Leonte came to the Akron FEC to learn how to build his savings, despite being a student and having very little income. He also hoped to learn about credit and how to manage it responsibly.

 “I was running on a budget, a ramen noodle budget. I wanted to figure out some kind of way to save and use the money I had wisely.”

After a few sessions with his FEC counselor, Leonte opened a savings account. “I had a checking account but didn’t have a savings account. That gave me clear goals for saving.”

Leonte’s work with his FEC counselor helped him to learn how to best use his savings account, as well as other basic money management skills and best practices for things like building credit and investing in the stock market.

“My counselor helped me get my first credit card. I have made payments on it successfully since and haven’t missed one payment.”

Leonte went from living paycheck to paycheck to following a budget and working towards building his savings account balance for emergencies, as well as budgeting for healthcare costs.

“My FEC counselor helped me see my spending month-to-month and exactly where my money was going so I could figure out how manage it better. Every session since my first, my spending has gone down.”

“I feel like the quality of my life has improved. Not having to worry when you pull up your bank account is a huge deal, especially as a student.”