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 BankNet  HelpWithMyBank.gov |
Financial Literacy Resources DirectoryThis directory provides information on financial literacy resources, issues and events that are important to bankers, organizations, and consumers of all ages. The directory includes descriptions and contact information for a sampling of organizations that have undertaken financial literacy initiatives as a primary mission, government programs, fact sheets, newsletters, conference materials, publications, and links to Web sites.
As of January 2011, taxpayers can use tax refunds to buy U.S. Series | Savings Bonds for their own use or for someone else. Issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Series I bonds are low-risk bonds that grow in value for up to 30 years. Asset Builders of America is a non-profit organization, sponsored by a group of banks in Wisconsin that promotes financial literacy for people of all ages. It provides day-long seminars and weekly sessions for middle and high school students, as well as adult learning seminars that cover basic to more advanced financial topics. The Asset Coalition Toolkit for States (ACTS) is an independent website containing tools and resources that leverage information sharing among state coalitions in the asset-building field. Assets for Independence Demonstration (AFI) is the first federal law to fund IDA programs. Administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this initiative has been authorized to fund 5-year project grants to establish new IDAs across the country. Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) promotes asset-building and economic opportunity strategies, primarily in low-income and distressed communities, that bring together community practice, public policy, and private markets. CFED has promoted the IDA as a means of enabling low-income individuals to develop assets and is currently drafting certification standards for IDA Programs. CFED coordinates the American Dream Demonstration (ADD), a large-scale IDA program which has designed and implemented IDA initiatives in 13 locations around the country. Individual Development Accounts: An Asset Building Product for Lower-Income Consumers (PDF) (February 2005) OCC Community Developments Insights examines Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) as a tool for banks and other financial institutions to encourage lower-income persons and families to save money and thus build assets for particular financial goals. It describes why banks offer IDAs, shows how banks are involved with IDAs, and addresses barriers to the growth of IDA products. The information presented here was obtained from a variety of sources including financial institutions, IDA policymakers, nonprofit service providers, and program funders. Several hundred banks participate in IDA programs which can receive positive consideration under the Community Reinvestment Act. Appendix 1 of the Insights paper contains a resource guide for banks considering participation in an IDA program. Individual Development Accounts (PDF) OCC Community Developments Fact Sheet The JoinBankOn.org web site provides information for current and potential Bank On programs. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy helps people understand their personal finances through every stage of life. The Alliance for Investor Education is a non-profit organization of 18 associations, government agencies and self-regulatory bodies that are leaders in investor education/financial literacy. Building Native Communities: Financial Education and Asset Building provides financial education, entrepreneurship, home buyer education, and credit counseling programs to Native communities. The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. offers this Financial Planning Resource Kit to help people learn about financial planning. Choose to Save is sponsored by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the American Savings Education Council. This public education campaign encourages savings through all stages of life. Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and American Savings Education Council (ASEC) America Saves Campaign consists of locally based campaigns to publicize the value of building savings and reducing debt to Americans who have not saved adequately. Local offices of the U.S. Department of Labor provide support on each campaign, and U.S. Savings Bonds are one of the savings products promoted. America Saves involves local nonprofit, government, and business leaders in each campaign. Cultivating Community-based Financial Literacy Initiatives (Spring 2009) OCC Community Developments Investments highlights roles that banks can play in promoting financial stability through local partnership efforts. Its articles describe four programs that help banks and their community partners reach out to consumers to encourage better money management through savings and checking products. The Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension System (NIFA) provides leadership to state, regional, and county-level educators who deliver basic consumer education; teaches personal financial management skills to youth, limited-resource families, and young families; and promotes comprehensive financial planning throughout the life cycle. Financial Literacy (PDF) OCC Community Developments Fact Sheet Kids.gov - The Federal Citizen Information Center offers the official government Web site for children, where they can create, play and learn in a safe online environment free from advertisements. Kids.gov provides an extensive money section with topics that cover saving, spending and earning money. The Institute for Financial Literacy is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to make effective financial literacy education available