ICYMI: Snigglezoo’s June Money-Smart Happenings

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Hi there, credit union friends!

My dad has never been the most tech-savvy guy. He held on to a flip phone for years. And even now, he shuts down his smartphone after making a call or sending a text. So good luck getting in touch with him in a pinch! In fact, I’m still my mom’s emergency contact despite living three states away. 😂

Luckily, though, this technological track record makes it easy to buy my dad gifts. And by gifts, I mean those of the gag variety. Recently, when I was back at my childhood home, I ran across one such treasure: a “dictionary” documenting the emoticons and abbreviations of the BlackBerry era. Hello, blast from the past!

As I was thumbing through the pages and reliving the days of BlackBerry Messenger, I couldn’t help but marvel at how our digital forms of expression have evolved over the years. Namely, emoticons have given rise to emojis, and acronyms like LOL are now so integrated into everyday language that they appear in actual dictionaries.

Which leads me to one of the most popular abbreviations of today’s text speak: ICYMI. If, like my dad, you’re blissfully unaware, ICYMI stands for “In Case You Missed It.” So ICYMI, read on to discover the money-smart happenings at Snigglezoo in June!

— 1 —

A Growing Menagerie: Earlier this month, we welcomed a new partner into what I lovingly call “The Money Mammals Menagerie.” White Sands Federal Credit Union calls the states of New Mexico and Texas home and has branches located in four distinct communities.

On June 1st, White Sands launched The Art of Allowance Project family financial wellness program featuring The Money Mammals for young children and Adolescent$ for tweens and teens. This robust platform, which not only engages kids of all ages but also empowers parents to be their children’s guides, helps further amplify the credit union’s vision, which is “to be a valued member of your family.” To learn more about how White Sands is contributing to the money-smart movement with this programming, visit its site.

And if you’re interested in offering The Art of Allowance Project at your institution, then I’d love to chat with you! Our nationwide network of credit union partners recognizes that financial wellness solutions such as ours benefit both members and employees. So email me directly at [email protected] if you want to learn more about how we can help you help your members and employees on their journeys to money empowerment.

— 2 —

A Special Edition Podcast: The tables were turned during a recent special episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, as Chief Mammal John Lanza’s sister, Kelly Mindell, peppered him with questions regarding her own money-smart program. But so this installment didn’t turn into a Lanza family reunion, former podcast guest Robin Taub joined in as co-host.

In case you’re not an Instagram aficionado, Kelly is the founder and visionary behind Studio DIY, a colorful lifestyle brand that inspires over 700K followers with DIY hacks, bold home decor ideas and memorable holiday celebrations. Her projects have been featured in HGTV Magazine, Real Simple and Domino as well as on NBC’s Parks & Recreation, Miley Cyrus’s Milk tour, NPR, BuzzFeed and The Today Show. Kelly lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and six-year-old son, Arlo.

During this episode, Kelly asked John and Robin questions about her family’s own journey, like:

  • What happens when past “questionable” purchases aren’t motivators to change a child’s spending habits?
  • Should parents intervene in their kids’ spending decisions?
  • Do parents need to introduce a child to saving for a larger goal (like a car, a college education, or a home)?
  • When should parents introduce their kids to savings or investment accounts?
  • How can parents help their children transition from one goal to the next?
  • Should parents always carry their kids’ “Spend Smart” money with them?

Click here to stream the full inquisition … err … discussion. 😉

— 3 —

A Meaningful Money Conversation: Once parents like Kelly have established their money-smart programs, how can they ensure their money conversations with their kids matter? John’s latest Art of Allowance Podcast guest, Tom Henske, offered several strategies from his new book, It Makes Total Cents: 12 Conversations to Change Your Child’s Future, during his second appearance on the show.

A leader in the financial industry for nearly three decades, Tom began his career in financial planning in 1994 with Cowan Financial Group. He then soon started his own company, Henske Advisors. They were acquired in 2003 by National Financial Partners (merging them into Lenox Advisors), which went public shortly thereafter. Tom remained an equity partner until 2020, when he retired to focus solely on matters of life insurance and building the Total Cents platform.

(Side note: Tom and I are both UVa alums. What’s more, Tom’s goalie skills helped lead the Cavs to an impressive three NCAA Division I soccer championships. 🏆 Wahoowah!)

Here are a few key points from John and Tom’s far-reaching discussion:

👉 Overcoming parental reservations about money conversations

👉 Why parents should want to be mimicked by their children

👉 Continuing the money conversation with older kids

You can listen to the episode in its entirety by clicking here.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed a recap of what we at Snigglezoo have been up to in June. So until next month, TTFN! (For all of you Winnie the Pooh fans, yes, this abbreviation is shorthand for “Ta Ta For Now.”)

📸: Natelledrawsstuff on Tenor

And, as always, here’s to putting our best fin lit flippers forward!

Erin Prim

Marketing Manatee