Meet Casey!

A nature lover, avid golfer, charcuterie connoisseur, Branch Manager, Certified Financial Counselor, just to name a few. We’d like to introduce Casey and her role as Certified Financial Counselor in our FInancial Wellness Program, the importance of financial wellness for our community, and how our participating members have found succes.

Casey Carlson joined ONE Federal Credit Union as a teller in 2019, and quickly worked herself into other roles including Loan Officer, Cards Assistant, and Branch Manager. In 2021, after 12 weeks of training, Casey received her certification in Certified Financial Counseling. She then began building the Financial Wellness Program which launched in January of 2022.

Each of Casey’s roles have contributed to her understanding of financial wellness. Money management is not a one-dimensional issue, so a background in multiple aspects of finance has proven valuable in terms of problem-solving. “Each member has a unique case and goals for their financial well-being. I’ve helped members go from financial hardship to security, get out of predatory lending, and even just get them to a place that they can achieve their life goals like qualifying for a house.”

Casey’s special interest in financial wellness is ultimately what led her to pursue her certification. She says. “I struggled with money management in my early years through college, and I know others are experiencing the same lack of financial guidance. Financial Literacy is important! Understanding credit in depth, how to avoid and resolve debt issues, affording life, it’s all important! Being on the front line as a lender, and even on the back end with our Cards Department, I could see that our members needed more support.”

Since the establishment of the Financial Wellness Program in 2022, Casey has worked on a wide variety of cases with our membership. She shared one of her favorite success stories:

“I had a member that had been working since he was 14 -- never had a loan or a credit card, and needed some guidance on how he should navigate his finances in general. At the beginning of our process, I was able to get him a loan which allowed him to pay off the equipment he was in a rent-to-own agreement in 12 months versus 3 years. That was our first big step. His next goal was to be able to buy his own home, so I assisted him in getting a credit card to help build his credit, and we put together a budget and monthly savings goal. This member has since slowly been able to make more confident financial decisions independently. I check on him quarterly, and he reaches out to meet when he has questions. It’s honestly incredibly rewarding watching my members grow out of the Financial Wellness Program once they’ve embraced the tools and concepts we set up together. In many cases, it’s a long process, but financial independence doesn’t happen overnight.”

The importance of financial literacy, absent from her earlier years, has kept Casey motivated to help others in their journey to achieve financial wellness. If you are navigating murky waters and would like guidance, Casey says this: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The sooner you start, the sooner you can form a plan, and your goals become that much easier to attain!”