Good Credit Can be Addictive

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - (10/12/04) -- GHS FCU is showing that one way toovercome addictive behavior is to regain your good credit. TheBinghamton, N.Y., credit unions has teamed with a local addictiontreatment facility, Fairview Recovery Center, to help addictivepatients get back on their feet by reestablishing good credit. Theparticipants in the program are recovery drug addicts or alcoholicswho are trying to rebuild their lives, said Stephen Gardner,president of the $65 million credit union. "And regaining theircredit is a big part of that," Gardner told The Credit UnionJournal during Monday's PALS conference here. Credit unioncounselors teach the patients about budgeting and consumer creditscores, keeping a checking and savings account. The patients meetwith the credit union's counselors once a week for 10 weeks. At theend, the credit union has helped the addicts recover theirfinancial abilities, and may even get a few new accounts, saidGardner.