"Hi, Lenny, what are you doing?" asked Fat Cat.

"Working on this old broken-down bicycle," Lenny responded.

"Again?" asked Fat Cat. "You just fixed it last week, right?"

"Yeah, the handlebars fell off last week," explained Lenny, "but now the chain has broken. I will be glad when I can buy a new bike," Lenny said with a sparkle in his eyes.

"You're gonna buy a bike?" asked Fat Cat.

"Yes, I have been saving part of my allowance each week. And, Mom and Dad pay me to mow the lawn. I've been saving that money too!" explained Lenny proudly.

"How much interest are you earning?" asked Fat Cat.

Lenny gave Fat Cat a blank look. "Interest?" asked Lenny. "What's interest and what do you mean earn it?"

"Interest is money that your money earns," explained Fat Cat. Still seeing the blank look on Lenny's face, Fat Cat continued, "You put money into an account at the Credit Union and they give you money to keep it there. The longer the money stays in the account, the more it earns."

"So they pay me to save my money?" asked Lenny.

"That's right" answered Fat Cat. "You put it in and the next thing you know you have more than when you started. Where is your money at now, Lenny?"

"It's in my piggy bank, of course." said Lenny.

"A piggy bank?" asked Fat Cat as he chuckled. "You can't earn interest with your money in a pig!"

"But what am I supposed to do? I don't have an account to put it in. I'm only seven years old," explained Lenny.

"That doesn't matter," said Fat Cat. "The Credit Union has accounts just for us kids, the Fat Cat account. Ask your mom to take you to the Credit Union and tell them you want to start saving in a Fat Cat account. Then you can just sit back and watch your money grow!"

"Gee, thanks Fat Cat. I am going to ask Mom now!" shouted Lenny as he ran into the house.

Lenny and his mom went down to the local Credit Union and opened a Fat Cat account. Each week he would put his allowance money and his grass cutting money into his share account. And each month, he would earn interest. In just a matter of months, Lenny had saved enough money to buy a new bike.

Lenny liked the Fat Cat account so much that he continued to save, even after he bought his new bike. It's fun to watch your money grow!