Minn. credit unions add 600 customers on 'Bank Transfer Day'

Minnesota credit unions added 600 customers and $1.3 million in deposits during this past Saturday's "Bank Transfer Day."

Bank critics were urging consumers to shift accounts from big banks to credit unions and small community banks.

Credit unions don't have to pay taxes and typically offer lower loan rates and higher interest on deposits than banks do.

Still, they're a small part of the financial services industry.

Minnesota Credit Union Network President Mark Cummins, the state's credit union trade group, said the backlash over debit card and other fees was enough to trump the hassle-factor of moving accounts.

"Even though people knew that there would be a financial benefit to them for making a change to a credit union, there still had to be some other trigger that made them move," Cummins said.

Nationwide, credit unions have added about 700,000 new members since the end of September. In Minnesota, they've gained about 11,000 customers.

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