I grew up watching my mother work her way through college. I was 10-years old when she achieved her bachelor’s degree. I grew up with good grades and I was always under the assumption that I would go to college. I think my parent’s assumed I would also. Still, with my parents having to spend the first 10-years of my life not only raising my older brother and myself, but also baring the time and expense of my mother going to college. I am not sure, but I believe she graduated with no student loan debt.

I have always been self-driven and would take initiative to do the things I wanted to do. I decided four years in high school was too long for me, so I graduated in three. During my final year of high school I began taking all of the required standardized tests, filling out the college applications and doing all of the normal high school senior activities. My parents were involved in this process, but I definitely ran the show.

When it came time for me to start making decisions and viewing the financial aide offers provided to me from several universities, it all seem to become very clear to everyone that this was real. I was proceeding through this process assuming that my parents would be paying for whatever college I chose, we never actually had a conversation confirming this.

I don’t quite remember all of the details of how I and my parents realized that we had very different expectations regarding how my college would be paid for. The outcome became that they paid for me to attend Portland Community College. I remember seeing the financial aid offers coming in and the amounts outlined for loans such as MCA loans that both I and my parents were expected to take out to pay for college. I am glad that I did not agree to any of them because looking back I realize that I was not ready to accept that responsibility.

My parents paid for the first couple of years of my college (I took the 6-year plan) and eventually towards the end I bit the bullet and took out loans so I could quit my job and finish out the last bit full-time. I was fortunate that I left with only $12,500 in student loan debt, $5,000 of which was a loan from my grandparents (the interest rate was quite good). By the time I did take out debt, I had an understanding of what it meant and what my responsibilities were as a borrower.

The average student loan debt an undergraduate leaves school with is now approximately $30,000, plus an additional $10,000 in credit card debt. Many of these students had the same belief that I did, that college was just the assumed next step. Now, more than when I was in high school, students are brought up that student loan debt is also assumed.

What can we do to better prepare students to understand this process and how the decisions they are making now to get to and through college will affect their post college life? 

Melody Bell
Executive Director

While watching the Packers completely blow away the Bears on Sunday night, 55-14, I started thinking about the costs of attending an NFL game. As a native of the Green Bay area and a proud Packer fan, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few games at historic Lambeau Field. It’s been almost 10 years since I last attended a Packer game. I know that at that time I paid at least $60 for a ticket. That was by no means premium seating, those were the cheap seats. I definitely remember freezing while sitting on those concrete stadium seats. That was not the only game I attended, nor the coldest.

In the chart below you can see a comparison of the costs of an NFL team from each division. These are the ranges of ticket prices for the remainder of the season that I found on TiqIQ.

You’ll pay top dollar to attend a game of the reigning Super bowl champs, the Seahawks. Century Link Field just happens to be the closest NFL stadium to Oregon, so it’s just a quick road trip away. To attend a Raiders game, you could get a game ticket and fly to Oakland for the same price of a Seahawks ticket. Heck, if you can get a $9 ticket, you might even be able to get a hotel room for the night and possibly have some money left over for a hot dog. You’ll probably be disappointed by the outcome of the game if you’re rooting for the Raiders…sorry Raiders fans! You can play a different game though like johnny kash casino if you want to have fun. You’ll even earn money instead of spending. Another great option is to try kiss918 no deposit for a fun and rewarding experience. Anyway, just a friendly reminder that while it is permitted, the Swedish Gambling Authority does not support playing at a casino without swedish licence. To comprehend it better, find out more about it.

Now if you plan to fly across the country to the East coast and check out a Patriots game, you’ll also pay top dollar for a ticket. As Tom Brady winds down his career, it just might be worth it, and you might even catch a glimpse of his supermodel wife, Gisele. This trip would easily cost you upwards of $1,000 or more when you factor in the lodging, transportation, and the game ticket.

Even though I may be a biased Packer fan, catching a game at Lambeau Field would be worth the bone chilling temperatures to experience a game at the only publicly owned team in the NFL. You can fly to the frozen tundra, Lambeau Field, and pay very low costs for lodging in Green Bay. If you fly directly into Green Bay, you will pay a premium for airfare, as it’s a very small airport. By the way, Green Bay is the smallest city in the league and has about the same population size as Gresham. If you decide to make the trip, let me know and maybe I’ll have my family welcome you with some Midwestern hospitality and hand you a beer and some cheese curds, ya der hey!

