Spring has arrived with warmer weather, along with the corresponding annual themes of growth and renewal. Spring also serves as a meaningful stepping stone for high school seniors to their graduation during the summer. Future graduates dream of a nice relaxing summer, followed by taking their next big step—joining the workforce, attending college, or enlisting in one of the military branches. Spring also delivers Financial Literacy Month in April, an important theme relevant during the current economic environment with rising costs for our fundamental needs. Whether you are about to graduate high school, or you are on the path to retirement and ready to ride into the sunset, or somewhere in between, taking stock of your financial health is essential.

American Eagle Financial Credit Union is dedicated to delivering on our mission of creating financial freedom for the communities we serve. We are committed to being there for our members and the market to provide the financial solutions you need during these challenging times. Whether the right solution for you is a tutorial on budgeting, a debt consolidation loan, some tips on protecting your credit, or making an investment with our great CD rates, we are here to help.

As we deliver on our mission for the market, we continue to prosper and can do more for our members. As I reported recently, we had our best year ever last year from a financial and operational standpoint. We continued that momentum through the first quarter of 2023 with strong results highlighting the value we create for our membership. Moreover, our member satisfaction scores emphasize the appreciation for American Eagle as a safe, sound, and stable option amidst turbulence in the financial system. Simply stated, American Eagle is an excellent option for consumers to get their financial needs met. A critical facet of our value proposition is helping support members and families with their spending, borrowing, saving, and investing.

Our team is passionate about providing financial education to deliver on the ultimate goal of financial freedom. Our members can access a broad range of free online courses on our website addressing such topics as budgeting, financial foundations, building credit, car shopping, buying a home, financial caregiving and elder fraud, and retirement planning as well as financial wellness. In addition, American Eagle also delivers educational programming through in-person seminars throughout the year, conveying key insights to deepening financial understanding. We are a partner with essential resources and capabilities to support your financial health and well-being. We are proud of our efforts in helping members achieve their financial goals.

Every one of our team members shares in our dedication to providing exceptional service and support to our members, including our quest to provide helpful and accessible financial education. We remain committed to delivering on our mission.

As we welcome Spring, we hope you will take time to enjoy these warmer and longer sunny days. Know that our team is ready to address any concerns you may have during the year and provide solutions. Finally, we look forward to partnering with you on your financial journey to financial freedom during Financial Literacy Month and all year long.

Warm regards,

Like most people, you probably use a strong password to protect your accounts. But hackers use different tactics to steal or guess your passwords.

Taking steps to keep your password secure is an important first line of defense against hackers. But the best way to protect your accounts is to use two-factor authentication, sometimes called two-step verification or multi-factor authentication.

American Eagle Financial Credit Union announced the recipients of $27,258 in donations from its participatory funding program, Cash Back to the Community.

Congratulations to PaperHouse Productions Theatre Company, Southington West Little League, and Boomer’s Best Buddies Rescue. Each nonprofit organization received a $9,086 donation for earning the most votes in AEFCU’s first quarter Cash Back to the Community program. A total of 143 organizations were nominated, and 2,389 votes were cast by AEFCU members and the general public.

PaperHouse Productions is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing theatre opportunities to youth. “As a nonprofit children’s theatre company, we are still recovering from lost funds during the pandemic when we had to cancel our summer program two years in a row and turn our primary large production into a small video presentation. We are slowly re-growing our participation rates again, but it barely covers our operating expenses. A donation such as this will ensure we can provide continued opportunities for local children to get involved in theatrical and musical experiences, year-round. More specifically, we would use this specific donation to provide financial aid to kids who might otherwise be unable to afford our registration fees as well as cover a portion of the cost to replace our very old, unreliable audio equipment (i.e., microphones and soundboard). Better equipment helps us provide a more professional experience for the kids involved as well as ensure their voices are heard during performances after all their hard work,” says Karen Feinberg, PaperHouse Productions, Board Chair. To learn more about PaperHouse Productions, visit https://paperhouseproductions.weebly.com.

Incorporated as a nonprofit organization with the mission to “promote, develop, supervise, and voluntarily assist in all lawful ways the interest of those who will participate in Little League Baseball and Softball.” Through proper guidance and exemplary leadership, the Little League program assists youth in developing the qualities of citizenship, discipline, teamwork, and physical well-being. By espousing the virtues of character, courage, and loyalty, the Little League Baseball® is designed to develop superior citizens rather than stellar athletes. To learn more about Southington West Little League, visit https://www.southingtonwestbaseball.com.

Boomer’s Best Buddies is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue organization dedicated to saving companion animals in CT who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected. We provide the care needed to ensure their health and safety, with the goal of finding them loving, life-long adoptive homes. “We are so excited to be the recipient of this donation! As a small Animal Rescue, the funds are crucial to our cause rescuing animals from our local shelters and to assist owners who must surrender their pets. We pay for all of our dogs, cats, and rabbits to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated, which is especially costly for rabbits as we do not recoup the charges with the amount we ask as the adoption donation. The funds will help us to continue to provide this necessary care. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” said Jennifer Kanaitis, President of Boomer’s Best Buddies Rescue. To learn more about Boomer’s Best Buddies Rescue, visit https://boomersbestbuddies.com.

Throughout 2023, AEFCU is donating one percent of its credit and debit card interchange income to three nonprofit and/or 501(c)(3) organizations each quarter through the Cash Back to the Community program. Funding for the program is generated each time members use an American Eagle credit or debit card. At the end of each quarter, one percent of the total interchange income–the fee paid for credit and debit card transactions–is distributed to the top three nonprofits receiving votes. Since the program's inception in 2020, the Credit Union has donated $325,137.

As the school year starts to come to an end, students of the Ana Grace Academy, located in Bloomfield, will be receiving summer backpacks stuffed with interactive activities that will promote learning, such as counting, and aid in fine-tuning motor skills. Pictured are American Eagle’s Bloomfield Branch Manager Jessica Mason-Rioux, members of the Ana Grace Academy P.T.O., and committee members of Dance For Ana With Love (DFAWL).

Team members of American Eagle Financial Credit Union read the book "Hair Love" and "Have You Thanked An Inventor Today?" to students at the Robert J. O’Brien STEM Academy in East Hartford. The volunteers were part of the annual Read Across America Day on March 2, 2023, organized by United Way to celebrate diversity and yearlong reading by children.

Team members of American Eagle worked with other statewide credit unions to offer 'real world' financial experiences to participants at the Financial Reality Fair located at Connecticut Central State University Student Center hosted by the Credit Union League on March 28, 2023.

This program helps to educate hundreds of high school students on lifelong financial strategies for saving money, budgeting, managing debt, saving for retirement, and how establishing a credit score can impact their financial well-being.

Are you ready to rock?!? Back by popular demand, American Eagle Financial Credit Union is excited to kick off the second year of our partnership with Live Nation and the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, CT.

American Eagle is the premier sponsor of this summer’s amazing lineup of performances featuring the world’s top musical artists—and will be offering exciting promotions to our members all summer long.

Make that dream a reality! Winners were notified via email on April 4, 2023. Didn’t make the cut? No worries! American Eagle will be offering the chance to win throughout the 2023 season with the Hartford Yard Goats. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and the next promotion!