Credit unions know that in order to convince young adults to attend an educational event, an incentive must be involved. In CAP COM Federal Credit Union's case, comedy and prizes are what recently brought a large group of 15- to 25-year-olds through the door. 

The $972 million, Albany, N.Y.-based credit union held a Jan. 8 money management workshop, "Dollars and Sense," which, in addition to featuring an appearance from comedian/financial blogger Colin Ryan and up-for-grabs loot including an iPad mini, allowed CAP COM FCU to cross-sell its products and services, the credit union said. 

CAP COM FCU invited Ryan to liven up the event after watching him perform at last summer's Credit Union Association of New York Conference, said Ryan Chenot, a certified financial planning specialist for CAP COM FCU's College Bound Program. The event opened with a presentation from Chenot and another CAP COM FCU employee on basic budgeting skills and how the credit union's services, such as mobile banking and remote-deposit capture, can help members manage their finances. They also touched on how members can protect themselves from cyber crime, he said.