Financial success is always the goal of every person who works hard. And many workers and employees take proactive steps by forming their own financial cooperative. In the airline industry, the employees of American Airlines took this important step towards financial success. The American Airlines Federal Credit Union (AA Credit Union) began in 1936 with a handful of employees who are determined to achieve financial success by helping each other and managing their funds wisely. Several decades later, the small financial cooperative grew and expanded. It has branches across the country, including Puerto Rico and Hawaii. It now serves more than 210,000 members who have a reported net worth of about $415 million. The total assets are worth more than $4 billion. And any person who works for the Air Transportation Industry is eligible to become a member of the AA Credit Union. The specific instructions on becoming a member can be found at its website, https://www.aacreditunion.org. An employee of American Airlines may opt to get a savings account from an ordinary bank but the AA Credit Union is the wiser choice. Since credit unions are governed by its members, financial decisions are tipped towards the welfare of the members and not the owners of the bank. What does this mean? With a membership at the AA Credit Union, the air transportation industry employee will enjoy lower interest rates on real estate mortgages, car loans, college loans, and other financial services. Acquiring that dream home or finishing college becomes easier because there are no prohibitive high interest rates. This credit union is also independent of the American Airlines company. The funds that are deposited at the AA Credit Union are not affected by the economic state of the airline company. In fact, these funds are insured (up to $100,000) by the NCUSIF (National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund). This gives stability to the credit union. And this removes financial worries from the members of the credit union. At the same time, the directors, managers, and staff of the AA Credit Union are committed towards upholding the values of honesty and professionalism. So what makes the AA Credit Union different from banks and other credit unions in the airline industry? It provides its members the needed information and tools that will pave towards the ultimate goal: financial success. For example, when a member wants to purchase a car, he or she will be guided by an adviser or a coach who will guide him or her through the process. The AA Credit Union calls this financial program as "Guides to Independence". The same adviser can also be consulted even if the member simply wants to understand his or her current financial position. Another program, called the Googolplex, can help the children develop a sense of responsibility towards money. With the AA Credit Union Scholarship, this credit union encourages the members to prepare their children for a better and more financially secure future. The other services that AA Credit Union offers include credit counseling, foreign travel tips, and digital defense. The last one, digital defense, aims to protect members from identity theft.