What is a Credit Union?

A credit union is a member-owned, not-for-profit, cooperative financial institution. Credit unions provide the same products and services- including surcharge-free ATMs, online financial services, and free savings and checking accounts as other financial institutions. They also return their profits to their credit union members by providing better services, better rates, lower fees, and special discounts. Credit unions operate under the philosophy of “people helping people” allowing their members to pool their savings, lend to one another, and own the organization.

Federal credit unions are chartered and supervised by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA.) Through this federal agency, savings in federal and most state-chartered credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) a federal fund backed by the United States government. The funds in some credit unions are privately insured.