VACU Education Programs Reach More Than Ever

Virginia Credit Union’s financial education workshops on managing money during difficult times, eliminating debt, controlling expenses, creating a budget, and improving credit reached more individuals in 2021 than ever.

Total participation in the credit union’s webinars and workshops reached 65,201 in 2021, an increase over the prior year’s strong results. 2021 also had more youth and college-age participants in financial education than ever before.

Financial education is a major priority for the credit union, which employs four full-time educators on its staff.

During 2020, VACU shifted many educational programs online due to the coronavirus, which fueled an overall jump in participation. Online programs continued to grow in 2021 alongside the resumption of in-person programs. By year’s-end, Virginia Credit Union reached 37,268 adults and 27,933 young people through both online and in-person programs.

In October, Virginia Credit Union initiated its first Financial Success Series for Women, a multi-week effort designed for women who, on average, live longer, earn less, and are more likely to be household financial decision-makers than men. Participation was strong and comments from participants were very positive.

Last year, Virginia Credit Union’s financial education programs received two first place awards in Virginia among large credit unions. In addition, the credit union was recently named a Financial Health Leader by the Financial Health Network, a national group of 163 nonprofit, government, research, policy, FinTech and financial services organizations committed to improving the financial health of customers, employees, and communities.

“Helping all people learn to manage their money and develop greater confidence with financial matters is central to our purpose,” said Chris Shockley, VACU President and CEO. “Financial health is a core value for us and we look for ways to include it in every member interaction and community initiative.”

A financial cooperative serving more than 320,000 members, Virginia Credit Union offers a variety of affordable banking services, loans, mortgages, and free financial education resources, with a focus on helping people be more confident with their finances. Virginia Credit Union is an equal housing opportunity lender and is federally insured by NCUA.