Financial education is always top of mind for credit unions during the month of April. National Credit Union Youth Month is in April, a time set aside to teach strong financial habits to kids. It is also National Financial Literacy Month. Financial literacy and financial well-being are such an important focus as they impact our lives in so many ways.
While we all build different levels of wealth in our lives, financial well-being is about managing your finances in a way to be able to fund emergency expenses and have more than enough to cover your basic needs. It’s also about reducing the stress related to your finances. Unfortunately, understanding money management and what affects your credit score, are still not taught to students in California. We have adults who never learned how to manage money. Many financial institutions, like your Credit Union, have extended resources in this area to try and help our Members and the community increase their financial knowledge. However, even collectively we do not have the resources to solve this issue.
You may be aware that the Californians for Financial Education recently garnered the 900,000 signatures needed to qualify an initiative for the November 2024 Statewide Ballot – requiring a personal financial education course for high school students. There have been many bills presented in California over the years to provide financial education but none have passed for various reasons. By making this a ballot initiative, all of us have an opportunity to cast a vote and possibly make a difference for our students in the future. Please consider it when it’s time to vote this fall.
Thanks for your support of the Credit Union for joining us in our focus on financial well-being!
Together ahead,
Sean Hardeman
President & CEO
