By: Denise Keiser AFC®, Director of Training
At BALANCE, we are deeply committed to supporting your clients as they navigate their unique financial journeys. As financial coaches, housing counselors, and student loan experts, we provide the guidance and education necessary to…
By: Denise Keiser AFC®, Director of Training
At BALANCE, we understand that life is filled with important financial milestones and unexpected challenges. Our financial coaching services help individuals navigate these events by focusing on the four pillars of financial health: spending wisely, saving for emergencies, borrowing smartly, and…
By: Shellye Carpenter, CCUFC, Director of Partner Relations
As we all navigate through the “Great Resignation” and the changes taking place in the workforce, one thing employers should keep in mind is: for all the talk about rising wages and workers being able to “name their price,” many workers are still struggling financially. This leads to…
By: Cynthia Campbell, MBA, MEd, CUDE, Chief Operating Officer
If you are wondering what your members may need right now, I would suggest they need understanding and creative solutions. Recently, I have had conversations with two people who called BALANCE wanting financial counseling. They both had a gap that needed…
By: Denise Keiser, Counseling Program Manager
…Seeking the advice of a Financial Counselor isn’t just for those who’ve experienced a financial blunder in the past. For clients looking to accomplish financial goals, counseling can be a supplement to what they already know. There is no shortage of financial goals these days. But, the challenge with…
By: Bruce Doane, Account Coordinator on the Partner Relations Team at BALANCE
Okay, so your organization has signed on to begin utilizing BALANCE’s financial education programs and services. Now what? …How will you distribute information to the rest of the staff so they can communicate these new opportunities to those you serve? Luckily, you’re not alone in this endeavor….
By: Shelly Weber, Certified HUD Housing Counseling and Financial Coach
We have often heard it said, “Do not neglect contributing to our employer’s sponsored retirement plan”…. Perhaps, taking advantage of an employer’s retirement savings should come with a warning sign: “Do not contribute until you are financially prepared.” This may sound counterintuitive, but let me explain.
By: Cynthia Campbell, MBA, MEd, CUDE, Chief Operating Officer
We all have messages about money that we have internalized over the years. These messages have shaped our money personality. Shame is the feeling of humiliation over a perceived wrong action or foolish behavior. Shame causes a feeling of…
By: Daisha Badgett, Financial Empowerment Manager
When I think about the CUFinHealth21 Conference, the first thing that comes to mind is… Mind Blown! I am the new Financial Empowerment Manager at BALANCE, and attending this conference early in my tenure was perfect. Last week, my first lesson was to …
By: Tina Herndon, Financial Education and Training Manager
It is easy for clients to lose their ability to dream for a better future when they are in survival mode. The pressures of living on the brink of financial disaster can cause clients to make decisions that take them farther away from accomplishing their goals. However, motivating a client to dream is…
By: Denise Keiser AFC®, Counseling Programs Manager
People seek financial counseling because they want things to be different in their financial lives. They are looking for change like relief from surmounting debt, less financial stress, or they have important financial goals to reach like buying a home or saving for retirement. Regardless of the individual’s reason, the counseling process is the same. The process starts with…
By: Jen Martin, Director of Partner Relations
In the first article in this series, we discussed how searching for the perfect financial fitness partner is like dating. Then in part two, we reviewed that every great partnership requires commitment (similar to a marriage), goal alignment, and working together. In part three, we will talk about how relationships change or adapt over time…
By: Cynthia Campbell, MBA, MEd, CUDE, Chief Operating Officer
February is Black History month and the best way credit unions can celebrate is by designing their business models to help create economic equality. The first step is admitting we have a problem. The Joint Economic Committee released a report called…
By: Denise Keiser AFC®, Counseling Programs Manager
But, let’s be honest. Saving money isn’t something that comes easily to many of us, including the people we serve. We know it’s important, but so often, it seems like an overwhelming task. Instead of…
By: Denise Keiser AFC®, Counseling Programs Manager
Getting out of debt for many people is like losing weight. As easy as it was to rack-up, just like those few extra pounds, it now seems overwhelming to clear up. Most don’t know where to begin. If they do, they may lack the motivation to start. Turning to a…
By: Meaghan Hiller, AFC®, Director of Financial Education
I was not always an expert in personal financial management. Years ago, like many other 18-year-olds, I stumbled into the credit card trap and fell…hard. I was finishing up my freshman year in college when I maxed out my first credit card, which was soon…
By: Jen Martin, Director of Partner Relations
You “dated” several financial wellness vendors. You found something that meets your needs, a proposal was sent, and now you are “engaged” to the vendor that best suits your needs. What comes next? Planning your marriage! When an engagement happens…
By: Jen Martin, Director of Partner Relations
If you are considering implementing a financial wellness program for your members and/or staff you may feel overwhelmed at where to start. Luckily, my team and I have on-boarded many credit unions and have learned a lot along the way about what they were looking for, what they hope to…