Texas Trust CU Hosts Financial Reality Fair for High School Students
December 18, 2018
ARLINGTON, Texas – December 18, 2018 – For 250 high school students, a day at the Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts provided a glimpse into their post-school financial lives.
They attended the Texas Trust Credit Union-sponsored Financial Reality Fair, a day-long learning experience in how to handle their finances once they enter the job market.
Students from Ben Barber Innovation Academy and the Phoenix Academy in the Mansfield school district began their financial journey by being assigned a career and annual salary to use as the basis of their decisions. Students then visited various stations to talk with advisors and make decisions on how they would spend their earnings.
Students “paid” for purchases such as cars, food, and utilities, and learned how to plan for unexpected emergencies such as the need for new car tires or the cost of a sick pet. At the end of their journey, students reviewed and assessed how they finished financially.
One student commented, “You can’t always get what you want, you have to budget for what you need. You have to pay your bills on time and build your credit even if that means you don’t get everything you want.”
Nancy Kojder, financial math teacher at the Ben Barber Innovation Academy, said, “These students are getting the opportunity to find out the difference between their needs and their wants. By attending the fair, we hope they can see how real-world math can affect the decisions that they make about how to spend their money.”
Texas Trust also hosted a panel where local professionals, including Texas Trust President and CEO Jim Minge and Senior Vice President of Accounting, Peggy Esparza, offered career and financial advice for the students as they prepare to graduate. Students had the chance to ask questions and interact directly with panel members.
Washima Huq, Texas Trust Business and Community Engagement Partner, summed up the objective of the Financial Reality Fair by saying, “Our overall mission is to help build brighter financial futures for these students. This experience gives them a place to start as they begin making important decisions. And, we want them to know we are here for them, now and in the future.”
About Texas Trust Credit Union
Texas Trust Credit Union was created in 1936 when a group of Chance Vought Aircraft Corporation employees pooled their savings so they could help each other achieve financial goals. Today, more than 116,000 members are served through checking and savings accounts; loans (personal, mortgage, auto, and small business); credit cards; insurance products; and investment services. Texas Trust Credit Union supports local students through its “Spirit Debit Rewards” program. With every eligible swipe of an SDR card, funds are donated to the school or district of the member’s choosing. To date, Texas Trust has donated more than $1.8 million since August 2011. Texas Trust serves members through 21 locations in Dallas, Denton, Tarrant, Henderson, Ellis, Johnson and Tom Green counties. With assets of more than $1.2 billion, Texas Trust is the 6th largest credit union in North Texas, the 17th largest in Texas, and was ranked the 10th best performing credit union in the country by Standard and Poor’s Global Market Intelligence. For more information, visit TexasTrustCU.org or follow us on facebook.com/texastrustcu or Twitter at @texastrustcu.