Sarah Janda
Program Manager

As a woman, I find there is something freeing about not having to tote around a giant wallet all the time filled with multiple loyalty rewards programs, credit and debit cards, and if I am lucky, a couple of gift cards. Because of this, you could imagine my excitement surrounding one of Apple’s newest endeavors, ApplePay. Available on the newest phone models, as well as the new Apple Watch, I figured why not upgrade my device now so I could enjoy the whole “semi-wallet free” lifestyle as soon as possible? After two backorders, two long days of shipping, and a phone call to my cell phone provider later, my new iPhone 6 was in my possession and up and and running. Now, after talking about all of my excitement surrounding this feature, imagine my shock and upset that when I went to set up Apple Pay on my phone, and I got the dreaded message that my credit union does not support Apple Pay. After a bit of digging, I calmed down after I found out that they will, in early 2015.

So while I wait for my credit union to support ApplePay, here are a few things that I am doing in the mean time to declutter my wallet:

Using Passbook—Passbook is a great feature that I newly discovered on my iPhone that allows you to store all of your loyalty cards in one place. If you’re like me and get suckered into signing up for these programs, why not make it easier on yourself by having them all available in one place, instead of taking up room in your wallet? Even better, certain Ticketmaster tickets are available on your Passbook, so when you arrive at your venue, all you need is your phone!

Using Apps—Yes, I know it is bad, but I am one of those Starbucks people, and keeping up my Gold Member status is even easier with their app. Instead of carrying around my card where ever I am, I use my app to add more money to my card, add gift cards and transfer those funds to my gold card, tip my barista, and my favorite, use my free drink rewards.

Until my credit union supports ApplePay, this will work, but look out for another post about ApplePay in early 2015!

Basha Gitnes
Marketing Specialist

My Passbook

My Starbucks App

How many times a week do you purchase those get-my-day-started, caffeine-laden drinks? Three times a week? Five? At an average cost of $2.95, you are spending about $450 per year. Think about what you could do with $450 if you didn’t spend it on your daily jumpstart.

$450 could be a plane ticket for a vacation, a new smartphone, an annual subscription to the symphony, or any number of other opportunities that you may have wanted to fit into your budget but weren’t surehow.

Casual spending is one of the most difficult habits to change. I know from experience. When I had cash in my pocket, it seemed to disappear. At the end of the week, I had a difficult time remembering where that $20 bill went. I decided to change my casual spending habit and created aneasy 1-2-3 tracking method that I want to share with you:

• 1.    Recognize my casual spending and set a limit perpay period.
• 2.    Withdraw the casual spending amount once at thebeginning of the pay period. When it is gone, it is gone until the next payperiod.
• 3.    Keep all receipts and review them at the end ofthe week as a reminder of where I spent the money.

By using this easy method of tracking my cash, I have becomemore mindful of my casual spending. After using this method for a year, I developed a better understanding of where my casual dollars go. This has worked well for me and now I usually have money left at the end of the week that I canput into my investment account. As a result of my new habit I have been able to increase my personal wealth. That’s what I call win-win.

Anne Lee
Director of Operations

Financial Beginnings is very excited to have Point West Credit Union as a sponsor for the 2014-2015 school year. We would like to give Steve Pagenstecher, Marketing & Member Experience Manager, a big thank you for taking the time to answer a couple of questions about Point West and their dedication to Financial Literacy. 

(1) Why does Point West Credit Union support Financial Beginnings? Why is financial education important to your company?

As a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution, empowering our members and our community with the knowledge and tools they need to take control of their financial lives is the foundation of everything we do.

Personal finance is not considered core curriculum in most schools, yet it is a core value of the credit union cooperative. That’s where Financial Beginnings comes in. They make financial literacy outreach possible for Point West and many other organizations who champion financial education as a key component for secondary and post-secondary learning.  Financial Beginnings manages the whole process: volunteer opportunities within the classrooms, our volunteer portal, and reporting results back to us, to show the impact of financial literacy volunteerism to our members and the community at-large.

(2) In addition to supporting Financial Beginnings, does Point West Credit Union have any current or planned programs, initiatives, or resources to increase financial literacy?

In addition to Financial Beginnings, we offer and are pursuing several other opportunities for financial literacy to empower our communities.

Point West partners with BALANCE to leverage their financial planning tools and materials for our members, including free and confidential financial counseling services. In addition, we collaborate with IRCO (Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization) here in Portland to assist immigrants struggling to establish citizenship and healthy financial habits.

We are currently working with several other partners to develop and provide increased access to financial literacy for individuals of all ages, as well as small businesses. These include Portland State University’s Business Outreach Program, Innovative Changes, Bank On Oregon, the Benson High School Alumni Foundation, and Operation HOPE.

This is just the beginning – we will continue to seek out and partner with like-minded organizations to financially empower our local community.

(3) In your opinion, what is currently the most critical finance-related topic that needs to be addressed through education?

