I'm a huge fan of credit unions, having worked in credit union data centers in the past. Credit unions operate as non-profits, and while they have many of the same services as banks (online banking & billpay, loans, etc.) they have far fewer and smaller fees, plus the service is many steps above the nearly abusive customer services at the local McMegaBank.

Check out the National Credit Union Administration to see if there's one near you that you can join.

http://www.NCUA.gov

Hi Financialaidpodcast

I am also a fan of credit union.
Nice to see you here.

I'm rockin the credit union world myself - Knight style!

I have noticed that my fees have gone up on my overdraft (from $20 to $25), but I think that is happening across the board. Aside from that - I'm lovin the free checking and friendly faces behind the counter. In addition, I got my first mortgage from a credit union. They had an excellent rate, but they do tend to require more documentation than your standard mortgage company.