for everyone. Founded in 2002, the Institute accomplishes its mission by working with organizations to incorporate financial education into their existing services. The Institute also provides direct delivery of financial counseling and education to the general public. Money Management International’s Financial Wellness in 30 Steps - Web site outlines a path to financial wellness. The program gives consumers the information needed to create successful strategies for improving their financial well-being. Money Smart, sponsored by the FDIC, is a financial education curriculum designed to help individuals outside the financial mainstream enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is a foundation dedicated to helping all Americans acquire the information and gain the skills necessary to take control of their personal finances. NEFE accomplishes its mission primarily by partnering with other concerned organizations to provide financial education to the public, and particularly to underserved individuals whose financial education needs are not being addressed by others. The NEFE also has launched a National Financial Literacy Campaign that encourages Americans to start achieving their financial goals today by accessing practical information on the Smart About Money Website. Native Financial Education Coalition (NFEC) is a group of local, regional, and national organizations and government agencies that have joined together to promote financial education in Native communities. The NeighborWorks® Financial Capability Program helps individuals and families develop sound personal financial management skills. Operation Hope - Banking on Our Future - Operation Hope, Inc. (OHI), a private nonprofit financial empowerment organization, offers a national financial literacy education program for elementary, middle and high school students, and adults. Payroll Cards: An Innovative Product for Reaching the Unbanked and Underbanked (PDF) - OCC Community Development Insights examines the growth of payroll cards and their potential for use by national banks to attract unbanked households into the financial mainstream. Read the Fine Print Before Giving a Gift Card, OCC PSA The S3 Online Game - The Center for Financial and Consumer Outreach offers The S3 Online Game Show, a family-feud style financial literacy game show that teaches how to save, spend, and succeed (S3). The Society for Financial Education and Professional Development, Inc. (SFEPD) develops and presents financial literacy and professional development training for individuals and organizations. To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the organization works with financial and education institutions, governmental units, corporations, and foundations, that support financial education and professional development programs. The U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Education has recognized SFEPD seminars for meeting their criteria for effective financial education programs. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission offers its Top 11 Financial Tips for 2011 to help people improve their personal financial fitness. Visa’s Financial Football 2.0, an NFL-themed educational video game, uses the NFL’s structure and rules to teach money skills and to improve financial literacy. Children and adults answer questions of varying difficulty about money management. The updated game is available in English and Spanish and can be played online or ordered at no cost. The Woodstock Institute has produced a guide targeted to a wide range of financial literacy providers that would like to know how effective their programs are but need a format with which to evaluate them. "Evaluating Your Financial Literacy Program: A Practical Guide" can be used to help organizations discover what works best for their customers. The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. offers its Consumer Guide to Financial Self-Defense for consumers to protect themselves from people posing as financial advisors. This guide helps consumers recognize and react to red flags that may arise when they are selecting and working with financial advisors. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created by Congress to protect and inform consumers, has a new Web site. ConsumerFinance.gov is designed to solicit consumer ideas about the new bureau’s creation, priorities, and to answer questions about its work. Gift Cards: OCC Provides Holiday Tips for Consumers, OCC Consumer Advisory National Consumer Protection Week, the Federal Trade Commission, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations have launched the 2011 National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) website and blog. The website highlights the importance of consumer education and the availability of free resources to help people protect their privacy, manage credit and debt, avoid identity theft, understand mortgages and other loans, and recognize frauds and scams. New Overdraft Protection Rules Give You A Choice OCC PSA OCC Offers Facts for Consumers About Their Rights When Using Checks (PDF), OCC Consumer Advisory OCC Offers Tips to Help Consumers Avoid Cashier’s Check Fraud, OCC Consumer Advisory Annualcreditreport.com gives consumers one free credit report form each of the national credit reporting companies. The Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA) International Education Foundation, offers Ask Doctor Debt a free, online confidential resource to help consumers find solutions to credit and debt issues. The Federal Reserve Board offers two new guides, “Credit Reports and Credit Scores” and “New Rules on Credit Decisions and Notices,” to answers to common questions about credit reports and how errors in credit reports can be corrected; and the new notices consumers may receive when credit