Did you know that as a member of Goldenwest Credit Union, you have access to FREE money management and financial education services? We partner with GreenPath, a non-profit financial counseling organization dedicated to helping people lead financially healthy lives.

The free financial education and counseling program can assist you with:
• Personal and family budgeting;
• Understanding your personal credit report and how to improve your score;
• Personal money management;
• Avoiding bankruptcy, foreclosure, and repossession; and,
• Debt repayment.

Recently, we asked one of our employees who is a recent college graduate to request a one-on-one phone appointment with a GreenPath financial expert. We wanted to learn more about GreenPath’s options for someone in their early 20s, and if they found the counseling session valuable. Below is her blog post of what you can expect when you meet with GreenPath Financial Wellness.

Setting Up the Appointment:

Setting up the appointment was fast and easy. The customer service representative who helped me was polite, thorough, and efficient. She made sure I had all the information I needed to prepare for my budget review, and we set a time and date that worked for me. I later received a follow-up email with a list of items I should gather in order to make the most of my phone appointment.

My Financial Counselor:

The GreenPath financial counselor I was paired with was amazing! She was kind, helpful, and personable. She patiently answered every question I had, and I never felt like she was rushing to get through our appointment. She was very knowledgeable about finances, budgeting, credit, debt, and all other questions I had.

My Appointment:

We started off by establishing my purpose for calling, followed by my immediate and sustained financial goals. We then talked about the concerns I had with my finances, and she had me rate on a scale questions such as “how much stress and anxiety do your finances cause,” and “how confident are you that you can stick to a budget.”

The next bulk of the appointment was spent establishing my total monthly debt, income, and expenses, and all the while, she was creating a personalized budget sheet which she emailed to me following our appointment. We discussed budgeting options and financial plans that I’ve tried, and ones that may work for me moving forward.

Near the end of the appointment, my counselor helped me set attainable goals and we established a timeline of tasks to complete. She made sure that I felt confident with our action plan before she got off the phone, and asked me to follow up with her to report on my progress. I got off the phone and was surprised to see that my appointment had lasted almost an hour and forty minutes. It went by quickly and was full of helpful information.

Post-Appointment:

My financial counselor sent me emails following our appointment with all of her notes and a personalized financial plan, including a budget and goals. There was an editable budget spreadsheet for me to use, and a link to 8 comprehensive and free online e-courses that I could use to educate myself at my own pace.

GreenPath offers many more services and products in addition to their initial financial counseling session, such as debt management plans, housing services, student loan counseling, credit report reviews, and continued financial education. I had a great experience with their financial counseling, and I would definitely recommend this service to everyone who has financial goals they’d like to meet, as well as to anyone who wants to work their way to financial freedom.

If you want to get a better grasp on your finances, visit the GreenPath Financial Counseling page on the Goldenwest website to learn more.