credit unions

As of November 5th, the Credit Union National Association reports that 650,000 consumers have joined credit unions across the nation, a reaction to increasing fees imposed by big banks.

People are getting fed up with the big banks, and credit unions are having the last laugh.

In my interview with economist and scholar Umair Haque last week, Haque said one of the ways Americans could take back power from Wall Street is by divesting from megabanks and putting their money into smaller community banks and credit unions.

As it turns out, North Dakota beat us to the punch.

The nation's 7,500 credit unions are paying to clean up a multibillion-dollar mess created by a handful of failed institutions that invested in risky mortgage-backed securities.

It’s commonly known and generally accepted that banks, credit card issuers, auto lenders, credit unions and finance companies see your credit reports when you apply for a credit benefit.

Many of them can pull your credit reports and scores as often as they want as part of their ongoing account management practices.

It’s a great opportunity that could bring Mint.com’s unique approach to personal financial management to millions more consumers and small businesses as well as the 1,800 banks and credit unions serviced by Intuit.