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Tower Federal Credit Union Just Made Teaching Kids About Money Way Easier (And Free)

This bright, welcoming classroom scene depicts five elementary school-aged children enthusiastically participating in a financial literacy lesson. Gathered around a table, the students are smiling, collaborating, and engaged in hands-on activities designed to teach smart money habits. At the center of the group, one student holds a whiteboard titled "Smart Money Choices," illustrating four key financial concepts: Save, Spend, Earn, and Give, each paired with a simple icon such as a piggy bank, shopping cart, dollar bill, and heart. The children appear attentive and excited as they discuss the lesson together. The classroom is filled with colorful financial education materials. On the walls are posters labeled "Financial Education" and "A Small Step Today Can Lead to a Big Future," along with a goals chart highlighting Learn, Plan, Save, and Succeed. Educational graphics featuring budgeting, saving, investing, and financial growth reinforce the classroom's money management theme. The table is covered with learning tools including notebooks, colored markers, a monthly budget worksheet with a pie chart, a small stack of cash, coins, and a pink piggy bank, giving students practical examples of saving and budgeting. One student reads a booklet titled "Earn, Save, Grow," while nearby books feature topics such as banking, investing, and smart financial habits. Warm natural light streams through large classroom windows, creating an inviting and optimistic atmosphere. The overall image conveys collaboration, confidence, and curiosity while emphasizing the importance of teaching children essential financial skills such as budgeting, saving, earning, investing, and responsible spending from an early age.

Let’s be honest: teaching kids about money ranks somewhere between explaining the birds and the bees and helping with Common Core math homework on the parental difficulty scale. The good news? Tower Federal Credit Union just made your job a whole lot easier.

Tower announced they’re partnering with Greenlight Financial Technology to give their members free access to Greenlight’s family finance app. Translation: you get an award-winning tool to help turn your kids into financially savvy humans without spending a dime.

Why This Actually Matters

Here’s a reality check that might surprise you. A whopping 91% of kids and teens say they need financial know-how to reach their life goals. And 94% of parents agree with them. So everyone’s on the same page, right? Well, not quite.

Only 35 states require personal finance courses in schools. When teens take the National Financial Literacy Test, they average a score of 64%. That’s a D, folks. Meanwhile, 81% of parents admit they wish they had better tools to teach financial skills, ranking it as the #1 toughest life skill to pass on to their kids.

The gap between what kids need to know and what they’re actually learning is real. And that’s the problem Tower and Greenlight are tackling together.

What You’re Actually Getting

Greenlight gives your kids a debit card and app that turns abstract money concepts into hands-on experience. Think of it as a financial training ground with guardrails.

Parents get the control panel. You can send money instantly, set up automatic allowance payments, assign chores, create spending limits, and get real-time notifications every time your kid swipes their card. No more wondering if your teenager just bought their third energy drink of the day.

Kids get the real-world practice. They learn to earn, save, spend wisely, and even give to causes they care about. Plus, they get access to Greenlight Level Up™, which is basically a financial literacy game that makes learning about compound interest actually engaging. Educational challenges, rewards, the whole nine yards.

How to Get Started

“We’re excited to offer complimentary access to Greenlight as a new membership benefit,” said Tom Poe, Chief Marketing Officer at Tower. “Greenlight helps families turn everyday moments into opportunities to learn about money. Whether it’s managing allowance, saving for a goal, or giving kids the freedom of a debit card with parent-approved controls, Greenlight makes it easier for parents and kids to build healthy financial habits together.”

If you’re a Tower checking account holder, you can sign up through the Tower mobile app. Simple as that. Check out Tower’s Greenlight page to learn more and get your family set up.

Because raising financially smart kids shouldn’t require a finance degree. Just the right tools and a credit union that has your back.

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