LAFCU credit union helps high school juniors learn finances

More than 100 Perry High School juniors learned about finances required for independent adult living at LAFCU’s Financial Reality Fair, Nov. 13.

Students were tasked with creating a realistic budget for one month of living expenses at the 2.5-hour fair presented at the high school with help from nearly 20 LAFCU employees.

“LAFCU’s Financial Reality Fair provides learning that is an excellent supplement to our curriculum,” said Dave Myron, Perry High School principal. “Financial skills are fundamental to success as an adult. We are appreciative of the time and effort LAFCU has provided us to enhance those skills in our students.”

Students chose a career prior to the fair, then, based on their estimated salary and assigned credit score, they visited 13 stations staffed by LAFCU financial experts to select goods and services simulating one month of independent adult living. There were required selections, such as housing, food and saving for the future, and optional selections like cable and getting a part-time job to make ends meet.

After tallying their expenditures, students met individually with a LAFCU financial counselor at station #14 to explore ways to improve their financial decision-making.

The fair is an extension of the LAFCU-Perry Public Schools partnership founded in 2014 with the goal to help prepare the approximate 2,500 students to succeed financially. The credit union provides financial literacy programming for all grade levels and operates a portable branch at the district’s three buildings with assistance from students.

“It was rewarding to see many students staying within their budgets and focusing on their long-term financial success,” said Julianne Ackerson, LAFCU assistant vice president of branch operations. “The exercise provided numerous surprises, too, such as insurance, gas and maintenance expenses for car ownership and additional costs for premium cable packages.”

Ackerson manages the LAFCU Owosso and Corunna branches.

LAFCU employees staffing the fair also represented branches located in Eaton Rapids, DeWitt and South Lansing as well as LAFCU’s headquarters in west Lansing. Michigan Credit Union Foundation provided materials and training for the fair that are designed to have a lasting impact on the financial understanding of participating teens.

Fair coordinator Alyssa Sliger, LAFCU marketing and communications specialist, overheard a student exclaim, “I had no idea things cost so much.”

Sliger said, “I believe many students gained a new appreciation for what their parents provide and the decisions they have made with regard to finances. The fair provides a safe environment where students can learn from their mistakes to prepare to succeed financially in the real world.”

Chartered in 1936, LAFCU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative open for membership to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Michigan and to businesses and other entities located in Michigan. The credit union serves nearly 63,000 members and holds nearly $700 million in assets. LAFCU offers a comprehensive range of financial products and services as well as an expanding complement of financial technology solutions. Members enjoy benefits such as low fees, low interest rates on loans, high yields on savings, discounts, knowledgeable employees and nationwide access to fee-free ATMs and ITMs. A recipient of the national Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award for credit unions, LAFCU enriches the communities it serves by supporting many organizations and causes. To learn more about LAFCU, call 800.748.0228 or visit www.lafcu.com.

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Photo captions

1.jpeg — LAFCU’s Beth Gill, assistant vice president branch operations, helps students navigate housing options at the Financial Reality Fair at Perry High School. Students pictured are, from left, Caylen Jones, Carson Lowrey, Hannah Fischer and Veronica Lyon.

2.jpeg — Perry High School juniors work with LAFCU financial experts at 14 stations to create a budget for a month of independent adult living and receive advice on how to improve their financial decision-making.

3.jpeg — Perry High School juniors, from left, Molly Eckman and Jenna Lloyd check in with LAFCU’s Kellie Swiger, marketing specialist, to learn the financial surprises they are required to include in their one-month budget for independent adult living. Though they both received good news —Eckman “found $100 in a jacket” and Lloyd realized a $300 tax refund — some students were hit with additional expenses.

4.jpeg — LAFCU employees from branches in Owosso, Corunna, Eaton Rapids, DeWitt and South Lansing along with those from LAFCU headquarters helped Perry High School students learn the financial realities of independent adult living at LAFCU’s Financial Reality Fair. Pictured from left are Angie Ruzinsky, Brittany, Katie, Jim Thelen, Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, Steve Jorgensen, Kellie Swiger, Jordan McNeilly, Morgan, Chrystal Murphy, Faye, Polly Cornish, Emily Jannereth, Alyssa Sliger, Beth Gill and Julianne Ackerson. Not pictured is Brian Wixson.