WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department has unveiled a new multimedia campaign designed to help young adults get a better grip on their credit.

The ad campaign, featuring an interactive online game and radio and television spots, warns its audience, “Don't let your credit put you in a bad place.”

“Many consumers need to better understand how to control their credit,” said U.S. Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral. “It's especially important that we reach young adults with this information. Our research shows that the relationship between financial decisions made early in life and their credit scores too often remains a mystery for many young adults.”

Presented in partnership with the Ad Council and created pro bono by Lowe Worldwide, the campaign is designed to encourage young adults ages 18 to 24 to take control of their credit.

Radio spots and Web content in English and Spanish demonstrate the consequences of developing bad credit at an early age, such as being declined future employment or denied a car loan. Every advertisement ends with the tag line, “Don't let your credit put you in a bad place.”

“Consumers can face serious problems when they make uninformed choices about borrowing,” said Dan Iannicola, deputy assistant secretary for financial education. “The goal of this campaign is to equip Americans with the knowledge to take advantage of the positive aspects of credit, while avoiding its pitfalls.”

The campaign includes a new Web site, www.controlyourcredit.gov, where the audience can play an online game, the Bad Credit Hotel. The Web site also provides free financial information and tools.

Sunmark FCU Launches Education Aid For Government Housing Tenants

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — In a timely move, Sunmark Federal Credit Union has launched a fall financial literacy campaign for the tenants of the Schenectady Municipal Housing Authority.

The campaign, which is designed to work in partnership with the SMHA, will develop and coordinate a financial literacy program to help the tenants to improve their financial well being and support them in creating responsible financial behavior.

“We continue to see the need for financial education in our region,” said Sunmark FCU President/CEO Bruce M. Beaudette. “We are offering this program to assist our area residents and promote the importance of financial education to our members and non-members.”

The program will help expand opportunities for lower-income consumers to establish deposit accounts, accrue assets, as well as provide these individuals with the education and confidence necessary to successfully manage their finances.

Tenants who successfully complete the program will be given a certificate of completion.

A four-month follow-up call will be placed to students who successfully complete the financial literacy program, where Sunmark officials will inquire about the tenants successes thus far, answer any questions they may have and help with needs for additional training.

A year-end reception will be held for all the participants who successfully complete the financial program in the calendar year.

South Division CU Helps Santa Stuff Overseas Soldiers' Stockings With Care

EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. — South Division Credit Union is dusting off its red suit as it prepares to again play Santa to U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan during this holiday season.

Through Oct. 31, the credit union is collecting items to stuff into Christmas stocking care packages that will be sent to U.S. troops deployed in the Middle East.

Suggested items to donate include: Santa hats, red-white-blue party items, Nerf balls, Frisbees, eye drops, sun block, deodorant, toothpaste and other personal health and hygiene items, snacks that won't melt, DVDs (comedies preferred), disposable cameras, fly swatters and anything else you think our young troops will enjoy.

“Our men and women in the military are the heart of our freedom and independence. So we want to send items to let them all know we care for their safety and comfort,” said South Division CU Main Branch Receptionist Dianne Struglinski, who established Operation SDCU Care Package. “Earlier this year we collected four large boxes of items to send overseas, and we'd like to have even more to include in holiday stockings to help remind troops that the folks back home are thinking of them.”

NAFCU Annual Conference Marketing
Wins Two American Graphic Awards

WASHINGTON — NAFCU recently took home two American Graphic design awards.

NAFCU was recognized in the categories of best Web site and best brochure and print collateral for its efforts in promoting its 41st annual conference and exhibition, held in San Diego this past July.

“NAFCU's marketing team did a superb job of marketing the conference this year and taking our branding efforts to the next level,” said NAFCU President Fred Becker. “This was the first year we launched a full-service Web site for our annual conference, and it proved to be a valuable resource for attendees. I'm extremely proud that the Web site and the marketing collateral received much-deserved national acclaim.”

NAFCU's awards will be featured in the December edition of Graphic Design USA, which has an annual circulation of over 100,000. The association will also be recognized on the magazine's Web site,

www.gdusa.com.

The American Graphic design awards competition is held annually by Graphic Design, a news magazine for graphic designers and creative professionals. The nationwide competition is open to anyone and honors exceptional new work of all kinds across all media: print and collateral, advertising and sales promotion, corporate identity and logos, internet and interactive design, packaging and point of purchase, broadcast and motion graphics.

“I know the marketing team will make every effort to raise the bar again as they start marketing NAFCU's 42nd annual conference and exhibition taking place at the new Gaylord National Resort on the Potomac, July 21-25, 2009,” said Becker.