WHITMAN AND HANSON, MA, ISSUED March 4, 2008…Mutual Bank recently participated in and helped organize a financial education program held at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. The Financial Literacy Forum took place February 29 as a special session of the Checks And Balances course that helps high school students understand and manage finances.
For the past three years, Mutual Bank has worked with Lydia Nelson, a business-technology teacher at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, on this program. The Forum is a capstone event for the Checks and Balances course offered in the school as an elective. The program provides teens with a greater understanding of managing personal finances in areas of goal setting, budgeting and saving. It uses games, simulations, case studies and exercises incorporating the HIFI Financial Literacy curriculum through the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).
Paul Tisdale, Vice-President, audit and compliance for Mutual Bank, said, “This is an excellent program for our students. There are many skills to be learned in financial and debt management, particularly with the increasing availability of credit cards and the accompanying interest rates.”
The bank’s role in the program included presentations on Loans and Credit, Checking Accounts, ATM and Debit Cards, Savings Accounts, and Online Banking. Speakers included Mutual Bank’s President and COO William Morse; Vice-President of Audit & Compliance, Paul Tisdale; and Vice-President of Retail Administration Theresa Bryant.
In addition, Paul McLaughlin of McLaughlin Chevrolet, spoke on the topic of purchasing an automobile. The Ford Insurance Agency, and Rosen Realty provided educational materials for the students to be used during the Forum.
Lydia Nelson noted, "We thank Mutual Bank and all the participants for sharing their expertise with the students at today's forum. There is value in bringing community
representatives into the school curriculum, to help students prepare for the real world ahead."
Glen S. White, CEO of Mutual Bank, added, “We are strong supporters of the efforts of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and all the excellent work they do in preparing students for the challenges they face after graduation. We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a worthwhile program.”
About Mutual Bank
Mutual Bank is an independent, mutually-owned bank serving the community’s personal and small business banking needs, with full-service offices in Whitman, Brockton, Carver, Falmouth, Halifax, Hanson and Middleboro. The Bank has operated continuously as an independent, local institution for more than a century. The main office is located at 570 Washington Street in Whitman, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.MyMutualBank.com, or call Christine Grundy, Vice President/Director of Marketing, at 781-447-4488.
