Credit Unions, with a hundred year history, and Community Development
Credit Unions (CDCUs), with a 30–40 year history of serving the under-served, have
only recently begun to be recognized by some of the media and the progressive
community as “safe havens” and fair lenders. There is little independent, academic
research, however, that investigates and evaluates the ways that credit unions are
community-rooted and responsive to local needs, and/or their achievements in this
area. This paper reports on preliminary qualitative research this author has conducted
to help us understand how community development credit unions in Black communities
in the U.S. provide affordable financial services, and especially help their
clients/members to preserve assets. Major findings include: all CDCUs note that they
charge lower rates for their products, and provide higher interest or dividends when
possible; both which enable members/customers to save money and build assets.
CDCUs work closely with their members to personalize services, to help them avoid
loans they cannot afford, and to educate them enough to make sound financial