The other day, as I was riding to the Treasury Department to outline credit union and CUNA financial education and literacy efforts before the meeting of the Treasury's Financial Literacy and Education Commission, I got to thinking about contrasts-particularly between credit unions and banks.

Here I was on my way to deliver some comments, at the invitation of then Secretary John Snow, about what credit unions are doing to ensure their members, and their children, understand the vital role that money and financial services play in their lives. I was invited, I was told, because credit unions have a reputation for taking on this role and performing it, quite well.

Here are two contrasts that occurred to me: Priorities: Credit unions have made financial education and literacy a priority. In fact, it is one of the reasons that CUNA was founded and remains central to our mission.