TAPCO Credit Union featured in Season 3 of Opportunity Knocks, the Financial Reality Show

Posted by member on June 5, 2026

TAPCO Credit Union is featured for its work supporting Ashley Coté (right).

TAPCO Credit Union is featured in Season 3 of Opportunity Knocks, returning June 1 on PBS WORLD, arriving at a time when financial stress is reshaping daily life for families across the country. With a special focus on single moms, the new season follows families navigating debt, housing insecurity, predatory lending, medical bills, income instability and the shame that too often surrounds financial hardship.

Unlike traditional financial education campaigns, Opportunity Knocks connects storytelling to action. The series pairs families with nationally recognized Opportunity Coaches Jean Chatzky, Patrice Washington, and Louis Barajas while also connecting them with nonprofits, CDFIs, not-for-profit credit unions, and community partners that provide practical support.

TAPCO Credit Union is featured for its work supporting Ashley Coté, a Seattle-area single mom working three jobs while raising two sons, including one with autism. Through a consolidation loan, TAPCO helped Ashley address high-interest debt, including a predatory loan at 178% and high-interest credit cards, helping simplify her payments, reduce monthly financial pressure and create more breathing room for her family.

“Being featured in Season 3 of Opportunity Knocks reflects the work TAPCO Credit Union is committed to every day: meeting people with dignity, listening first, and helping individuals and families take practical next steps toward financial well-being,” said Richard Stirgus, VP of Community Relations, TAPCO Credit Union. “Ashley’s story shows how trusted support can help create more breathing room, reduce financial pressure, and remind people that they do not have to navigate these challenges alone.”

The model is designed to make the transformation viewers see on screen replicable at home. Viewers can use The Opportunity Finder to connect with 17,000 nonprofits and The Opportunity Coach to access personalized life and financial plans.

According to The Opportunity Initiative’s grant reporting, sustained impacts over five years for families featured in the series since Season 1 show an average credit score increase of +88 points, 55% debt reduction, and average household income increases of $17,946.

Season 3 also reinforces a broader shift in unscripted television. In 2024, Opportunity Knocks was named “Best Feel-Good Show” by the Academy of Reality Television, beating The Voice, Shark Tank, and American Ninja Warrior and underscoring the growing appetite for reality television built around dignity, progress, and measurable change.

Season 3 of Opportunity Knocks is presented by Zip Co. Additional funding is provided by Visa, the Wells Fargo Foundation, GreenPath, and the National Council for Financial Opportunities. The series is distributed nationally by American Public Television and presenting station WXXI Public Media.

Viewers can watch Opportunity Knocks Season 3 on PBS WORLD and local PBS stations, and stream on PBS Passport, PBS.org, YouTube and OpportunityKnocks.net.

Posted in Financial Education, Regional Member News, Washington.