Eastman Credit Union is a full-service financial institution, but that's not what makes it unique. What makes ECU different is that it serves MEMBERS, not customers. ECU is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative. For-profit financial institutions distribute earnings among their stockholders, not their customers. However, any profit earned by ECU is distributed to members through lower loan rates and higher deposit rates, or added to reserves to make the credit union stronger and more secure. The cooperative structure of ECU ensures that you have a voice in how the organization is operated. At the annual membership meeting, each member has one vote, regardless of the number of shares on deposit.