reports or credit scores affect a decision to grant credit. Freddie Mac Credit Smart is a curriculum to help consumers build and maintain credit. National Foundation for Credit Counseling, Inc. (NFCC) is the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit credit counseling organization. With 115 member agencies and nearly 1,000 local offices throughout the country, NFCC agencies counsel approximately 2 million people per year. All members are nonprofit, mission-driven, community-based agencies and many are known as Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS). The NFCC offers credit counseling, debt reduction services, and financial literacy education to consumers throughout the country. For more information about the NFCC network visit the website or call (800) 388-2227. Financial Literacy and Education Commission Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) The Financial Literacy and Education Commission was established under Title V of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act of 2003 to improve financial literacy and education of persons in the United States. The Commission is chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury and composed of 22 Federal agencies. The principal duties of the Commission include encouraging government and private sector efforts to promote financial literacy; coordinating financial education efforts of the Federal government; identification and promotion of best practices; development of a national strategy to promote financial literacy; and establishment of the Mymoney.gov web site. Mymoney.gov is the U.S. government’s web site dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education. The site organizes financial education help from over 20 different Federal web sites in one place. Content is organized by where you are in life ("Life Events"), who you are ("My Resources"), and by specific hands-on tools ("Tools"). This site is also available in Spanish. The President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability (“Council”) was created when the President signed Executive Order 13530, January 29, 2010, to assist the American people in understanding financial matters and making informed financial decisions, and thereby contribute to financial stability. It is composed of non-governmental representatives with relevant backgrounds, such as financial services, consumer protection, financial access, and education. The Council will suggest ways to coordinate and maximize the effectiveness of existing private and public sector efforts and identify new approaches to increase financial capability through financial education and financial access. "Promoting Financial Success in the United States: National Strategy for Financial Literacy 2011" (PDF) was published by the FLEC in November 2010. The Strategy was created through a process that included conversations with private, public, and non-profit representatives from the field. Articulating a vision of sustained financial well-being for individuals and families in our nation, this document sets strategic direction for policy, education, practice, research, and coordination in the financial literacy and education field. Financial literacy for limited English proficiency populations MoneyWi$e is a national financial literacy partnership of Consumer Action and Capital One, is the first program of its kind to combine free, multilingual financial education materials, curricula and teaching aids with regional meetings and roundtables to train community-based organization staff so that consumers at all income levels and walks of life can be reached. National Council of La Raza's is Housing and Community Development component and Wealth Building Policy Project seeks to strengthen Latino communities by preserving and increasing their wealth. Pew Hispanic Center was founded in 2001 and is a nonpartisan research organization supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Its mission is to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the entire nation. The Center does not advocate for or take positions on policy issues. Remittances: A Gateway to Banking for Unbanked Immigrants (PDF) Community Development Insights AARP's "Reverse Mortgage Loans: Borrowing Against Your Home" (PDF) - is a consumer guide that explains reverse mortgages. Fannie Mae - provides pre- and post-purchase homeowner education and credit counseling. Federal Law Protects Renters During Foreclosure, OCC PSA Freddie Mac Homebuyer Resources provides credit, mortgage finance, and home-buying resources designed to assist prospective homebuyers and existing homeowners. HUD’s Homeownership for All is a program that provides prospective homeowners with modules that explain the basics of buying a home, and what is expected of a buyer. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling offers a podcast series, entitled Housing Counseling 101, to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. The pre-recorded audio series provides information on myths in housing counseling, creating an action plan, preparing for a counseling session, benefits of housing counseling, and the housing counseling process. NeighborWorks® Network National Homeownership Programs offers a continuum of strategies to ensure successful, sustainable homeownership for people of modest means. Reverse Mortgages: Are They For You? OCC Consumer Advisory, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development certifies and funds housing counseling agencies throughout the country that can provide advice on buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, credit issues, and reverse mortgages. Understanding Reverse Mortgages, OCC PSA Recognizing and avoiding abusive lending practices "Don't Borrow Trouble" is a national predatory lending and foreclosure avoidance campaign