CUNA WINS AWARD FOR LIFESTAGE-BASED PERSONAL FINANCE TOOLS

October 28, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katye Long
CUNA Communications; (608) 231-4038
klong@cuna.coop

MADISON, Wis. – CUNA recently won the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education’s (AFCPE) 2008 Outstanding Consumer Financial Information Award for its suite of online financial literacy products for credit union members.

“CUNA is committed to helping credit unions achieve their mission to educate their members – and the communities they serve – about personal finance and the importance it plays in lifelong financial security,” said Jim Hanson, vice president of CUNA’s center for personal finance. “Over the years, CUNA has gone from publication-only education to lifestage-based online tools. It is these innovative tools that served as the basis for this award application.”

The six online lifestage products honored in the award include:

• Googolplex – a three-in-one Web site, written predominantly by youth for youth, that deals with money matters and life issues through stories, videos, contests, calculators, interactive games, and blogs.
• Guides to Independence – a series of interactive tutorials, which includes audio track and simulations, to help high school students learn about money management.
• MoneyMix – a one-stop financial resource designed for, and by, 18- to 30-year-olds that features videos, articles, checklists, budgeting tools, and blogs.
• Anytime Adviser – includes seven coaches, available in both English and Spanish, with topics that cover major financial decisions.
• Home & Family Finance Resource Center – provides timely information on personal finance topics – including consumer articles, online calculators, videos, and audio programs – to help adults achieve financial success.
• Plan It: Retire Ready Toolkit – a complete online toolkit to aid baby boomers in planning for and achieving financially-secure retirement years.
• The AFCPE is a professional organization focused on supporting, promoting, and advancing the field of financial counseling and planning education. Its membership consists of personal finance educators, military financial counselors, private practitioners, and organization and government officials.

The award will be presented during the AFCPE’s Annual Conference, taking place Nov. 19-21 in Garden Grove, Calif. Mike Schenk, CUNA’s vice president of economics and statistics, will provide the closing remarks on the current housing crisis and its implications for the future.

For more information about CUNA’s personal finance products, go to finlit.cuna.org and choose the “Web Content” link.

# # #

About CUNA

With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association (CUNA) serves 90 percent of America's 8,500 credit unions, which are owned by more than 90 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.cuna.org.

Copyright © 2009 - Credit Union National Association, Inc.