| TOP STORIES AROUND THE COUNTY |
Greylock Takes Financial Education into Cyberspace11:01AM / Monday, July 06, 2009
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Greylock Federal has launched a new web site at www.Greylock.org offering improved navigation and online money management tools for people of all ages from students to seniors.
“The new site looks a lot better,” said Jim Wojtaszek, Greylock Vice President Market Development, “but it also has the brains to go along with the pretty face.” Greylock offers a variety of online tools oriented toward Financial Education and Life Planning including four “micro-sites” focused on Consumers, Businesses, Seniors and Young People. Wojtaszek said, “We know that Berkshire County families want to prepare themselves with the latest financial information so they can make smart choices about auto and mortgage loans, retirement savings, or investing in education.” Wojtaszek added, “In a bad economy people are motivated to save money and make smarter financial decisions. Greylock.org has a wealth of information.”
Greylock President Angelo C. Stracuzzi said that the credit union’s online tools are meant to support the personal service offered by Greylock. “We have the largest branch network in the county, and more loan officers able to approve auto loans and mortgages than anyone else in the Berkshires. Technology is used to enhance that personal relationship -- never to replace it.”
The educational components of the new site include three interactive sections:
1. Life Events – offers tips and guidelines about life’s many financial challenges. From buying a first car to getting married to retirement planning, help is available on a variety of financial matters
2. Plan It (Retirement Ready Toolkit) – designed to help baby boomers plan for - and achieve - financially secure retirement years. Wojtaszek said, “The motivation for this site gives pre-retirees the tools to plan for their later years.” Interactive tools will help users create a personal profile, adjust variables to aid in planning, engage with real-life people facing pre-retirement challenges, track their own retirement savings, print personalized charts, and make retirement planning to-do checklists.
3. FUSION® – is focused on the financial development needs of young credit union members. The youth site is further broken down into three sections focused on Kids and Teens, Young Adults and Parents. Greylock has also provided links to other financial and personal development-oriented sites that may be of benefit to young members and their parents.
Other enhancements include an integrated sign-on feature for home banking users, a CD rate change notification feature, live chat and more intuitive site navigation.
Wojtaszek said, “Prior to the upgrade, we were averaging about 31,000 unique site visitors per month. We’re now averaging over 50,000 unique visitors per month. The site upgrade has been well received.”
Wojtaszek added that further upgrades are planned at Greylock.org. “Greylock will continue to enhance these tools through the future use of innovative video presentations and social networking.”
According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project surveys taken from 2006-2008, over half of the adult internet population is between 18 and 44 years old, but larger percentages of older generations are doing more activities online. Generation X (ages 33-44) internet users have maintained their edge in online banking, as they are significantly more likely than any other generation to do their banking online (67%). The study notes that the biggest increase in users comes from the 73-plus age group, as 45% of them are now online.
Greylock Federal Credit Union was recently rated the top credit union in the United States for total value returned to Members/Owners according to Callahan & Associates, a national credit union research and consulting firm. Greylock Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, attends school, worships or regularly conducts business in Berkshire County. Greylock Federal is wholly owned by its more than 65,000 members and Greylock offers full-service branches in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, Lee, Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, and coming soon to Lanesboro. More information is available online at www.Greylock.org..jpg)
Caption: The new face of www.greylock.org
Photo courtesy of Greylock Federal Credit Union |
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary. Comments are closed for this article. If you would like to contribute information on this article, e-mail us at info@iBerkshires.com |
|
Advertise on iBerkshires.com
|
