Credit unions, unlike banks, are based on a cooperative or "co-op" model in which the members are also the owners.

This is the biggest difference between credit unions and banks. While a bank is a for-profit company that distributes profits among shareholders or individual owners, a credit union is a not-for-profit institution "owned" by its members. Therefore, you can think of credit union membership as buying a stake in an organization, rather than paying somebody else in exchange for services.

Family and household members of current Affinity Federal Credit Union members are eligible to join. Immediate family includes:

• Parents
• Grandparents
• Siblings
• Children (including adopted and stepchildren)
• Grandchildren