Credit Unions vs. Banks
When moving to a new area, it is often necessary to switch to a new financial/banking institution if your current financial institution doesn’t exist in your new area. Recently, a friend of mine was faced with this situation when a promotion at her husband’s work required them to relocate to a new state. They had been banking at a small local bank here in town and found it necessary to switch to a place in their new town. When considering their options, they found it necessary to research the difference between credit unions and banks. Here are a few of the major differences.
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its member. Credit unions are typically smaller than banks and differ from them in several ways. Unlike banks, credit union members who have accounts are owners of the credit union. Credit union members elect their board of directors and have one vote, regardless of how much they have invested into the institution. Although credit unions offer many of the same banking options as banks, often they used different terminology in referring to those processes. For example, sometimes savings accounts are called share accounts, checking accounts are share draft accounts, etc. Typically, money can only be deposited or borrowed from the credit union by its members.
Though membership has no restrictions as to nationality or income, several credit unions, in their early histories, began as a way to service a certain section of a community’s population. For example, the Workers’ Credit Union in Massachusetts began to service the financial and banking in Massachusetts. Credit unions exist to promote community development and for this reason, people often prefer credit unions to banks.