Give 'Em Credit They're not just for car loans and home mortgages. Now credit unions are making business loans.

Curcio Printing Inc., a commercial printer in Vestal, New York, was planning a major purchase three years ago when a credit union paid an unexpected visit. The timing couldn't have been better: The family business needed $1 million to buy a new printer but was loath to borrow from its bankers, who, the Curcios felt, had lost touch with the growing company.

"We had heard about [new] laws that you didn't have to be a member of a certain organization to be a member of a credit union," says Gina Curcio, whose parents, Frank and Nancy, founded the $2.5 million company in 1984. "And we knew that credit unions could offer better rates." The family decided to borrow from Visions Federal Credit Union in nearby Endicott, New York. "Not only did we get the best rate, we got service, like banking used to be," says Gina Curcio, 34.

The Curcios were braced for a long process when they applied for the loan, their largest to date. As it turns out, the family acquired not only cheaper funds, but also a lender able to dispense credit quickly. More important, Visions was interested in the business, an element missing from previous credit relationships.