While our nation's legislative leaders sort out the credit crisis on Wall Street, back on Main Street, Oklahoma based Tinker Federal Credit Union (TFCU) reaches out to educate young adults about money matters on the interactive and informative website BuckTheNorm.com.
"The purpose of 'Buck the Norm' is to encourage young adults not to follow the typical model of mounting debt and overspending which has hampered many American households," said Matt Stratton, TFCU Senior Vice President of Marketing. "Personal financial management doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. With education, individuals can make responsible choices which will benefit their overall quality of life and personal happiness."
The website, now live, features tips and tools for budgeting, a glossary of financial terms from the Oklahoma State Department of Education to help ease confusion, information on how to get a truly free credit report, advice on interviewing and resume development and more. A video, comic strip and downloadable art and ring tones all add to the commentary on the meaning of "Buck the Norm."
This week on the site, TFCU rolled out its second annual video scholarship contest, a sampling of local artists' music, financial personality quizzes and even more useful and user-friendly financial information.
"BuckTheNorm.com complements the credit union's overall financial education program. We have two full-time financial educators to conduct seminars targeting all ages of members and non-members. And, these professional educators have trained the first round of an additional 24 TFCU employees to aid in financial education outreach," said Stratton.
According to a 2008 report from Forrester Research, Inc., Gen Y (18-27) spends 13.9 hours each week online for personal and work purposes compared to 9.5 hours per week on average for all ages of adults.