1. In a credit union, you are the owner, along with all of the other shareholders. Once you make a deposit and open an account, you have all the rights and privileges of any other shareholder, regardless of the amount in your account. Five dollars or $5 million, it doesn't matter.
2. In a CU, the shareholders elect the Board of Directors in a one-for-one arrangement. Every member gets only one vote. Again, the amount of money you hold in your account does not entitle you to extra votes or other privileges. Very different from a bank...
3. In a CU, the Board of Directors sets the interest rate. People that you elected and that you can go in to see at the CU are the ones setting the rates of your loan and on your dividend. I know my CU's BoD pretty well, and they know me. I've been at my current CU since 1989. Opened accounts, bought several vehicles, a couple homes, have taken out a HELOC loan, have credit and debit cards, etc.
4. Credit unions in the USA are not-for-profit (not the same as non-profit). They aren't for-profit like banks are. That means that a CU must still turn a small profit, but that surplus is then immediately returned to the shareholders (you) in the form of dividends, lower interest loans, higher interest on savings, free checking, no minimum balances in your accounts, free bill-paying, etc. At a bank, you are charged for many of these services that are free at a CU. At the bank, the profits go into the pockets of its directors...
5. Your deposits are insured up to $250,000 through the NCUSIF, which is backed by "the full faith and credit of the US governement" through the NCUA. This is a mechanism for CU deposit insurance roughly equivalent to the FDIC that insures deposits at banks. Both the NCUSIF/NCUA and the FDIC have the same upper limit of deposit insurance ($250,000).
Why any Average Joe in America would put their rainy day account/savings and daily operating cash in any financial institution other than a CU is beyond my level of comprehension. Of course, if you've got more than $250,000 lying around, then a CU is not the place for your scratch, and you ain't an Average Joe. But that ain't me, Brotha...
bstach-
In Canada, it's a bit different. Your CUs are for-profit, so I imagine that it's not much different than having your money in a bank there. YMMV, since I'm not Canadian. Mebbe you should look into CUs in your neck o' the woods a little bit, eh?