Area Educators Learn Financial Smarts From TopLine

MAPLE GROVE, MN--(Marketwired - Sep 4, 2013) - TopLine Federal Credit Union recently joined forces with the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) at its sixth annual Conference on Teaching Economics & Personal Finance: K-12 on Aug. 13 and 14 on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus.

Approximately 200 economics and personal finance teachers, university faculty members and representatives from related organizations attended this year's conference to discuss economic literacy within high school classrooms.

TopLine Federal Credit Union's assistant vice president of marketing, Vicki Roscoe Erickson, was among the presenters, leading a session entitled, "The Real World of Personal Money Management." The interactive presentation addressed key financial literacy topics, including the difference between a credit union and a bank, the types of accounts teens should open and the questions they should ask their financial institution, as well as understanding credit scores and building savings.

"The Minnesota Council on Economic Education's conference was an excellent opportunity for TopLine to share with teachers financial advice and strategies -- so that they may bring that knowledge back to the classroom," says Vicki Erickson, assistant vice president, TopLine Federal Credit Union. "We're committed to teaching youth about saving, budgeting and managing credit wisely, and by connecting with educators at the MCEE conference, we're enabling them to become financial advocates too."

As a financial cooperative TopLine offers regular youth financial literacy programs and most recently conducted a seminar on budgeting and saving at the first annual MCEE Personal Finance Summer Institute for College Readiness in June. The program introduced high school students to important financial and college readiness topics, including saving, budgeting, credit and paying for college

The mission of the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) is to provide Minnesotans with the economic and personal financial understanding they need to function effectively in a complex, global environment. For more, visit mcee.umn.edu.

TopLine Federal Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota's 13^th largest, with assets of more than $340 million. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit cooperative offers a complete line of financial services, as well as auto and home insurance, from its five locations -- in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth and in St. Paul's Como Park -- as well as by phone and online at www.TopLinecu.com. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington Counties and their immediate family members.