that combines education and empowerment – teaching consumers to protect their homes and finances. OCC Consumer Tips for Avoiding Mortgage Modification Scams and Foreclosure Rescue Scams OCC Consumer Advisory, Retirement and Financial Security AARP’s Retirement Calculator has been redesigned. This financial tool has enhanced usability and accurate results. New features allow a user to develop a retirement plan for a dual-income family, and calculate and include Social Security benefits in their retirement income. Ballpark Estimate The American Savings Education Council's (ASEC) Ballpark E$timate is an easy-to-use, two-page worksheet that helps you quickly identify approximately how much you need to save for retirement. The Ballpark E$timate takes complicated issues like projected Social Security benefits and earnings assumptions on savings, and turns them into language and mathematics that are easy to understand. Retirement Confidence Survey The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), the American Savings Education Council (ASEC), and Matthew Greenwald & Associates sponsor this survey of retirement attitudes and behaviors. U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Retirement Plans for Small Businesses interactive Web site helps small businesses identify suitable retirement plans for their employees and businesses. The Web site provides employers with retirement plan options and describes the advantages and features of various plans. In Advisory Letter AL 2001-1 (PDF), the OCC provided national banks with information on the types of financial literacy programs that have been undertaken by banks and aspects of those programs that have been most important to their success. HelpWithMyBank.gov The OCC’s HelpWithMyBank.gov Web site provides answers to approximately 250 commonly-asked banking questions. While targeted at national bank customers, the site answers many questions common to all banking consumers, provides useful information about contacting regulators of state banks, thrifts, and other financial institutions; and includes an online complaint form for bank customers wishing to register their concerns to the OCC. The site is also available in Spanish The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s Community Affairs Fact Sheet entitled "Bank Savings Incentive Programs" (PDF) offers information on initiatives that encourage consumers to start or to increase savings by using bank deposit accounts. Small business and microenterprise technical assistance The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers the Small Business Development Centers program to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. Nearly 1,000 SBDCs exist nationwide that provide a wide variety of information and guidance. Service Corps of Retired Executives is a nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business through counseling and mentor programs. The Association for Enterprise Opportunity is a national association of organizations committed to microenterprise development and maintains a clearinghouse of microenterprise development programs. The Microfinance Gateway is a public forum for the microfinance industry at large that offers a wealth of tailored services for microfinance professionals, including resource centers on specific topics in microfinance, a searchable library of electronic documents, a consultant database, a new bulletin board, and specialized discussion groups. The Gateway's resources constitute a comprehensive source of information on microfinance on the World Wide Web, featuring 3900 online documents and over 900 listings of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Consumer Alternatives for Receiving Income Tax Refunds (PDF) OCC Consumer Advisory, Spanish Reaching New Bank Customers Through the Earned Income Tax Credit (PDF 2 MB) OCC's publication highlights efforts of national banks and other financial institutions-along with their nonprofit and government partners-to help promote the use of EITCs in their communities. Tips on Securing a Safe and Timely Tax Refund, OCC PSA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income ($49,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Volunteers sponsored by various organizations receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations. Most locations also offer free electronic filing. To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-906-9887. Appleseed works to help underbanked populations – particularly immigrants and minorities – enter the financial mainstream. Center for Financial Services Innovation's (CFSI) mission is to transform the U.S. financial services marketplace to help underbanked consumers achieve financial prosperity. FDIC's National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households (PDF) provides information, based on census data, on the U.S. households that are unbanked or underbanked, their demographic characteristics, and their reasons for being unbanked and underbanked. The Actuarial Foundation, a nonprofit organization, offers its "Building Your Future," a financial literacy curriculum resource for high school teachers. Building Your Future is an Institute for Financial Literacy 2010 Curriculum of the Year Award winner. The Alliance for Investor Education offers “Teaching Your Kids About Saving and Investing: A Guide for Parents,” promotes 10 of the best Web-based resources that parents can use to teach their children how to save and invest, even in tough financial times. The America’s Promise Alliance offers “Saving Our Futures: A Financial Responsibility Program for Young People.” This online curriculum, available in English and Spanish, teaches students in middle and high school about financial responsibility. The program encourages students to become smarter money managers. The American Bankers Association's Education Foundation provides bankers with the tools to help youngsters gain the necessary skills they need to become financially astute. Programs cover saving, budgeting and credit, and are designed for students from kindergarten through college. