Recent college grad finds that Maine credit unions offer more when entering the ‘real world’

After four long years of staying up drinking coffee and RedBull like it’s your job to finish those last minute term papers, a new group of college graduates are released from the safe confines of college campuses to the real world. Just when you thought life would get easier we are faced with the economic problems of the world today. From the struggle of finding a job, to having to move back in with your parents, money is a big issue. From where to get it, to how to save it; college graduates just know that they want it, now.

Looking back, I realize that college would have been a lot easier if I had used a credit union that had Shared Branching, allowing me to access more than 200 ATMs throughout the state, instead of my small local bank that was three hours away nine months of the year. But like many college students I didn’t even know there was a difference between a credit union and a bank. I hadn’t considered what would happen after graduation, or how I was going to manage my money; I was more concerned about passing my classes, hanging out with friends and being obsessed with checking Facebook every minute of the day.

Now that I am done with school, reality has set in. With the price of apartment rentals and car insurance weighing on my mind, I’m wondering how I will start to pay off my school loans in a few months, in addition to rent, food, and other daily expenses. This has helped me to appreciate the difference being a CU member makes. Credit Unions have lower fees and lower interest rates on loans than most banks; with loan types ranging from personal to credit card, this makes affording the things I need easier. Maine credit unions are owned and organized by its members, not shareholders making money off of my account.