The recent economic recession had a huge impact on a majority of Americans, including our members. Between lost jobs and lost wealth, it will be years, if ever, before many recover. Yet a tough situation is made worse by a lack of long-term “rainy day” savings to help weather these ups and downs. We need to show that saving not only is worth the long-term investment, but is frankly not as daunting as many think it is. If we can create an informed base of educated savers that balance savings and purchases – and give them the tools to continue managing their budget – we’ll create a much more stable and robust foundation for everyone’s future.

(4)  What is Point West’s niche market?  What make you stand out in this market?  

Point West’s membership is as diverse as Portland itself; we’re proud to serve everyone, from white collar employees and their families, to low-income, underserved families and businesses. As a credit union dedicated to community development, serving the needs of the entire community, not just high earners, is at the core of our mission. We’re focused on two critical demographics in our community – small businesses and the underserved.

Small businesses are the engine of our community. And when we’re talking about small businesses, that’s exactly what we mean – businesses that may only have one or two employees but have a solid mission and need the tools to grow sustainably. Not all small businesses are looking for $500,000 loans – some simply need $5,000-10,000 to repair equipment or purchase supplies. We believe there’s significant opportunity to help these businesses during these burgeoning years so they can be the engines for success our communities need.

Likewise, there are many individuals and families that struggle to make ends meet despite their resolve and determination to live a more financially-stable life. Whether its barriers like lack of work or transportation, or unexpected hardships like medical bills or an economic downturn, someone can move from a good financial position to a bad one just like that. Ensuring access to affordable accounts and loans, while providing sound financial advice and support is crucial to recovering their finances; it also keeps them away from predatory lenders and services, which only further destabilize their financial standing. Whether it’s our ITIN lending program, our Fresh Start Checking or VISA Credit Card, a share-secured loan or many other options we have at our disposal, we’re here to help everyone improve their financial well-being.

Is your organization interested in becoming a sponsor too? Contact Melody Bell for more details. 

FINANCIAL BEGINNINGS PARTNERS WITH NONPROFIT INCEPTIA

Oregon Students to Benefit from Free Financial Literacy Program

Portland, OR. (October 1, 2014) – Financial Beginnings has announced a partnership with Nebraska-based nonprofit, Inceptia, which launched during the Financial Beginnings Financial Literacy Teacher Conference on August 19, 2014. This partnership is aimed at furthering financial literacy education for Oregon high school students by aligning Inceptia and Financial Beginnings’ free financial education programs. The Inceptia online program, Financial Avenue, and the Financial Beginnings in-class program, Financial Foundations, will provide Oregon high school students with multi-faceted financial education tools to better equip students for adulthood.

Financial Avenue offers engaging, online courses and tutorials to increase knowledge of personal money management fundamentals – from responsible credit card use, to avoiding identity theft, to understanding the basics of budgeting, and paying for college. Financial Avenue’s learning objectives align with the financial education core competencies established by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Literacy and Education Commission. Students will receive instruction in personal financial literacy that will benefit them with post high school plans whether they enter the work force, attend college, or join the military. As an added incentive, students, educators and schools in Oregon may have the chance to win cash prizes as students complete courses and become better managers of their personal finances.

By creating this partnership, both organizations will cross-promote Financial Avenue and Financial Foundations, leveraging collective efforts and maximizing the impact on students, educators and schools across Oregon. Randy Heesacker, president and CEO of Inceptia, said: “With Financial Avenue, Inceptia’s mission is to educate and support student financial success and this partnership with Financial Beginnings provides us with an exciting new way to deliver valuable financial literacy resources to students in Oregon.”

Carissa Uhlman, vice president of student success at Inceptia, worked diligently with Financial Beginnings to make this mutually beneficial partnership possible. “Our goal is to help students achieve financial wellness, both at the high school and collegiate level. This partnership allows us to support the missions of both Financial Beginnings and Inceptia, ultimately providing unique financial education opportunities to more students in the Pacific Northwest.”

Melody Bell, executive director and founder of Financial Beginnings, commented that “this partnership comes at the perfect time. We have had the goal of providing an online financial education format to complement our suite of programs. This partnership will allow both Inceptia and Financial Beginnings to leverage our resources and spread financial literacy throughout Oregon.”

For more information, please visit http://www.financialbeginnings.org/financial-avenue/.

ABOUT INCEPTIA

Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization providing premier expertise in higher education access, student loan repayment, analytics, default prevention and financial education. Our mission is to support schools as they arm students with the knowledge needed to become financially responsible adults. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students achieve their higher education dreams at 5,500 schools nationwide. Annually, Inceptia helps more than 120,000 students borrow wisely, resolve their delinquency issues and successfully repay their student loan obligations. Inceptia educates students on how to pay for college, guides borrowers through loan repayment counseling, and provides default prevention strategies and services to schools. More information at Inceptia.org.

