Press
SECU reaches record milestone in teen Zard members – surpassing 100,000 mark!
RALEIGH, NC (March 20, 2014) — State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently reached a record setting milestone, surpassing the 100,000 mark in the number of teen Zard members at the not-for-profit cooperative.
The Credit Union’s Zard program is designed to help teenagers 13-19 understand the importance of saving and developing strong financial principles at an early age. Teens learn how to manage their money and how savings can accumulate over time with regular deposits and accrued dividend earnings. SECU’s Zard program offers additional options to help teenagers gain more financial experience, including a checking account, a controlled spending account and lending services. More financial tools are available through a dedicated Zard website www.teenzard.org and quarterly Money Matterz newsletter.
As an advocate of youth financial literacy, SECU’s educational efforts reach its Zard members through various formats and teen financial education programs, including Biz Kid$, the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) and Reality of Money workshops. SECU also participates annually in a Youth Saving Challenge to encourage and emphasize the benefits of saving for the future. The Credit Union’s 2014 Youth Saving Challenge “Catch the Wave to Save” will be held the week of April 21-25.
“Some of today’s teenagers have access to substantial amounts of money through allowances, gifts, and income from part-time jobs, so it’s extremely important to introduce youth to the basic concepts of good money management,” remarks Jennifer Hamrick, SECU Senior Vice President of Support Services. “SECU’s Zard program creates a solid foundation for teens, providing financial opportunities and tools that will help them become financially savvy adults, and we are pleased to reach this program milestone.”
About SECU
A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, SECU has been providing employees of the State of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 76 years. With nearly 1.9 million members, SECU provides services through 253 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Contact Centers and a website, www.ncsecu.org.