Thanks for all the input, def will be checking these CUs out.

The Co-op network has no-fee ATMs all over the country.

It is also possible to make deposits and other transactions at credit union offices in the network. I belong to a CU in NYC that is affiliated with a place I used to work. Their offices aren't so convenient for me anymore, but I can deposit checks at one of the credit unions in the Journal Square station.

Here's some more info:

http://www.co-opsharedbranch.org/

Generally credit unions will not have too many of their own ATMS, but there is a good chance that they will belong to a network. LSFCU belongs to the Co-op network which I believe is run by Actors Federal Credit Union, and there are ATMs all over the place where you don't have to pay a fee. There is a McDonalds across the street from my office in NYC that has one, and one of the bodegas on Newark Avenue has one.

Many credit union have far far less fees for services, however they have less ATM's, so you might enquire if they are affiliated with a bank to use their ATM's for free.
Many credit unions will shop around annually to get the best deals from Banks they might affiliate with for services such as free ATM usage.

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Ha! I didn't want to get too technical by also going into exempt vs. non-exempt but you are on it! It's actually still true, though, that nonprofit is the broader category. Organizations first establish themselves as nonprofits, and then apply for federal (and state, if applicable) tax-exempt status, the best-known of which is 501(c)(3) charitable organization. So all exempt orgs are nonprofits, but not all nonprofits are exempt.

And, yes, you're completely right that the federal tax-exempt status of credit unions remains a bone of contention, especially when they compete with for-profit banks. It'll be interesting to see what happens to credit unions long term - I'd argue that they still serve a useful public function of providing access to banking and credit to lower income populations (not that everyone who uses a credit union is low income, just that they're more available to low income populations than for-profit banks are by virtue of defining the criteria around membership based on something other than income). But I don't know if Congress and the banking lobby agree with me... (And, historically, other kinds of financial institutions have had their tax-exempt status yanked. The kind of building and loan that George Bailey runs in It's a Wonderful Life used to be tax exempt and then Congress decided that they weren't really providing a public service, just doing the same things for-profit banks do, so they wrote them out of the tax code.)

To get more technical, a charity is just one form of "exempt organization." Organizations with specified purposes in the code are exempt. This includes charitable organizations, social welfare organizations, chambers of commerce, labor organizations, and the National Football League, among others. Credit unions are specifically exempt though it depends how they are organized under state law (this is a touchy subject for the bank lobby, who believes that many credit unions, particularly large ones, are taking advantage of a tax exemption to undercut their products).

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I'm not trying to be a snark, but the way that many people mistakenly use nonprofit and charity interchangeably is one of my pet peeves (I work and teach in the field).

Nonprofit is a broad category that includes any organization that is treated differently in the tax code. What nonprofits have in common is that they are generally prohibited from distributing profits to investors (note that this is different from being prohibited from earning profits, another point of confusion). So it's like squares and rectangles - all 501(c)(3) charities are nonprofits, but not all nonprofits are charities. (Note that if you're trying to make a charitable donation, you should make sure the organization is a 501(c)(3) and not a 501(c)anyother#.)

Cooperative ownership is separate from (but very compatible with) nonprofit status. It's what allows credit unions to distribute dividends - their member/owners = their customers by definition, so they're rewarding their customers whenever they reward their member/owners. (As opposed to a for-profit bank in which being a customer does not = being an owner (stockholder). So when a for-profit bank distributes dividends to investors, that's not a reward for their customers, although it's of course possible for customers to buy stock in their bank.)

A credit union is more accurately a cooperative, as opposed to a non-profit in the sense most people think of.

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There's no substantive or legal difference between the terms "nonprofit" and "not-for-profit". (The IRS says not-for-profit applies to activities, while nonprofit applies to organizations, but that's really semantics.) Charitable organizations are categorized as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, while credit unions are categorized as 501(c)(1) nonprofits (I believe) - but they're both nonprofit organizations.

You're right to point out that nonprofit status is a key difference between credit unions and for-profit banks. Credit unions - like all nonprofits - aren't allowed to pay out any excess of revenues over expenses (profits) to share or stockholders. The surplus must be reinvested in the organization.

So, if a for-profit bank charges its customers more than it needs to and makes a profit, its stockholders benefit and there's little incentive to ease the burden on customers. If the nonprofit credit union makes a profit, it has to put that money back into the business, which is collectively owned by its customers (members), who then benefit from the lower interest rates, fees, etc. that running a surplus allows. The incentives are much more on the customer's side with a credit union than a traditional bank.

To be a member of a credit union you have to share some community of interest with other members. Traditionally these were members of a union, employees of an employer, members of a church. But it has expanded in recent years. LSFCU is open to anyone who "lives, works, attends school, or worships" in Hudson County, so it is pretty broad.

Credit unions tend to have better rates (if only slightly) and costs for things like mortgage closings are cheaper.

Just to clarify: Banks are for profit, and credit unions are not for profit (not to be confused with non-profit/charitable institutions). You'll find credit unions to be more community oriented and do not answer to a board of directors (whom are investors and demand profits). Typically they're open to state/city and municipal employees and usually have a highler level of customer satisfaction. If you're up to date on much of the crimial activity most of the big banks are still up to since 2008 (evident by the record fines they're agreeing to pay), you'll probably want to get far away from them and see if a credit union can serve you better. I for one do not want to contribute to their criminal activities by remaining a big bank customer. I live in NJ but am a NYC employee so I am investigating this also. I'll check out Liberty.

I just switched to Liberty Savings Federal Credit Union. I'm happy with their service so far.

http://www.lsfcu.org/

I'm considering switching from Chase bank to a credit union. Does anyone have one they recommend in JC? Preferably one that still offers mobile banking and remote deposit.