The sooner the better

I’ve been a member of Capital Credit Union for three years now and only wish I joined sooner.

My family and friends have been members for years and after doing some research, I figured joining would be a good idea.

Initially, I joined a credit union to start saving, but didn’t anticipate the additional benefits membership would bring.

Being self-employed, it can be quite difficult to get a mortgage, so opening a savings account with the credit union seemed like the right thing to do for the future.

It’s in no way linked to my bank account so I often forget I have the savings and there is no temptation to switch the occasional sum of money via online banking, which I think has become almost too accessible when it comes to savings products.

As my Grandad would say: “it’s my rainy-day fund”.

Through building strong relationships with staff, I’ve recently used the credit union for a loan.

What I particularly like is the fact that you must save alongside your loan repayments, it’s very ethical and I believe a good way to encourage saving and financial awareness.

I like the way they promote their products but staff don’t encourage people to go over their financial limit.

The most important thing for me is customer service.

At the credit union their customer service goes beyond levels of expectation, especially compared to high street banks.

You feel like they genuinely have your best interests at heart and staff are keen to teach you how to manage your savings.

The personalised service is a real bonus to using the credit union.

Joining a credit union has provided my family and I with a real sense of community and I wanted to give something back.

Because of the strong bond I’ve made with staff, I’ve taken on some voluntary work for Capital Credit Union to help explain how they helped me and share my experiences with a wider reach of people within my local community.

I think joining a credit union is the best financial decision I’ve ever made; the rates are very competitive and I would advise anyone considering membership to join.

I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad experience.

The process has always been very simple and easy, the way it should be.