Joining a credit union doesn't have to mean driving across town in a race to get to its lone location before closing time. These days, you can get your banking done when you pick up your morning coffee and even make transactions at other credit unions closer to you.

Members of credit unions that belong to the CU Service Centers network can access their accounts at branches of any participating credit union by presenting the name of their home credit union, their account number and a government-issued photo ID to the teller. The network also includes more than 2,000 self-service kiosks located in 7-Eleven stores.

"Through our credit union locator site, CULookup.com, they can find not only the physical branches, but also the shared branches that include the locations at 7-Eleven," says Patty Briotta, a NAFCU spokeswoman.