Smart(er) Money

Any investor will tell you: It’s a lot better to put your money to work, earning interest or growing in an investment, than to let it sit idle.
Close up on a hand operating a calculator that prints receipts. A number of bank documents are next to the calculator.
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  • Why Work With a Certified Credit Union Investments Professional?

It’s no different here at the credit union. We invest our members’ assets—the deposits you entrust with us—in safe, government-backed securities. And with the money we earn, we’re better able to provide you with more effective, competitive, and innovative services. 

At Adirondack Regional, we’re always looking to make sure we do the best possible job with your money. Recently, Financial Specialist Basel Farhat passed his Certified Credit Union Investments Professional exam. That means he joins a select group of financial pros who are able to spot good investments and steer away from lemons.

Basel Farhat wearing a grey suit, and blue checkered shirt, smiling.

“Being able to understand the risks and efficiencies associated with balance sheet management is integral to the health of a successful credit union,” says Basel, who joined Adirondack Regional FCU in 2020. “This certification enhanced my ability to more efficiently run the credit union’s investment portfolio in a manner that compliments risk exposure and member deposits.”

At the credit union, Basel is responsible for overseeing a portfolio of $23 million, most of which is in bonds issued by the federal government and mortgage-backed securities. He’s no slouch: As part of a portfolio-building simulation using real-world investments during the 6-month licensing process, he finished in the top 3 of his class.

Basel Farhat standing infront of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, wearing dress clothes and black sunglasses.

Mr. Farhat Goes to Washington

Basel Farhat is a whiz with numbers—the credit union’s financial specialist has a master’s in data analytics, after all.