Some choices matter. Where you bank is definitely one of them. And with so many different options to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which one will work best for you.

As you consider where to put your money to gather and grow, make sure you include credit unions in the short list.

Now, you may be wondering, am I allowed to join a credit union? Believe us, we hear it all the time: I can’t join a credit union because I’m not part of a union; I thought credit unions were exclusive clubs that only certain people can join; Why would I go to a credit union when I can just as easily go to a bank?

With so many myths about credit unions out there, we wanted to break it down for you to give you the right information.

So, when considering your financial options, here are 5 Reasons to take a closer look at a Credit Union:

We put you before profits.

At a time when banks are making record profits and customers are paying higher fees than ever, why not consider a financial institution that will help save you money? Credit unions’ profits have a higher purpose – to benefit the people they were built to serve. We cut costs where our members see the most impact and any money left over at the end of the year is returned to members in the form of dividends, and donated to communities in the form of donations, scholarships and other initiatives.

We know your name.

We care about our people. No, we really do. Credit unions are member-focused institutions by nature. We put our people first, so you can bank, borrow, insure and plan with expert advice from specialists who know you and understand you and your situation. We pride ourselves on building long-term relationships with our customers, and that begins and ends with making sure we put them first.

We take #supportlocal to the next level.

We like to think of ourselves as ahead of the curve when it comes to the current movement to ‘support local’. We believe in the power of local money to do good things for our community. By choosing a credit union, you are also helping to grow your local economy. When you do business with us, we can support a neighbour’s mortgage, give a loan to a business down the street, strengthen insurance for a nearby family’s future, offer bursaries sponsorships, community programming, and invest in many more local causes, events and programs. That’s local money for local good, and something you can feel proud of. #supportlocal

We love our millennials.

 Yes, we’ve read the articles that criticize millennials for getting their daily news fill from Twitter, their love of the Kardashians, and their lack of financial knowledge. And no, we don’t believe them. We actually think (read: know) that you are our future, and it’s important to support you to think big and to foster creativity in your lives. That’s why we’ve created programs like our Million Dollar Bursary, to give the next generation a chance to dream big.

It’s about all of us.

Too many places these days have an us vs. them mentality. But what if it was about all of us, working and dreaming together to make the world a better place? This is our mentality. Our customers are our members, our members are our owners, and our success begins and ends with you. It’s a team effort, and we proudly celebrate that.