business & professional >> sponsored by The Credit Union Perspective By: John Normandeau, President/CEO BestSource Credit Union best source credit union It's Time to Make Your Financial Resolutions for the New Year! She's Flipped! 111 . 1r John Normandeau, CFO A Novi mom has created an educational tool that will helps kids and parents alike. Lynne Konstantin Contributing Writer ackie Scher Stassinopoulos prides herself on being a hands-on mom. So when her oldest son, with husband, John, entered kindergarten, the Novi entrepreneur and Detroit College of Business graduate, 45 — who attends Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield with her family — closed her chocolate shop to devote herself to volunteering at school and involving herself with his homework, even in that early stage. But she found that she couldn't keep up. "The assignments were filled with terms I had never heard of' she says. "Word families, blends and skip count- ing — it was over my head:' Over time, she sought help from her two sons' teachers and tutors, and not finding any study aids to suit Michigan's specific curriculum needs, she eventu- ally began to make her own flashcards of the subjects her boys were learning in school. "We practiced with them, we played games with them and we learned. We brought them everywhere we went:" she says. "And in the back of my mind, I was always thinking about those families with two working parents. I could barely keep up, and I am a stay-at-home mom." She realized that she could not be the only parent out there who needed to educate herself before she could help educate her kids, even more so if they benefit from alternatives to traditional learning methods. "One of my sons is a visual learner so study aids really need to appeal to him:' says Stassinopoulos. "And the other one just loves to pick up a book and read. So I needed something that would appeal to all types of learning styles." What she came up with is a new busi- ness. You'll Flip, an innovative series of flashcards, is so simple a concept — which is precisely what makes them user-friendly for both parents and kids. Portable, durable and interchangeable, the color-coded laminated cards bound with metal rings (so they can be taken apart for games and activities) are both j i It's the beginning of a new year, which is a great time to make resolutions regarding your financial life. The mission at BestSource Credit Union is to improve our members' financial lives. Here are some financial ideas for you to consider as we start the New Year. It's a great time to be a borrower! Interest rates have never been lower. Take a look at the interest rate on your monthly credit card statements. If you are only making the minimum payments on your credit cards, the credit union can likely save you hundreds of dollars in interest by refinancing these balances into a debt consolidation loan. Look at the interest rate on your auto loan. Did you know that you can refinance your auto loan? If you're paying more than 5% on your auto loan than you have an opportuni- ty to save money on your monthly payment by financing your loan. We have great auto loan rates and would be happy to take a look at your current loan. Jackie Stassinopoulos and her sons, Peter and Jonathan fun and educational, presenting vari- ous ways for children to learn a single concept. Working with a team of teachers and educational consultants, Stassinopoulos developed You'll Flip with content based on Michigan's education bench- marks for each grade level from kin- dergarten through fourth grade, and is in the process of creating cards for fifth-eighth grades. Grade-level "Lunch Totes" range in areas of study from number and color recognition for young children to contractions and subtraction facts for second-graders to homophones, multi- plication and division facts and geom- etry for fourth-graders; each book has an activity card for practice and enrichment. The system makes it easy for parents to understand precisely what their child is expected to know at each grade level, or if they should start with a lower or higher grade according to his or her own strengths and weak- nesses. "They're flashcards with a pur- pose she says. Parents can also supplement with subject-specific "Snack Packs" within each grade level according to where their child requires emphasis or dis- plays an interest. These subjects range from a pre-primer in Dolch Sight Words and Short Vowel Word Families for kindergartners to Skip Counting by 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s for third-graders. Richard Njus, a retired Novi elemen- tary principal and educational consul- And let's not forget about growing your savings. With interest rates low and financial markets so volatile, it has become a challenge for depositors to grow their savings. Talking with a financial planner can help you leverage the options available to you. Everyone needs to have the peace of mind that they have enough money to retire when you are ready. Starting a savings plan to save money can be a big stretch for some people, particularly if you're living paycheck to paycheck. You have to start somewhere. I recommend set- ting up an allocation to a special savings account where you commit to not touching the money. At BestSource Credit Union our mission is to improve our members' financial lives. Stop by a branch or give us a call at 800.666.4500 to see how we can help you achieve your goals. For more information, visit www.bestsourcecu.org . IBEr SOURCE CREDIT OPEN This Sunday January ISth Only! One Day 2 fi m• from 10 axn't° oving Members' Financial UNION Beat the Clock Sal e! • ONE DAY ONLY.. • 20' ALL NON SALE MERCHANDISE! Sunday January 15th only 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 60% off 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. 50% off All Fall & Winter Merchandise TODAY ONLY — 248.626.7776 ON THE BOARDWALK The first Grade Starter Tote includes four grade-appropriate Flip Books. • Previous purchases excluded • ,W Sale; Arr Fool • Suit- of tric1C11(111d1., unit' She's Flipped on page 22 January 12 2012 21