As everyone is aware who knows me through my 25 years in the credit union movement–and during my tenure as chairman of the Credit Union National Association–I say what I mean. I strongly believe that credit unions play a unique role in the financial services market and that our way of doing business–our philosophy, our goals–benefit all consumers, members and nonmembers alike. We lead, others follow, sometimes reluctantly.

One of the most important areas that calls out for credit union leadership is the field of financial education for all Americans. We are at the forefront now, as evidenced by CUNA's recent financial literacy summit bringing together key players to share their expertise in this area. We want to stay there.

Financial education promotes financial independence. I say it in our report on our summit, I say it to groups of credit unions–I can't say this simple and meaningful sentence often enough or to enough people. What more can we want for our members than this? Young, old, rich, poor, highly educated or not, and everyone in between. Each person deserves to have the tools at hand that can provide financial independence.