the community or supporting philanthropic causes, consumers of all ages want to help make the world a better place. Credit unions are the right fit for values-based consumers who want to be assured they are doing business with an organization that cares. Credit unions, by their very structure, stay out of the greed game, promote financial literacy and education, are good stewards in their communities, and adhere to a set of cooperative beliefs that center around promoting the greater good of their membership and local communities. Yes, values and banking can go hand in and hand. It’s called a credit union. If you are not part of the credit union cooperative system, find one you can join at www.asmarterchoice.org.


Why I Love My Credit Union

We would love to hear from you, please tweet @asmarterchoice or post on our Facebook wall http://www.facebook.com/asmarterchoice.


AppendixCredit Unions Rank High In Service and TrustSurvey after survey ranks credit unions as some of the most trusted organizations in the country as well as tops for service. See below for results.

“Credit unions remain best-in-class for financial services and set the bar for customer satisfaction among all service industries covered by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.”

See http://tinyurl.com/kf8aa8t

Credit Unions in Top Spot in Latest Foresee Online Satisfaction Report.

See http://tinyurl.com/kdwqp3d

Online Banking, Key to Satisfaction and Growth at Credit Unions.

See http://tinyurl.com/kwrna88

Trust in credit unions has remained high at 61% among Americans, according to the latest Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index and

Credit unions were rated No. 1 in a survey of 5,000 consumers asked to rate the reputation of 34 business sectors in a study conducted by Denver-based Prime Performance.

See http://tinyurl.com/mq4p6gy

Fast Credit Union Facts7

About the AuthorPaul Gentile is the President of the Massachusetts Credit Union League, the New Hampshire Credit Union League and the Credit Union Association of Rhode Island. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of America’s Credit Union Museum in Manchester, NH. He is a former editor of Credit Union Times and president of the New Jersey Credit Union League.

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AmericansBelongin

in America1st- 1908 - Manchester, NH

CU

save families

peryear (avg.)

CUs$130

CUs are memberownedcooperatives

the amount of taxpayer bailout money credit unions have received$0

100 year history in their

in satisfaction surveysCUs #1

CUs can share branches and ATMsfor nationwide convenience

15 reasons - aspire federal credit union › wp-content › uploads › 2014 › 06 ›...

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