Kids Use Their Summer Break to Learn the Basics of Personal Finance From Topline Federal Credit Union

MAPLE GROVE, MN--(Marketwire - Jun 29, 2012) - TopLine Federal Credit Union recently held a special financial literacy session on the campus of North Hennepin Community College for junior high students grades 6-10 for North Hennepin Community College's Cornerstones Junior High Summer Program. The 3-week summer session provides low-income, minority and first-generation middle and high-school students year-round services to build skills and interest in language arts, social studies, science, math, and technology, to become familiar with the college environment and to prepare for their futures.

Although it was summer break, thirty area junior high schoolers and their North Hennepin Community College tutors attended the session, focused on teaching good money management habits. The seminar illustrated how to compare needs to wants; set financial goals; craft a budget; how to use a checking account and balance a checkbook, spend wisely; how to understand the difference between debit and credit cards; and ways to protect private information from identity theft. Each student also received a "Personal Money Management Guide," a reference book for the whole family outlining the various topics discussed in the session and to be used to continue the conversation at home.

"The financial literacy session was a great building block to encourage these young students to learn the basics about personal finance. TopLine used real-life examples, such as how to balance a checkbook, to show how important it is for students to learn about managing money early in their life, as good habits now will allow them future opportunities," says Namibia Little, Academic Transitions Advisor at North Hennepin Community College. "It was eye-opening for all of them, and the curriculum fits right in to our program's goal, to encourage holistic student development for academic, personal and social success."

"These students came ready to learn, I was asked so many thought-provoking questions," says Vicki Erickson, Assistant Vice President, TopLine Federal Credit Union. "We know it's never too early to start teaching kids about money, and that's why at TopLine we're focused on financial education starting at the elementary age as well as hosting more advanced sessions for teens and adults. It's important to encourage kids to develop financial savvy now so they'll be in the habit of practicing good money management habits throughout their lives."

TopLine offers financial literacy seminars for young people throughout the year at their Maple Grove Learning Center, and will visit interested schools or other groups to present age-appropriate lessons about personal money management. Please visit www.Toplinecu.com, call 763-391-0872 or email verickson@toplinecu.com to check for upcoming sessions or to arrange a special session at your location.

TopLine Federal Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota's 13^th largest, with assets of more than $320 million. Established in 1935, TopLine offers a complete line of financial services 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.