Even the most desired things one wishes to achieve in life sometimes take time to see through to the end. Most people are satisfied with the status quo or just don't want to go through the hassle of change, and I am no different. Just over a week ago however, I did something I've been wanting to do for years: Join a local Credit Union. This is something I've had on my mind for a long time now, but just didn't make the jump until one random Friday at the end of October, and I have to say that I feel fabulous for doing so. It may seem like a small feat for most people out there, but this was more than just opening an account in some financial institution. To me, this was one small protest against the banking elite of the world and the corrupt institutions they run.Before making this recent switch, my bank of choice was TD Financial, who I was actually very happy with for many years. Though they are like every other bank out there with similar products and services, their customer service was always rated as the best, which I can personally attest to any time I dealt with them. The moment I knew I had to get out though (in protest, in disgust, or whatever word you want to use) was when the TD corporation made the decision to close Iranian-Canadian bank accounts a couple months ago. I was so appalled by this politically motivated move that I knew it was time to get out right away. It took longer than I wanted to actually achieve, but that was indeed the final nail the coffin for my bank using ways, and definitely with TD. Now that I've finally transferred, I'll never look back, that much is certain.
For those who don't know, Nov 5th is Bank Transfer Day (or Move Your Money Out Day, depending on where you look for info). Last year's effort was a phenomenal success in the US and I'm sure in this country as well. While I don't really have numbers to share within Canada, I do know that, according to Huffington post, "In one year, credit unions gained 2.2 million members (June 2011 to June 2012) and topped $1 trillion in assets". That is pretty freakin' amazing! I'm not sure a similar thing can happen going forward, but it's definitely worthwhile to promote in effort to see a continued success in this movement. Those who see the world as I do, basically run by the corporate banking elite, know that any effort to cripple this world order is a definite bonus.
Beyond the protest however, there are many benefits to being a member of a Credit Union... strike that, being an owner of a credit union. Above all, the best thing about it is the cooperative nature of the union, the feeling that you are part of a collective of individuals who all share a common interest. Beyond the fact that the business is a local one by nature, Credit unions are non profit organizations owned by their customers, and how can you not love that?
I highly encourage anyone out there reading this to consider a local union, and move your money out of banks as soon as possible. You wont be disappointed!
