It’s that time of year when I’m preparing to run the Annual Goldenwest 5K For Schools. Every spring I join with thousands of other parents, teachers and volunteers to raise money for local schools by participating in the 5K. It’s a thrill to see people of all ages in our community come together to support public education. Not to mention, this annual event is a great motivator for me to stay in-shape.

Supporting schools and students is a solid investment. The high school senior who races past me at the 5K could be a future small-business owner who employs dozens of people in our state. Or, perhaps a forthcoming elected official asked to support legislation that defends our credit unions’ status as not-for-profit financial cooperatives.

At Goldenwest, we welcome all students to join our credit union family. In fact, we’ve operated a student-run branch inside Bonneville High School since 2007 as part of our initiative to support financial education.

In today’s tech-savvy world, it’s not enough to teach our children how to save. We must teach them how to manage their finances in a responsible manner. Tools such as online banking, mobile apps, and text alerts can help our students get the hands-on financial education they need early in life.

To encourage students of all ages to save, we recently lowered our minimum share savings balance from $25 to $5. More than ever, it’s affordable to open a savings account for every member of your family.

Likewise, we are introducing a new checking program designed especially for high school and college students. The best time to teach your children about managing a checking account is before they leave the nest. If your student doesn’t have a checking account yet, stop by any Goldenwest branch and we’ll get one set-up in a matter of minutes.

I hope to see you at the 5K For Schools on March 23rd. You can register for the 5K on the Goldenwest website at www.gwcu.org/5k/.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions at president@gwcu.org. I also invite you to follow me on Twitter @GoldenwestCUCEO.

Thank you,

Kerry H. Wahlen
President/CEO