Goldilocks I ain't, but I sympathize with her plight. I've beensampling from several bowls of porridge, so to speak, looking forthe one that suits me “just right.” The financial institution, thatis. I can't say I've found it yet.

The regional bank I once considered my primary financialinstitution offers the supreme convenience of a branch and ATMright around the corner from my office, but, as I explained in myNovember column, I've decided I want to put my money with aninstitution that was founded to serve me and my community.

That decision led me to what I'll call Credit Union “A.” Myapartment is an easy 15-minute drive from the nearest branch andabout a minute's walk from the nearest surcharge-free ATM, but thecredit card issuer used by the credit union does not come highlyrecommended, to put it mildly. That's a bummer for me because I,like many of my peers, would like to build a credit history, andthe credit union's young adult card seemed ideal for that before Ilearned its card program is owned by a bank.

Enter Credit Union “B.” It's on the dean's list atCreditCardConnection.org, a website that locates fair and ethicalcard programs, meaning its interest rates do not exceed 18%, itslate fees do not exceed $25, there are no balance transfer fees orannual fees, and there is no penalty pricing or increase in APR iflate. I've joined the credit union and was approved for the card,and I'm confident that it will be a valuable financial tool.

But unfortunately, the story doesn't end there. Unlike CreditUnion A, which offers free online bill pay, no strings attached,with most of its checking accounts, Credit Union B charges amonthly fee if the minimum required number of payments is notmade-for all of its checking accounts. That's a major turn-off fora Gen Yer like me for whom no-hassle online banking is a must.

So Prince Charming-PFI Charming?-remains elusive, if you'llpermit me to mix my fairy tales. Or, as it were, my financialservices, choosing porridge flavors ? la carte-free online bill payfrom Credit Union A, ethical credit card from Credit Union B anduseful financial guidance from the Internet.

When my credit card arrives in the mail, I will have a plan forusing it responsibly and to my best advantage, but not thanks toanything I read on my credit union's website. Instead, I owe a debtof gratitude to a personal finance website for an informativearticle that explained what a credit utilization rate is and whatpercentage I should shoot for to benefit my credit score.

By contrast, I've searched high and low on my credit union'swebsite, and although there is some information on managingexcessive credit card debt (a situation I'd obviously like to tryto avoid in the first place), the only concrete advice it offers onusing credit cards is to pay the balance in full by the due date. Agood suggestion, but it falls far short of the comprehensiverundown the article gave.

As it turns out, the article was written in response to aquestion from one of the website's commenters, leading me todaydream about how awesome it would be if my credit union didsomething similar instead of referring members to a collection ofabbreviated resources provided by a trade association. For example,it would be great if it maintained a blog where it addressedquestions about personal finance with in-depth posts. That way, allmembers could benefit from their fellow members' queries and thecredit union would improve its image as a financial expert andauthority–a place to find a balanced breakfast instead of justporridge.