Thursday, April 23, 2009

Personal finance guru lauds CUs

MADISON, Wis. (4/23/09)--Credit unions are safe and practice excellent customer service, said Dave Ramsey, a personal finance expert with Gatehouse News Service, in a response in his column to a reader's question.

"Considering the current state of the economy, [my husband and I] were wondering if a credit union would be a safer place than a traditional bank for some of our savings?" a reader asked (Norwich Bulletin.com April 22).

Ramsey said that the National Credit Union Administration increased insurance coverage limits for deposits in 2008, just as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. did for banks.

"The biggest thing you want to look at is the 'hassle factor' if your institution goes broke and closes up shop," Ramsey wrote. "I haven't done business with big banks for years, primarily because of the awful customer service you get at most of them. I like local, community banks, and I believe whole-heartedly in credit unions. As a rule, these institutions practice excellent customer service. Plus, most of them didn't get mixed up the sub-prime debacle.

"Community banks and credit unions are both safe, and in most cases, they're both fabulous places to put your money," he concluded.

courtesy of cuna.org

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