Credit unions want to be there for their members from birththrough retirement, and designing niche financial programsespecially for key points in life — childhood, teenage years, youngadulthood and retirement, for example — is an effective way tobuild an active, engaged group of members.

Here are eight examples of life stage-appropriate programscurrently in place at credit unions, all of which draw theirtargeted groups in with incentives, from treasure chest prizes toloan discounts to local merchant coupons. Then, feel free to tellus about your credit union's creative life stage-oriented offeringin the comments section below.

Dollar Dog Kids Club

Advertising cute cartooncharacters is usually a foolproof way to grab the attention ofchildren, and that's the idea behind the Dollar Dog Kids Club, asavings and financial literacy program that features a superherodog. A number of credit unions are snagging new members at an earlyage through the program, which was created by Pennsylvania-basedmarketing and business development company Marketing PartnersInc.

Parents and grandparents of children ages 12 and under can signtheir tots up for a Dollar Dog Kids Club savings account with aninitial deposit of at least $5. Kids can then look forward tocollecting prizes as they make more deposits, as well asparticipating in contests and events that teach basic financialliteracy concepts. Club membership also includes access to theonline “clubhouse,” where kids can play games as they learn aboutmoney.

Kirby Kangaroo Kids Club

This campaign's concepts are similar to the Dollar Dog KidsClub, but its mascot is a kangaroo named Kirby. Child members ofparticipating credit unions (ages 12 andunder) can make deposits into their very own savings accounts toearn “bucks” that are exchangeable for prizes, receive a membershipcard and newsletter, and attend kid-friendly activities andevents.

The KirbyKangaroo Kids Club, developed and maintained by the CreditUnion Association of New Mexico, also promotes investing early inlife, as some credit unions advertise a share account as one of theclub's offerings. On the club's website, kids can find jokes,printable coloring pages, and stories and games that aim to teachpersonal finance basics.

Not Your Mama's Account at Vantage CU

Created for the 18-to-25 set bythe $710.7 million Vantage Credit Union in Bridgeton, Mo., this free checkingproduct aims to attract Gen Y members with age-appropriatefeatures. The account encourages saving with Swipe2Save, whichallows account holders to choose an amount for an automatictransfer into their savings account with each debit transaction.They can also set a low balance threshold to discontinue transferswhen their account balances become too low.

The Not Your Mama's Account's online banking features includepersonal financial management tools, social media feeds, and localmerchant ads and coupons. The “Oops NSF Fee” rebate allows oneoverdraft fee rebate every six months, and the account also comeswith unlimited PIN-based POS fee rebates, granted the member isenrolled in e-statements and makes at least one electronic depositof $250 per month.

Other incentives for Not Your Mama's Account holders include “tweetMyMoney” mobilebanking access via Twitter, a savings of $200 on first mortgageclosing costs and a free gift with a qualified insurance quote.Vantage CU said it will soon introduce remote deposit captureservices to the account.

Teen Advantage Club at Genisys CU

Teenagers-only clubs abound at credit unions across the country.One of them is the Teen Advantage Club at the $1.4 billion Genisys Credit Union of Auburn Hills, Mich.,which is for members ages 13 to 17 and intends to educate this agegroup about money management.

Club membership includes an official card and certificate, entryinto quarterly drawings for prizes, a quarterly newslettercontaining information about personal finance and Genisys CU'sactivities and contests, monthly checking and quarterly sharesavings account statements, a direct deposit offering calledeAllowance, and access to a free, online money management tool andinformation-packed website.

Genisys CU uses the club to promote a number of otherteen-friendly offerings, including several savings products, aprivate student loan, a young adult Visa card and a first-time autoloan. The credit union also encourages teens to give back to theircommunities — on the Teen Advantage Club website, young members canlearn how to get involved with Genisys CU-sponsored communityevents.

Youth Products at Alta Vista CU

Some credit unions want to ensure they've covered all theirbases in the youth market by offering a suite of products gearedtoward specific age groups — either their own,unique creations or “canned” products made available through athird party. At the $141.5 million, Redlands, Calif.-based AltaVista Credit Union, for example, members ages 6 and under can jointhe Vista Savers Club, kids ages 7 to 13 can get into the M3 MoneyClub, and teens and young adults ages 14 to 21 can open NextGeneration accounts.

The youngest of the bunch can open their first savings accountswith an initial deposit of $25. Members of the M3 Money Club arealso welcome to open a savings account, plus receive a membershipcard and quarterly newsletter, learn about personal finance on aninteractive website, and participate in events and contests.

The Next Generation account comes with its own website filledwith articles on topics such as starting a business, getting apart-time job and buying a first car. The young adult package alsoincludes access to savings accounts and educational workshops, andmembers ages 16 and older are eligible for a checking account,debit card, first-time Visa card and auto loan.

First-Time Home Buyer Programs at PenFed CU, SECU andColumbia Community CU

Helping members realize the dreamof homeownership is one way credit unions live up to theircooperative philosophies. Many have developed programs exclusivelyfor first-time home buyers, and in an economy that remainssluggish, members are taking full advantage of them.

The $15 billion Pentagon Federal Credit Union of Alexandria, Va.'s PenFedFoundation offers the Dream Makers Program, a down payment grantfor members of the military. To qualify, borrowers must also have agross annual income of $55,000 or less or make 80% or less of theirarea's median income.

Another large credit union, the $25 billion State Employees' Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C., has afirst-time home buyers' mortgage for members who have not owned ahome in the past three years, new employees of a North Carolinastate agency or public school system, and existing employees whoare relocating to accept a new job with the state, the credit unionsaid. Participants may receive financing for up to 100% of theirhome's purchase price and a $1,000 advance to help with closingcosts.

The $872 million Columbia Community Credit Union in Vancouver,Wash. demonstrates a third example of a first-time home buyerprogram. It offers a Fannie Mae-sponsored program for novice homebuyers who have little saved for a down payment, as well asFHA-insured loans and counseling programs.

Newlywed Club at Box Elder County CU

First comes love, then comes … acredit union program just for newlyweds. At the $86.9 million,Brigham City, Utah-based Box Elder County Credit Union,about-to-be-hitched couples can sign up for the Newlywed Club,which includes a wedding registry and coupon service.

As part of the Newlywed Club wedding registry service, thecredit union advertises members' registries on its website and in alocal newspaper free of charge, allows couples' friends and familymembers to send cash gifts and stores the names of gift-givers fornewlyweds to view at a later time.

Participating couples can even have their names, photos andwedding dates posted to the Box Elder County CU website.

Senior Program at Service CU

While senior citizens are an unlikely group for credit unions totarget in their marketing efforts, a product designed especiallyfor this age bracket is well-deserved. Oneexample is at the $2.2 billion, Portsmouth, N.H.-based Service Credit Union, where members ages 62 and older canbenefit from the credit union's Senior Program.

Senior Program participants are not required to meet a minimumaccount balance or annual income, but they must maintain a directdeposit of their income into a credit union account, includingtheir Social Security and retirement payments. Benefits of theprogram include advance direct deposit payments, access tohigh-yielding savings accounts and share certificates, and a 0.5%discount on consumer loans and credit cards.

Participants are also entitled to no-fee checking, as well asonline banking, online bill pay, e-statement, mobile banking andremote deposit capture services.