Why do I Care About Credit Unions?
One of the most important part of rebuilding your credit is establishing new credit. An excellent source of easy credit is the credit union. They have more lenient credit guidelines on auto loans, credit cards and second mortgages. However, most people don't know which credit unions they are qualified to join. Here are some tips.
How to Find a Credit Union
The good news: If you want to be a member of a credit union, you probably can. The bad news: They rarely advertise, so if you want a credit union, you'll most likely have to do a little legwork on your own... but the rewards will likely be worth the effort!
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution, not-for-profit, owned and controlled by its members. A credit union's charter defines its "field of membership," which could be an employer, a geographic region, school, religious or professional affiliation, or community. Anyone working for an employer that sponsors a credit union, for example, is eligible to join that credit union.
Whether you choose to entrust your hard-earned money to a bank or a credit union, you will want to make sure that it is federally insured. Where a bank might sport the FDIC logo, in a credit union you want to look for the insignia of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The National Credit Union Administration regulates federal credit unions and insures the vast majority of all credit unions in the United States. Its insurance fund guarantees deposits up to $100,000, just like a bank.
What are the Advantages of a Credit Union?
Becoming a member of a credit union is advantageous because credit unions are non-profit, and exist to provide members with a place to save money. Credit unions typically have lower costs associated with all of their products and services.
Credit unions were created to enable people to pool their financial resources to help themselves and each other, working together as a team to create solutions to meet their financial needs. When you compare credit union information to that of a traditional bank, you'll find lower interest rates when borrowing and higher percentage rates in savings as a credit union member.
Because they are not-for-profit institutions, credit unions offer better rates on credit cards, sometimes up to three percentage points lower than the average bank card rate. Typically, they are more forgiving regarding creditand may even allow people with past bankruptcies to qualify for unsecured cards. Credit unions are an especially good option for people who are building credit for the first time or trying to re-establish good credit, as they are typically smaller organizations which offer personalized service and are more willing to consider factors beyond the "black and white".
Financial education is available to all members. Credit unions assist members in becoming better-educated consumers of financial services.
Your credit union can put you in business with a small business loan. And some credit unions have established a relationship with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expedite loans to credit-worthy small businesses.
Credit unions are governed through an unpaid, volunteer Board of Directors, democratically elected by the credit union membership.
Finding a Credit Union
Governmental regulatory agencies require that credit unions restrict their membership to defined segments of the population, such as people who live, work, worship, or attend school in a well-defined geographic area; employees of specific companies or trades; members of specific non-profit groups (alumni associations, conservation or other advocacy organizations, lodges, churches, or the like); or a particular occupational group (teachers, doctors, etc.)
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