ABOUT FINANCIAL BEGINNINGS

Formed in 2005 and based in Portland, OR, Financial Beginnings is a nonprofit organization that provides multi – session courses, free of charge, to students and young adults throughout the Pacific Northwest through visits to their individual schools or community groups. The courses incorporate all aspects of personal finance to provide individuals the foundation needed to make informed financial decisions. More information is available at financialbeginnings.org.

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PORTLAND, Ore., August 27, 2014—Financial Beginnings, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides financial education programs, has announced the launch of a new program, Pathways, which will be offered by Financial Beginnings at no cost to high schools and colleges in Oregon and Washington.

Pathways helps youth, particularly low-income and underserved youth, successfully transition from high school to post-secondary education (and beyond) through informed and proactive financial decisions. Financial Beginnings received funding from COUNTRY Financial for the development of the new program.

The Pathways program topics include; career & education path, comparing schools & costs, financing college, managing debt accumulation and managing debt after school. All topics are timely with the average student loan debt of undergraduates hovering around $30,000 and the unemployment of youth between the ages of 16-24 years of age being far greater than other age groups.

“My creation of this program stemmed from the Portland State University students in my personal finance course,” says Melody Bell, executive director of Financial Beginnings and adjunct professor at Portland State University, “I saw the staggering amount of debt some were accumulating and their lack of understanding on how this debt would effect their lives after college.”

The Pathways program will join the suite of other financial education programs provided by Financial Beginnings including; Financial Footings for elementary school students, Financial Foundations for high school students and young adults, Unraveling the Mysteries of Your Money public forums and Teacher Training. To learn more about the Pathways program visit: http://financialbeginnings.org/pathways/

About Financial Beginnings
Formed in 2005 and based in Portland, OR, Financial Beginnings is a nonprofit organization that provides free financial education programs throughout the Pacific Northwest. Financial Beginnings’ largest program educates youth and young adults in the basics of personal finance through visits to schools or community groups. Financial Beginnings’ courses incorporate all aspects of personal finance to provide individuals the foundation needed to make informed financial decisions. More information is available at www.financialbeginnings.org.

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PORTLAND, Ore., August 21, 2014—Financial Beginnings, a Portland-based nonprofit, in partnership with the Oregon Jump$tart Coalition, and Portland State University’s School of Business Administration, held a two-day conference August 19, 2014 and August 20, 2014, at Portland State University.

The first of its kind in Oregon, this conference taught educators about proactive and responsible personal financial management, and provided resources and information about how to implement financial lessons in the classroom. They also invested in a conference av hire to give the best experience to the participants. You can look into av hire for corporate meetings if needed.

Over 60 educators attended the two-day conference seeking ways of complying with Oregon’s new Common Core education requirements, which now include Financial Literacy under the Social Sciences’ Core Standards.  Additional attendees included churches and community nonprofits, including a low-income housing authority, all exploring ways to provide financial education to their respective audiences, and if you’re interested in finances you should find out more at Strategic Business Finance as this is a business which specialized in this.

This conference brought national speakers and resources to Oregon including Daniel Hebert, Financial Education Consultant and State President of the New Hampshire Jump$tart Coalition, and Director of Professional Development for National Jump$tart; Camron Doss, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration; and representatives from the Oregon Department of Education, the Department of Consumer and Business Services, the Department of Justice, and others.

Financial Beginnings’ Teacher Training Conference utilized the national Jump$tart Teacher Training Alliance’s model, developed by the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, the National Endowment for Financial Education, Junior Achievement USA, and the Take Charge Institute at the University of Arizona, and with insight from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the U.S. Department of Education.

The conference provided lectures and activity-based sessions on budgeting, savings, investing, career building, fraud protection, and managing credit/debt, among other topics. Twenty speakers hosted additional break-out sessions on topics ranging from How to Teach Entrepreneurship to Retirement Planning for Women.

Bank of America served as Title Sponsor of the Teacher Training Conference.

More information about this conference and other programs offered by Financial Beginnings can be found at: http://financialbeginnings.org

About Financial Beginnings

Formed in 2005 and based in Portland, OR, Financial Beginnings is a nonprofit organization that provides free financial education programs throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Financial Beginnings’ largest program educates youth and young adults in the basics of personal finance through visits to schools or community groups.  Financial Beginnings’ courses incorporate all aspects of personal finance to provide individuals the foundation needed to make informed financial decisions. More information is available at www.financialbeginnings.org.

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