TRENTON, N.J. – The state Department of Banking has released its third edition of the "Consumer Guide to Bank and Credit Union Fees," and the results show that credit unions once again compare favorably to bank in several categories. Among the findings, credit unions reported lower transaction fees for ATMs, stop payments, and other services, as well as requiring lower minimum account balances for no-fee checking accounts. In many cases, CUs reported they did not require any minimum balance be kept in an account for a member to be eligible for a no-fee checking account. The consumer guide is a valuable tool for promoting credit unions as it originates from an independent source, and it reflects extremely favorably on the credit unions in our state, said CUANJ President/CEO Russell Clark.