Yes. "Although credit unions usually offer fewer services than banks do, those services are often more favorable to customers because credit unions are nonprofit financial institutions owned and operated by their members. That means they aren't obligated to return profits to their stockholders, as banks are; instead, they return earnings to credit union members in the form of better interest rates and lower fees. 'When I've needed loans, the rates at the credit union were great compared to other places," says Richelle Wesley, a nurse at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass., which belongs to Alpha Credit Union in Boston. More specifically, credit unions almost always offer higher interest rates on savings accounts, much lower service fees, and lower rates for auto lending than do other financial institutions. Rates for other types of lending vary a bit more -- for example, banks sometimes offer more competitive rates on mortgage lending. Many credit unions also offer direct-deposit services, just as banks do -- and nearly all credit unions are federally insured, just as banks are. A recent check of data updated daily on the Credit Union National Association's Web site showed average credit-union rates beating average bank rates in nine out of 10 categories. In addition, credit unions have ranked first among all financial institutions in every American Banker customer-satisfaction survey since 1989. Another advantage of credit unions, says Ms. Gross, is their reputation for inclusiveness: Usually a member's spouse, children, parents, siblings, and, in some cases, domestic partner are eligible to join as well. Credit unions also tend to be less rigid than commercial banks in terms of whom they will lend money to and allow to open an account. At some credit unions, the minimum deposit to open a savings account is $5." http://philanthropy.com/jobs/2003/10/30/20031030-213134.htm