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System offers an online resource, aimed at teaching middle school and high school students about economics and personal finances by having them construct a newspaper front page. Students are provided with instructions and a template for designing the newspaper, and are expected to consult with the Federal Reserve's web site, for information needed. The project helps teachers meet national and state academic content standards for high school economics and personal finance courses. www.usatoday.com/educate/federalreserve/index_new2.html The Council for Economic Education provides personal finance and economics education through classroom curricula and the Internet. For example, its Financial Fitness for Life curriculum presents key concepts in economics and personal finance, using a variety of real life examples appropriate to particular age groups. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston sponsors “Peanuts and Crackerjacks” an interactive baseball game that promotes financial literacy by testing participants on their knowledge of economics and professional sports trivia. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia offers “Uncle Jed’s Barbershop,” a book students can listen to. The book is about an African-American barber who, despite significant setbacks, manages to save enough money to buy his own barbershop. From Uncle Jed’s story, students learn about saving, setting savings goals, opportunity cost, and segregation. The students can also play a card game that teaches them how to establish and reach savings goals. Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy maintains a clearinghouse of resources that seek to promote financial literacy. Junior Achievement (JA) brings volunteers into the classroom to make economic concepts relevant for grades K-12. JA offers financial literacy programs at every grade level K-12 in the classroom and after school. JA partners business volunteers with local classrooms, where JA volunteers facilitate lessons in financial literacy, workforce preparation, and economics. JA trains and prepares all volunteers and provides the lesson plans and materials. Mapping Your Future is a new online counseling service that teaches students about borrowing, the basics of loans, loan eligibility requirements, repayment options, and ways to avoid delinquency. Money Math: Lessons for Life is a curriculum supplement launched by a diverse partnership of private companies, nonprofit organizations, and the Treasury Department for students in grades 7-9 that addresses mathematical concepts using real-world financial scenarios. Money Savvy Generation offers developed the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Money Savvy Kids® Basic Personal Finance curriculum. The curriculum is designed to help educators teach students in kindergarten through fifth grades how to handle money wisely and basic financial management concepts. The National Academy Foundation (NAF) sponsors the Academy of Finance, a school-to-career curriculum operating in 40 states and 300 high schools, serving over 20,000 students. The OCC partners with schools or school districts in 28 locations across the country to support academies of finance. Banks serve as advisory board members to local affiliates and employ hundreds of students every summer through the academy's internship program. The National Consumers League sponsors LifeSmarts, a national program that enlists the support of local partners to help teens become wise consumers. The LifeSmarts game-show style competition is for students in sixth grade through high school. The program complements the curriculum used in many middle schools and high schools and can be used as a rewarding and fun activity for classes, groups, clubs, and community organizations. School-Based Bank Savings Programs: Bringing Financial Education to Students (PDF) (April 2009) OCC Community Developments Insights examines school-based bank savings programs as financial education initiatives to help students learn about the importance of saving and other money management topics. This edition of the OCC's Community Developments Insights discusses how school-based bank savings programs operate. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation (SIFMA) sponsors The Stock Market Game™, an online simulation of the global capital markets is designed for students in fourth grade through high school. The game introduces student to economics, investing, and personnel finance. TD Bank offers “WOW Zone” an interactive Web site to provide young children and teens with information on understanding the value and worth of money. Parents can help their children by reading the Web site’s stories and using the games. Educators can incorporate the suggested lesson plans in their classes. The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions and the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) offers this updated booklet “Right on the Money: Financial Know-How for College Students.” The booklet has information on defining personal values, banking, budgeting, finding financial aid, curbing spending, establishing a credit history, and preventing and dealing with identity theft. The Young Americans Center for Financial Education promotes the financial literacy of young people. The center offers real life experiences and hands-on programs to help students build life skills, work skills, and financial self-sufficiency. OCC Financial Literacy Updates
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