Cathie Mahon

The CEO who’s leveling the playing field between credit unions and big banks.

- Arianne Cohen

For millions of working Americans, the 6,000-plus credit unions across the nation can serve as a paycheck-to-paycheck life preserver. Credit union tellers can refer customers with low balances to in-house financial literacy counselors, and their loan desks frequently offer the best rates, and lowest fees, in the country. A third of these institutions—almost 2,200—cater to low-income customers as standalone businesses or small chains.