Tangential to the "Credit Union" Question by Michael E. Marotta mercury@well.sf.ca.us Most of this "Bank of the Internet" stuff blew past me, but I was stopped short by Perry Metzger's assertion that credit unions are not innovative. Here in Michigan, we have World Computer Corporation, a Data General VAR. They serve the largest and smallest credit unions. I have written about them twice for FOCUS, a DG user magazine. The first time, I spent 30 hours onsite with customer service. In fact, our household does most of our financials through a credit union, having been members of one since 1985. In truth credit unions are light years ahead of banks in innovation. For instance, we have long enjoyed voice-response and touchtone dial-in account services. I never use my statement. I dial in and reconcile. Banks are only now coming online. Banks are IBM mainframe environments. Credit Unions go with DG, NCR, Digital, anyone who can give them an edge. Banks argue about "outsourcing." CUs have been doing this all along. Most CUs don't even have data processing departments any more than they plow their own drive ways. You contract services that are not in your line of business. Credit Unions borrow and lend money. Data processing can be done inhouse and often is, but no one's brass plate gets polished as a result. CUs are small. They don't have (other people's) money to throw around. Credit Unions are member-owned. They can't by law lend money they don't have. They must by law have a defined (sometimes CLOSELY defined) market which restricts them. As a result of all of this, they look to _technology_ for wins. All the nay-saying here has come from the pudknockers while those who do, did. Good luck. You deserve it.