While there is no hard data on the number of persons attending credit union-sponsored investment education workshops, women are becoming a powerful group to woo.

Ninety percent of women will be solely responsible for their financial success at some point in their lives, according to Gateway Services Group LLC, a Denver-based CUSO that provides management and advisory expertise for member investment, trust and insurance programs. Women also make more than 85% of consumer purchases in the U.S.

Having a target audience like women for client workshops may help build relationships because topics can be geared to their specific needs in areas such as taxes, retirement, family matters and the economy, GSG said. The CUSO said credit unions should spend a few days thinking about why a client would want to attend a workshop on a specific topic. Unless the content is tailored to that audience, attendance may be paltry. However, small groups can still generate strong follow-ups if the audience is a targeted group and the content is tailored.