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Youth Accounts

It is so important to build healthy financial habits starting at a young age. Studies have shown that children as young as seven begin learning money management skills - positive and negative - based on their environment, even if lessons aren’t presented to them directly or intentionally.
Opening an account for your child, grandchild, or loved one is an important step in building healthy saving habits, and youth accounts at ARC have added advantages.
ARC Federal Credit Union recognizes the importance of teaching children, teens, and young adults how to manage their money responsibly. With this in mind, we developed our Youth Accounts to provide age-appropriate financial literacy materials to our young account holders as they grow. Use the tabs below to learn more about these age-specific accounts.

You can open a Zoe's Club Youth Account for your children or grandchildren as soon as they are born, starting young savers on the right path early. You may begin the account opening process when your child is assigned a social security number; the minimum required deposit is $5. Parents/guardians will receive an ARC FCU piggy bank and a Zoe's Club Child ID Safety Kit at account opening.

When your child(ren) turns 6, they will receive a birthday postcard welcoming them to the elementary level of our Zoe's Club Youth Accounts. Bring this card to one of our offices to redeem it for a copy of our book Zoe Finds A Job. This introduction to money management is a fun way to help kids learn about income, saving, and critical workforce skills like preparing for an interview. There are also challenges in the back that can be completed for cash deposits* into your child's account at the credit union as well as honor roll rewards* effective beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.

If your child is between the ages of 6 - 12 when you open the account, you will receive an ARC FCU piggy bank, Child ID Safety Kit, Zoe Finds A Job book, and a drawstring backpack.

*Cash rewards for honor roll and challenge certificates from Zoe Finds a Job must meet Zoe's Club Reward Procedures requirements for redemption. ARC reserves the right to modify these requirements at any time without notice. Click here for details or text/call (814)946-0857.

 

When your child(ren) reaches their teenage years (13-17), we know that their relationship with money, and most other things in life, begins to change rapidly. To accommodate this, your child's formerly savings-only account will become eligible to have a checking account and debit card added. The joint owner on the account (parent/guardian who opened the account) must come in with your teen to sign the application(s) for these added services. When managed well, these can be effective tools for your teen to understand saving and spending.
Our Banzai Teen Youth Accounts do not offer the standard overdraft from our Teen Savings to our Teen Checking. They are not eligible for Courtesy Pay overdraft. These accounts aim to develop healthy financial habits where teens learn to monitor their checking balance and not overspend. If the money isn't available in your child(ren)'s account while shopping or using the ATM, their card will be declined. Parents/guardians on the account can login to online banking 24/7 to make transfers into the Teen Accounts as needed. You can also monitor balances and set up various eAlerts, like transactions over a certain dollar threshold or if the account balance drops below a specified amount.

Students up to 12th grade are eligible to receive cash rewards* into their ARC FCU account for making the honor roll each marking period. Students must accompany their parents (or bring in on their own) proof their eligible grades once the marking period has ended. Students may only redeem rewards for one marking period at a time, so please stop in after each marking period that you achieve honor roll to receive maximum rewards. We will only "pay out" for the most recently ended term.

If your child is between the ages of 13 - 17 when you open an account, you will receive an ARC FCU keychain and a drawstring backpack. When your child turns 18, the account will convert to a regular savings and checking (if there is already a Teen Checking open) without the overdraft restrictions of the Teen Accounts.

*Cash rewards for honor roll and challenge certificates from Zoe Finds a Job must meet Zoe's Club Reward Procedures requirements for redemption. ARC reserves the right to modify these requirements at any time without notice. Click here for details or text/call (814)946-0857.

After turning 18, teenagers are generally "left to their own devices" at financial institutions. At ARC, we understand that many teenagers are just starting to dip their toes in the turbulent waters of money management at this age. Unfortunately, we see how common it is for teens to get swept up in vicious overdraft cycles, leading to poor money management habits that can have them drowning in debt in a matter of years if no one is there to provide proper guidance.
Even though our members aged 18 - 24 receive the same account features as other adults at this time, we do work to provide targeted educational materials, resources, and assistance to our young adults, if needed. Now is a crucial time to learn how to manage your finances. However, suppose no one ever showed you the basics of budgeting. In that case, it can add one more complex and overwhelming layer to the avalanche of adulting.
When you open your account, we connect young adults with online and in-branch financial education resources, giving you the information you need to learn healthy money habits. We can help you start a student loan application or have a loan officer help you understand your credit score. Our financial counselor can help you get your finances back on track if you feel they've started to spiral out of control. On the other hand, if you feel confident about your money skills and are looking to put your money into savings accounts, we can help you open a money market, CD, or IRA with us as well.

This service is available to all ARC Federal Credit Union members, regardless of age. However, we have found that young adults have been some of our members who have seen the most value in reaching out to schedule an appointment with our on-staff financial counselor. Anyone can struggle with finances, and it's one of the most common stressors in the world.

Let ARC provide a manageable solution to help you navigate and take control of your finances today. Email memberhelp@arcfcu.org or call/text 814-946-0857 to set up an appointment.