Financial Well-Being Pillar

Being a young adult trying to learn how to balance your time, money, and work can be extremely stressful. However, here at FUB, the Financial Well-Being team is second to none in helping alleviate that stress. After just a few hours spent with a Financial Well-Being Specialist, I knew what it meant to “give every dollar a purpose” and how important it is to complete a budget each month. The specialist also provided numerous resources as I went through the process of purchasing my first home. Now, I do not have to worry about where my money is going and am able to instead focus on spending time doing things I enjoy!

— Kamlynn Thomas, Senior Credit Analyst at First United Bank

I wanted to obtain my first home, but an unexpected drop in my credit score posed as an obstacle. Despite reaching out to the Credit Bureaus and creditors for clarity on the abrupt drop, I was unable to obtain sufficient reasoning for my score’s decrease. Frustrated, I reached out to a Financial Wellbeing Specialist for guidance. With the implementation of their advice, I was able to increase my credit score by over one hundred points in 17 months! This allowed me to achieve my goal of purchasing a home!

— Matthew Slaten, Internal Auditor at First United Bank

Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World and its graduate class Staying Ahead are programs that empower people in Grayson County who are living in poverty to identify and build resources for more stable and productive lives. Financial literacy is one of the biggest deficits we see among our participants. For the past two years, First United Bank has graciously volunteered to teach an 8-week financial literacy class called Money Matters. This class focuses on critical skills such as budgeting, credit management, saving, and building capital, all skills that can empower our participants and their families to move out of poverty into a better future. We have seen graduates establish banking relationships, save for better housing, build lines of credit, repair damaged credit, and begin to save for future needs. It is safe to say that lives are being changed for the better in our community, thanks to the generosity and commitment to making a difference shown to Getting Ahead by First United Bank. We deeply appreciate your contribution.

— Julie Rickey, Grayson County MasterKey Ministries

Our local community Bank in Madill, recently hosted a Bank Camp for 17 teenagers from the Oklahoma Baptist Home for Girls. As part of Bank Camp, they played the “Dollar and Sense” game which is a budgeting simulation for students where they select a lifestyle and budget for expenses and unexpected events as you would in real life. The Madill Bankers also gave a tour of the bank and brought in guest speakers which included some employees of the bank, a local boutique owner who shared a presentation on “Making a First Impression,” and the owner of the Madill Community Gym who talked about fitness and creating & maintaining good habits at a young age. Thank you to the Madill Team for inspiring and empowering these young ladies in the areas of financial well-being, health and wellness, and personal growth. This is a great example of how First United Bank helps elevate lives.

— Lindsey McDermott, Caseworker at Oklahoma Baptist Home for Girls