Celebrate National Credit Union Youth Month This April!
Financial literacy is a lifelong skill, and there’s no better time to start than now. At Sentinel Federal Credit Union, we’re passionate about helping you empower your children with the tools they need to manage money wisely and build a secure future.
Dive Into Lending with Sentinel FCU
This National Credit Union Youth Month, we are helping kids and families build confidence around borrowing and understanding how lending works.
Through a fun deep-sea adventure, kids will learn how loans work, how interest adds up, and how to make smart borrowing decisions in the future.
📍 Download the Dive Into Lending Adventure Map
📍 Pick one up at any Sentinel FCU branch
Open a Youth Savings Account
Give them a head start with a Sentinel Federal Credit Union youth savings account. It’s hands-on learning that teaches them to save for what matters most to them—today and tomorrow. Good habits built now can last a lifetime.
Why It Matters
- High school seniors score just 48% on financial literacy exams, on average.
- Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. 15-year-olds lack basic skills like budgeting or comparing prices, according to recent surveys.
Without a solid foundation, young adults risk falling into debt traps, predatory loans, or scams. The good news? You can change that trajectory—starting as early as age 3, when kids first understand money basics, or by age 7, when habits begin to stick.
Dive Into Lending Adventure
This interactive activity helps kids explore real-world borrowing concepts in a fun and easy-to-understand way.
In this underwater adventure, kids will:
🐠 Explore real-world loans like credit cards, auto loans, and student loans
🦈 Spot risky lending traps in Loan Shark Lagoon
📊 Learn how interest works in simple, clear terms
The Adventure Map guides kids through each learning stop while teaching smart money habits they can use for life.
Watch the Dive Into Lending Video Series
Short, kid-friendly animated videos bring each stop of the adventure to life.
Kids will learn about:
✔️ What a loan is
✔️ How interest works
✔️ Different types of loans
✔️ How to avoid risky borrowing
3 Ways to Start Teaching Kids About Lending
1️⃣ Borrowing Has a Cost
When you borrow money, you repay it plus interest.
A simple way to explain this to kids:
“If you borrow $10, you may have to pay back $12.”
Understanding this early builds smart borrowing habits.
2️⃣ Loans Should Have a Purpose
Some loans can help people reach important goals.
Examples include:
🏠 Buying a home
🎓 Paying for education
🚗 Purchasing reliable transportation
Teach kids to ask:
“Is this helping me move forward?”
3️⃣ Read the Fine Print
Interest rates, terms, and fees all affect the true cost of a loan.
Learning to understand these details helps build lifelong financial confidence.
Parents: Use the Dive Into Lending Guide at Home
Helping kids understand borrowing early can build confidence that lasts a lifetime. The Dive Into Lending Parent Guide makes it easy to start the conversation.
This guide walks parents through simple ways to talk about:
💳 What it means to borrow money
📊 Why interest adds up over time
⚠️ How small borrowing decisions can become expensive
Using the short videos, activity map, and guided discussion questions, parents can explore topics like renting vs. owning, credit cards, and other real-world lending examples alongside their kids.
The goal isn’t to scare kids away from borrowing… it’s to help them understand how it works before they ever need it.
Learn in shallow water — before it gets expensive.
Open A New Savings Account!
Stop in to a branch or contact us today to set the whole family up!
At Sentinel Federal Credit Union, we’re dedicated to helping you achieve your financial goals with confidence and security. Our range of savings accounts are designed to meet your needs, whether you’re saving for a rainy day, planning for retirement, or dreaming of a special purchase.