Brendan Galvin was awarded the $3,000 grand prize during a special ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2018, honoring the winners and participants of the fifth annual ConneXfactor financial fitness competition. Sponsored by Connex Credit Union through its ConnexCares philanthropic program, ConneXfactor challenged five individuals to spend six months competing to see who could improve their financial situation the most.
“We pride ourselves on being more than just a Credit Union,” said Frank Mancini, president and chief executive officer, Connex Credit Union. “The ConneXfactor competition has allowed Connex to utilize and share valuable resources, in conjunction with the expertise of our financial advocates to help our members take control of their financial futures.”
Each participant was paired with a Connex Financial Advocate who acted as a coach, providing them with tips and guidance. A panel of judges reviewed each contestant’s total progress to determine the winners – which were as follows:
$3,000 Grand Prize Winner Brendan Galvin
Working three jobs, Brendan Galvin was dedicated to freeing himself from debt and building the confidence that he did have the ability to save.
Galvin worked closely with his coach, Connex Financial Advocate Tameeka Lockwood, to reduce his debt and save.
“This competition is incredible, the whole thing has been extremely educational, much more than I ever thought it could be,” said Galvin.
Galvin embraced an entirely new financial way of life which in turn helped him set up a substantial emergency fund, start saving for retirement, and pay down his credit card debt, beating his goals by 126 percent.“I can actually think about more serious investments like homeowning and having a family someday so that confidence is priceless,” said Galvin.
$1,000 First Place Winner Alyssa Wollman
Alyssa Wollman joined the ConneXfactor competition as she incurred a significant amount of credit card debt and had very little savings. Her goals were to pay down credit card debt, her auto loan, and student loans while saving in an emergency fund during the competition.
“During the competition we really got creative in the way that we could save, which in day-to-day life you don’t really think of,” said Wollman. “But with this competition it was nice to have a coach to really help point those things out,” said Wollman.
Per suggestions from her coach Hannah Dewey, Wollman was able to make incredible strides in each of these goals including paying off her auto loan and paying down her credit card debt significantly, while saving nearly $2,000 for emergencies.
“The fact that I could tell myself I can do it, and put a plan together, set goals and Connex helped me with those goals was really something that I just believed in myself that I could do it and got it done,” added Wollman.
$500 Second Place Winner Allen Guzman
Allen Guzman joined ConneXfactor as he entered his final year of his college education, which he currently pays out of pocket for.
Looking to control his finances and save, Guzman joined the competition in hopes to own a home one day, pay down his motorcycle loan, and to create an emergency savings fund.
Guzman, with the help from his Connex Financial Advocate Mike Nowicky, talked about three different items he wanted to work on.
“The contest in the beginning was great, honestly it was phenomenal. I was going to skyrocket these goals and swing them out of the park,” said Guzman.
Guzman was able to pay down his motorcycle loan, save over $750 for emergencies and increase the amount he was already saving each month toward the purchase of his first home.
“ConneXfactor is the embodiment of our commitment to customer advocacy and it was inspiring to witness the commitment these individuals made to completely restructuring their financial lives,” said Carl Casper, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Connex Credit Union.
Due to the success of the program, Connex will host a sixth season of ConneXfactor in 2019. Anyone looking to take control of their financial lives is encouraged to apply. However, you do not have to be a part of ConneXfactor to be a winner. Meet with a Financial Advocate at any of our branches to get a great financial start in 2019. Additional information and updates will be posted to connexfactor.com as they become available early next year.
Brendan Galvin
Alyssa Wollman
Allen Guzman
Connex Credit Union President and chief executive officer Frank Mancini (right) presents a check worth $3,000 to Brendan Galvin (left), the Grand Prize Winner of the 2018 ConneXfactor financial fitness competition