March 2023 by Louis M.
I've been disgusted with every bank in town and most of the CUs. Luckily, I have an account with Ally bank, but that is all done remotely.It's nice to have a bank account, locally, where I can make cash deposits and get coins and even have real human interaction. They don't judge your appearance here and your value as a human being. And they are honest. And they don't put on an act or expect you to put on an act.When you visit, the tellers treat you the same as the account specialist. They don't look at their computer, when you come in and wonder if you are buying enough credit products and assess wether it is a waste of their time for them to be nice to you!I highly recommend Northern Valley CU. And usually I don't recommend anything in town, except Papa Murphy's. Also, they are the only small CU with an open charter. There are probably some other good CUs, in town, with very specific charters, like only hospital employees or only employees of the air force. An open charter means they let anyone in who lives in town join.There are a couple downsides. The branch is in the middle of nowhere and their online banking is from the 80s, but the safety and peace of mind of being able to actually trust them is so rare and valuable, that you can work around some things.If you are going to open an account here, make sure to bring your social security card. They don't go out of their way to remind you. I guess they feel their members are independent, so they don't want to hold your hand or order you around.
