Colleen Geraghty - Balance

11/18/2025

Welcome to Student Loan Empowerment Week! 🎓✨

We're proud to be part of the Student Loan Empowerment Network - a coalition of 14 nonprofit organizations across California working together to support borrowers like you.

As a member of this network, we join forces with organizations across the state to provide FREE, personalized help to California borrowers struggling with repayment, deferment, or forgiveness.

Together with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation - we're not a faceless institution - we're your neighbors, your allies, and your guides.

What we offer through the network:
📍 Statewide support across California
💰 100% free services - always
🤝 Real people who care about YOUR situation
💡 Access to resources, counseling, and expertise

👉 Learn more about the network and connect with support: https://bit.ly/SLENhome

This week, we're sharing everything you need to know about your student loan journey. Whether you connect with us or another partner organization, we're all here for the same reason: to help YOU build a brighter financial future.

Stay tuned all week for tips, resources, and information!

09/18/2025

be balanced

05/11/2025

03/17/2025

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🌈 Is it the luck of the Irish or the power of smart financial decisions that lead to a pot of gold?

Financial success starts with following a solid plan… or a rainbow.

This St. Patrick’s Day, take a step toward your financial goals—because with the right guidance, luck is on your side!
🍀 https://bit.ly/4iBKQfZ

01/24/2025

BALANCE, through HUD's Office of Housing Counseling and its partnership with Federal Emergency Management Agency, is proud to assist with Disaster Recovery efforts. Our HUD-certified Housing Counselors are providing on-demand resources for those coming through the Disaster Recovery Center in Westside LA located at 10580 W. Pico Boulevard. We are assisting homeowners and renters whose home was affected by the recent LA fires understand the next steps with their mortgage or lease. In addition to this, we provide resources ranging from prescription medication, emergency disaster funds, answer FEMA application questions, answer questions about homeowners’ insurance among other things. We are also working hard to help them avoid falling prey to scams. Last but not least, we provide an empathetic shoulder, in particular during the early stages of a catastrophic event such as this where they are still processing its impact.

Our hearts and sympathy go out to the thousands of people facing the devastating effects of these tragic fires. We will continue to stand with vulnerable communities, providing resources and support to help mitigate the circumstances they are facing. Together, we can work toward a brighter, more secure future for all.

08/11/2024

BALANCE Financial Fitness Program

07/14/2024

Balance Financial Fitness is hosting a webinar on July 24th, 2024, at 10:30 AM PST for:
• Financial counselors and coaches
• Credit union and bank staff
• Financial service industry employees
• HR professionals and employers interested in supporting their employees' financial well-being

Financial coaching goes beyond simply developing budgets or analyzing credit reports. Sometimes, coaches need to support members through some of their toughest financial challenges, such as debt settlement, repossession, eviction, or foreclosure. During these difficult times, emotions run high, and conversations can be challenging.

This session equips you with the skills to be an empathetic and active listener, helping you guide members through their financial distress. By providing support during their most challenging moments, you foster lasting loyalty that benefits both the members and your brand for years to come.

About the presenter:
Cynthia Campbell is BALANCE's Chief Operating Officer (COO). She is a strategist, a corporate communicator, and a project executor. She oversees BALANCE's Financial Coaching and Housing Counseling teams, Training, Human Resources, Marketing, and Business Intelligence departments. Cynthia previously served as a VP of Innovation and Strategy at Oklahoma Central Credit Union, Director of Innovation Labs at the Filene Research Institute, and VP of Financial Empowerment at Tinker Federal Credit Union. Her entire career has been focused on financial health, with a particular focus on the under-resourced.

Cynthia holds a BS in Business Administration and an MBA from Elmhurst College in Illinois; a master’s degree in Adult Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, and she has a Senior Certified Professional Human Resources designation, too. She is passionate about financial capability, innovation, user experience, growing her own food, yoga, and dogs.

07/14/2024

The median savings of 55-year-olds are well under what is needed to see a person through retirement.

03/14/2024

A Life in BALANCE tip:

It always makes sense to have a plan in place for your tax refund, if you receive one. Whether it's for jump-starting your emergency savings, paying down debt, or seed money for another goal, a lump sum of cash is a great opportunity to super-charge your financial wellbeing.

07/01/2023

A tip: If you're concerned your elderly parent or parents might be struggling to manage their money, try to plan your talk with them for a time that isn't around the holidays. While the end of the year can be full of joy and warmth, it can also be a time of additional stress. You're more likely to have a productive conversation between January and October. Get more advice for handling this critical discussion below.

balancepro.org/resources/articles/talking-to-elderly-parents-about-their-finances

07/01/2023

Did you know that in 2022, BALANCE helped over 100,000 Americans work toward their vision of financial wellness? We couldn't be prouder that so many hard-working individuals and families trusted us to help light their path forward.