Sponsored by Hawaii State FCU
Financial education is one of the cornerstones to good financial health. Understanding your finances not only helps you manage your money better, it allows you to make smarter life decisions to put you on a path to a better financial future.
Hawaii State FCU has always made it a priority to make financial literacy accessible to its members and the community by providing free seminars, online education and resources teaching everything from budget basics to planning for retirement. And with all of the challenges everyone has faced this past year, the credit union understands the value of financial literacy and the importance of investing in this type of education more now than ever before.
“Financial education really sets the groundwork for a good understanding of your finances and how they work,” says Kathy Morris, a financial educator at Hawaii State FCU. “We’re talking things like creating a monthly budget, paying down debt, or understanding your credit score. Just basic financial skills that will allow you to manage your money better.”
Morris says dealing with money can seem intimidating.
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“If you’re someone who is uncomfortable with finances or wants to improve your financial knowledge, you’re definitely not alone,” she adds. “That’s where I come in. My role as financial educator is to provide resources that help you build financial literacy skills, so that money management doesn’t seem so scary.”
A solid education leads to better financial decisions, which will set you on a path to better financial success in the future. Hawaii State FCU is fully committed to providing its members and the community with as many financial literacy resources as possible.
Hawaii State FCU offers a wealth of resources on online at hawaiistatefcu.com. Its Financial Health section offers self-guided online courses on a number of financial topics as well as free calculators to help calculate loan payments or budget for expenses. There’s even a blog with helpful tips on managing money and the popular Bites on a Budget recipes for those looking for quick, inexpensive meal ideas.
Financial education isn’t only for adults, as kids really benefit from learning about the importance of managing money at an early age. Hawaii State FCU has invested a lot into providing local students with educational opportunities.
“In the past, we’ve visited classrooms and provided lessons and resources to teach kids the importance of saving, budgeting, and important financial skills that they will use throughout their lives,” Morris says. “But it’s more than just financial literacy – we also provide local students with opportunities to pursue a higher education.”
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Hawaii State FCU’s Lowell Kalapa Scholarship program is open to members and their dependents and awards a total of $100,000 in scholarship money to 20 deserving students. Over the years, the credit union has given away nearly $800,000 in scholarships to local students so they could pursue their career and academic dreams.
The 2021 Scholarship application is now open for qualifying students. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2021. To learn more about our Scholarship Program and how to apply, visit HawaiiStateFCU.com/scholarship.
“We’re always looking for new ways and opportunities to provide financial education and enrichment to our members. And we have a lot of existing resources that we encourage everyone to take advantage of,” Morris says.
To learn more about upcoming webinars, view online resources and more, visit HawaiiStateFCU.com.
For more information: HawaiiStateFCU.com, on Facebook or Instagram: @hawaiistatefcu, youtube.com/user/hawaiistatefcu