Most credit unions take financial literacy very seriously, so they offer free workshops and financial counseling.
"Everyone should have a budgeting tool," Legg says. "And credit unions do assessments, including full financial ones."
For example, Landmark Credit Union in New Berlin, Wis., holds seminars on budgeting and homebuying. It also has a seminar for people who are having trouble getting a checking account at a bank. If they take a six-hour seminar, they get a second chance at holding a checking account.
"We've always looked out for the little guy," says Patricia Ransom, a vice president at Landmark. "People don't get financial education in schools."
And The Golden 1 Credit Union in Sacramento, Calif., with more than 600,000 members, offers 15 online seminars covering everything from asset allocation to Roth IRA conversions. They also offer advice on what to do if you lose a job and how to recognize elder financial abuse.