For many of today’s young adults, the weakest link lies in learning the basics. According to a 2014 survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Junior Achievement USA (2014 Teens and Personal Finance Survey), 40% of teens do not have a savings account, checking account, or debit or credit card, and 59% of teens do not have money management classes offered at their schools.
Achieving economic prosperity is difficult, and it’s especially hard for young people who’ve never learned how to manage money. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, our core values include member education and social responsibility. We care about the community where we live and work, and the people in it. We look forward to watching the next generation grow and make it even better.
What is Credit Union Strong?
Young people face a bewildering financial landscape in their immediate future—one where technology has made spending as easy as breathing and the cost of higher education continues to skyrocket. That’s why we believe it’s more important than ever to ensure our youth possess strong money management skills.
By instilling the habit of saving at a young age, offering positive encouragement, and providing financial education, we can prepare our community’s youngest members for brighter futures by helping them grow into financially capable adults. Credit union strong means having the money skills to embrace an awesome future, and leaving your community better than you found. That’s why we take our mission of helping kids so seriously.
Of course, we realize the biggest influence on anyone’s life is his or her parents. So if you want to start your kids on a path to financial strength, start here:
Join. Open a credit union savings account for each child in your family. As soon as your children can write, have them fill out deposit and withdrawal slips. Guide teenagers through using a debit card and tracking transactions.
Share. Include your children in household money discussions. Show them how you budget income and expenses. As their skills improve, give them challenges—such as finding a better cell phone plan, calculating the total monthly cost of owning a car, or sticking to a budget for back-to-school or holiday spending.
Coach. Remind your children to ask for help when they need it. And turn to your credit union when you want help. Our tradition of service and philosophy of self-help make credit unions a natural partner in pursuing financial security.
Bring your financial fitness buffs into the credit union and help them pump up their savings today. Don’t forget to enter our coloring contest to win some money to fund that new savings account!
