Why You Should Join a Credit Union

The bank has finally crossed the line. I was recently informed that I could no longer cash a check unless I planned to deposit at least half of it. Now, while I can withdraw the money within twenty-four hours, this is still quite an inconvenience. I decided that a credit union might be the solution. It turns out that I was right, and I thought I would share a few of the finer points of it with you.

The first thing that I noticed upon visiting the credit union that I wished to join was the nature of the customer service representatives. These people not only seemed genuinely interested in helping you make the right choices for your financial future, but were as friendly as they were helpful. Since joining, I have made several visits, and each time the representative that I spoke with called me by name and asked about the family. Now that's service!

The policies are far better than what the bank had. Yesterday was an exciting day for me, it was the first time I had been able to walk into a financial institution, cash a check, and walk back out with my money and no hassle. The credit union not only has more liberal check cashing policies, but as a member you own a share of the credit union, and can enjoy the benefits of that.

Credit unions often operate during "people hours". This useful feature caters to the busy daytime schedules of professionals and families who may not be able to take care of banking needs during business hours. Having an establishment that is open until 7 pm on weeknights, 3 pm on Saturdays, and 2 pm on Sundays can make a real difference to busy people.