It's a trade-off of convenience. And for reference, I've got accounts at two credit unions (one personal, one business), two different credit cards (affiliated with neither CU), a mortgage (originated at a CU, but owned by someone else), and two vehicle loans (with one of the CUs).
I can also handle everything on-line with these financial institutions. I can check balances, move money, pay bills, see history... the works. It does require multiple web sites, but that's my trade-off for convenience. Neither right nor wrong... just a trade-off.
I will say, however, that the CU is much more likely, IMHO, to recognize me as an individual than a bank is. When I went to sell my first house after moving out here, my boss had a $2000 money order that he loaned to me to complete the payment. How and why he had it, I have no clue
However, my CU allowed me to cash it, even though according to "regulations", it should have sat for a couple of days so they could make sure the funds cleared.
With a bank, I would have expected a "Sorry... we have to follow the rules".
With my CU, it was evaluating the transaction, evaluating me, and bending.
I don't believe I'd get the same "bend" with a bank unless I had a substantial (as in well more than $100,000) amount of assets with them. And "assets" would be cash and perhaps mortgages, I'm thinking... credit cards are not noteworthy enough for them to considering bending the rules.
Bending the *customer*, in a different way... well, that's what the OP is about, isn't it?
