human
Could you please explain the difference between a bank and a credit union?
assistant
The primary difference between a bank and a credit union is that banks are typically owned by shareholders whereas a credit union is a financial cooperative that is owned by its members. Banks traditionally offer more products and services than credit unions, such as investment and brokerage services, but credit unions offer more favorable terms for loans and generally have higher interest rates on deposits. Additionally, banks are for-profit institutions and credit unions are not-for-profit. This means that credit unions return profits to members in the form of lower loan rates, higher interest on deposits, and lower fees.