Over 100 Students take part in CU4 Reality Fair

	‘Credit Counselors’ Bonnie Doolin (c) of the MA Credit Union League and Kelli Mason (r) of GFA Federal Credit Union advise students on balancing their budget during the CU 4 Reality Fair.
	Gordon Wetmore (r) of Workers’ Credit Union discusses mobile phone options with a student at the CU 4 Reality Fair.
	David Cotton (r) of IC Federal Credit Union ‘sells’ enticements, such as concert tickets and vacations at the CU 4 Reality Fair.
	Jennifer Lambert from Fitchburg Federal Credit Union reviews clothing options with students during the CU 4 Reality Fair.

FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, June, 2009 … Over 100 students recently participated in a CU 4 Reality™ Financial Education Fair held at Fitchburg State College. The students, from Academy Middle School in Fitchburg, had the chance to apply their in-class studies in a real-world setting.

The Fair exposed them to the important financial decisions they’ll need to make throughout life.

Students came to the Fair having chosen a career and calculated their net income. Based on their monthly income, they visited with representatives of auto dealerships, realtors, utilities and others representing various expenses they may incur. Students were required to make decisions about how much to allocate for items such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, insurance, home furnishings, savings, investments, entertainment and credit. To complete their budget worksheet, each student then met with a ‘credit counselor’ who offered suggestions to manage their expenses and ensure their budget was positive at the end of the month.

“The Reality Fair was a real eye-opener for many students,” said Barbara Goodwin, president and CEO of Fitchburg Federal Credit Union, “It gave them a good understanding of how expensive monthly costs really are.”

CU 4 Reality was developed by the Financial Literacy Education Committee of America’s Credit Union Museum, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Credit Union League. America’s Credit Union Museum (ACUM) promotes the heritage of the credit union movement through the preservation of the credit union industry’s history. Additional information about ACUM can be found at acumuseum.org.

The CU 4 Reality Fair was sponsored by Fitchburg Federal Credit Union, GFA Federal Credit Union, IC Federal Credit Union and Workers’ Credit Union, full-service community financial institutions serving Central Massachusetts.

Fitchburg Federal Credit Union, founded in 1957, is located at 65 North Street in Fitchburg, with a Student Branch at Fitchburg High School and online banking services. Deposits are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and the Massachusetts Credit Union Share Insurance Corporation (MSIC).