A Credit Union is simply people helping people. Members are united by a common bond of employment, residence, or association. A credit union is owned equally by its members, not a small group of private investors or a sponsoring company. An independent, not-for-profit financial cooperative, a credit union is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors elected from the membership. Services are designed to meet the financial needs of individuals rather than businesses. The benefits to each member are numerous including a variety of savings opportunities and more personal, lower-cost loans than are usually available elsewhere.