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A Surprising Revelation at WBW Gonzaga’s Credit University Presentation

File this one under ‘Not Quite What I Expected’.  Thanks to these credit unions, I was able to deliver a presentation on identity theft prevention, credit, and savings to 250 teens last week.  It was a great presentation that resulted in tons of audience questions, and a surprising revelation.

One of the FAQs that always comes from teens is when they should get their first credit card.  I explained that with the changes in the Credit Card Act, teens wouldn’t necessarily be able to obtain their own credit card when they turned 18 without meeting certain requirements.  The age of credit card...

Credit University Gets Real at Tahoma High School

It’s time to Get Real about the challenges of adulthood. That’s the message Administrators at Tahoma High School conveyed to their students last Friday.

With the Senior Boards dominating the entire week, Juniors at Tahoma wanted the chance to get an edge on their own futures, and in particular, their finances.

During the 50 minute long Credit University presentations, three audiences had the opportunity to learn about the dangers of identity theft, the path to earning and keeping good credit, and how the two of those in combination result in additional resources that can be saved at a local Credit Union.

As usual,...

Auburn Teen Knows How To Prevent Identity Theft

Credit union sponsored Credit University came to Auburn Mountainview High School this week, but one student already knew quite a a bit about identity theft and credit.

Melodi was really looking forward to her weekend.  Her friend had just gotten a new car, and they’d planned a ride into the city followed by a little exploration of downtown Seattle.  She had no idea she was about to be a victim of a crime.

Melodi knew she’d be walking around for a couple hours and decided to keep her purse safe, locked in the back of her friend’s car.  The hatchback had tinted...

Questions Asked at Credit University: Do I Have to Get a Credit Card?

Ms. Liranzo’s classes had a lot of questions last week when western WA credit union sponsored Credit University was presented at Mercer Island High School. 

After learning about their teen risk factors for identity theft, how to build a good credit rating, and how their savings is maximized when located at a credit union, they wanted to know more.

During the 90 minute workshop one question kept coming up:  Why, when all the adults in their lives are struggling with so much debt, would a teenager ever want a credit card?  And if one is required, when should a teen considering applying...

Save Without Compromising Your Assistance

Spokane Falls Community College student Christina asked an interesting question during a two-hour Investor Education in Your Community workshop on March 30th. 

“I receive funding from social programs that pay my tuition and support my kids.  My aid checks are based on what I have in my accounts.  How do I save for the future when it might reduce my aid”?

Christina has a great point.  While ideally we have to look at our dollars in terms of how they can support us today, tomorrow, and in the event of an emergency, there are times when saving is difficult for reasons other than the size...