The American public has been ripped off by big banks. Big banks have pillaged the middle class with fees and penalties, setting particularly inhumane traps for credit card users. They were enthusiastic participants in the real estate feeding frenzy and through outrageous bonuses and salaries, enriched themselves at our expense. Then, when the bubble burst and our economy hung in the balance, they convinced Washington that they were too big to fail and we taxpayers threw them billion-dollar lifelines. Now they're reluctant to loan those dollars to entrepreneurs or householders -- the only people who can lead us out of the Great Recession. Meanwhile, they continue to gouge customers to the extent that the law will allow.

Yet many of us still do business with big banks because, well, who else is there?

Turns out there are very real alternatives: local banks and credit unions. These institutions offer the same services and the same FDIC coverage, but they do business in local communities. Often, their services are better and less costly. They were not part of the problem, but they could be part of the cure. Whether they will be or not is entirely up to us as individuals.

To learn more about the Move Your Money movement, visit http://moveyourmoney.info.