Minnesota credit union membership grew by nearly 16,000 – agrowth rate of almost 1% – during the third quarter of 2013,reaching an all-time high of 1.6 million, or close to 30% of thestate's population, according to the Minnesota Credit Union Network.

“These results show that we have been successful and thatconsumers are choosing credit unions more and more as their trustedfinancial partner,” said Mark D. Cummins, president/CEO of theMnCUN in St. Paul.

Consumer sentiment, along with the advent of November 2011 BankTransfer Day – a social media campaign which called uponindividuals to move their money from big, national banks to locallyowned credit unions – provided an opportunity for credit unions togain recognition as mainstream, full-service financialinstitutions.

“Minnesota consumers and businesses continue to choose creditunions as their primary financial institution – much as they chooseother local, community-focused businesses,” Cummins said. “Bymaking the switch, consumers are demonstrating their trust forcredit unions rather than banks and selecting a financialinstitution that is aligned with their values.”