Youths Get a Smart Start With Money

MAPLE GROVE, MN--(Marketwire - October 14, 2009) - Kids and young adults can enjoy better lifelong financial health through early education of basic money management skills. TopLine Federal Credit Union, a Twin-Cities based community credit union long known for its commitment to financial education, is offering a series of youth financial literacy sessions this fall at a number of locations, including its learning center in Maple Grove. The free seminars underscore the importance of essential financial literacy and general money management skills for kids and young adults.

The sessions cover everything from learning how to balance needs and wants; building a budget; setting financial goals; building, maintaining and using credit wisely; to understanding a credit score and investing. The interactive sessions include thought-provoking questions and the use of real-life examples to show how actions today can have an impact on financial options in the future.

"These discussions are meant for young people and their families to build a foundation of financial understanding," says Harry Carter, TopLine Federal Credit Union president and CEO. "TopLine believes, and study after study confirms, that developing smart personal money management skills early on leads to better financial health throughout a person's life."

Attendees will also receive a complimentary personal money management guide to use as a continuing reference after the seminar. The guide includes understanding your money personality, a budget outline, basics about deposit and loan accounts, using credit wisely, how to read your credit report, how your credit score is calculated and more. This guide serves as a resource to help continue the financial literacy discussion beyond the seminar, and to carry forward learned skills to better manage money and credit.

TopLine is offering seminars for everyone from kindergartners to college students, including recent classes at Osseo Senior High School, North Hennepin Community College and at upcoming Park Center Senior High School and Minnesota State College Student Association Student Leadership Summit. For more information on October and November seminars open to the public, or if you'd like to invite a TopLine financial literacy instructor to present at your school or organization, visit www.TopLinecu.com or call 763-391-0872.

TopLine Federal Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota's 13th largest, with assets of more than $260 million. Established in 1935, TopLine offers a complete line of financial services from its headquarters in Maple Grove, and five branch offices located in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Edina, Maple Grove and Plymouth, 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.

Contact Information: CONTACT: Vicki Erickson Marketing Director TopLine Federal Credit Union verickson@toplinecu.com 763.391.0872