To subscribe to the OCC yourself:
Subscribe: Sign up for the OCC’s “Financial Literacy Updates” by visitinghttp://www.occ.gov/canewslistserv.htm.
Resources:
The Association of Credit and Collection Professionals International’s Education Foundation provides a free and confidential resource for helping consumers find solutions to credit and debt issues.
MetLife released a new publication, The Benefits Edge: Honing the Competitive Value of Employee Benefits, written by industry expert Dr. Ron Leopold. Grounded in MetLife research, The Benefits Edge contains pragmatic principles and ideas designed to help employers make more strategic investments in employee benefits with an eye toward optimizing return on benefits investment and delivering greater competitive advantages.
CardRatings.com offers free educational materials and resources in addition to free credit card ratings and reviews. The U.S. Citizens for Fair Credit Card Terms maintains this Web site.
The Cooperative Extension System’s Financial Security for All Community of Practice hosts a series of informational chat sessions through the University of the District of Columbia. Visitors to the site can ask questions and get answers from extension personal finance experts. Also available on the site is a locator for local extension offices and institutions.
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling has launched Debt Advice, an interactive Web site that gives consumers access to numerous financial education tools and helps them find a certified credit counselor closest to them.
The Federal Reserve has created a Credit Card Repayment Calculator. Based on the information the user provides, the calculator will give an estimate of how long it will take to pay off the credit card balance. A second calculation helps the user develop a plan for paying off the balance sooner.
The FDIC has released the Money Smart Podcast Network, the portable audio (MP3) version of the award-winning Money Smart financial education. The new version of Money Smart is suitable for use with all MP3 players, enabling consumers of all ages to learn to make informed and prudent financial decisions while “on the go.”
The FDIC has issued a variety of tips to help consumers stay on guard financially in the current economy, in areas ranging from foreclosure rescue and loan modification scams to deceptive offers of FDIC-insured certificates of deposit. The FDIC published these tips in the spring 2009 issue of FDIC Consumer News, the agency’s quarterly newsletter for consumers, which is available on the Web site.
In its winter 2008/2009 issue of FDIC Consumer News, the FDIC issued tips to help consumers spend less, save more, protect against fraud, and borrow wisely at any time but especially during a difficult economy.
The Financial Literacy of Young American Adults, an analysis of the Jump$tart Coalition’s 2008 biennial survey, is available in PDF on the Jump$tart Web site. The survey, which launched in 1997 and has been conducted every other year since 2000, focuses on high school seniors but included college students for the first time in 2008. The results of these surveys (and comparisons with earlier surveys) are included in the book. Also available on this site is Making the Case for Financial Literacy, 2009, a collection of personal finance statistics that Jump$tart compiled from other sources.
Financial Literacy Online is a product of National Student Loan Program, a nonprofit student loan guaranty agency dedicated to financial literacy, based on the belief that education helps all consumers manage debt and other financial matters. Financial Literacy Online is a comprehensive and convenient online learning center that teaches students the basics of personal money management. Courses are for students planning for college, enrolled in college, planning to graduate from college, or recently graduated from college. Anyone interested in money management—including parents—may take the courses.
Investor Education Fund, in partnership with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, sponsors “Funny Money for High Schools Assembly Program,” an entertaining show that takes students on a financial literacy tour through the basics of balancing a checkbook, reconciling a debit card statement, learning credit card fundamentals and more.
Junior Achievement and the Allstate Foundation have created a new series of free, downloadable teaching tools to help parents talk to their children about smart money management. Lessons cover budgeting, the importance of saving, understanding the cost of credit and how to use it, and more.
The National Theatre for Children has developed a communications strategy that combines live theater and multiplatform educational materials to communicate complex messages to hard-to-reach audiences. Mad About Money is a four-part program that teaches children about forming savings habits, evaluating risks, and the difference between a debit card and a credit card.
My Money Management is a unique industrywide effort to provide consumers with comprehensive financial education resources to help guide their personal finance decision-making process. This Web site provides consumers with tools and resources from a variety of sources, including financial service companies, advocacy organizations, and personal finance experts. My Money Management is an initiative of the Financial Services Roundtable.
Smarty Pig is a free, online savings account for people who want to save for specific goals. The account also is FDIC-insured. A person types in the dollar amount they wish to save and the time frame in which they would like to reach their goal. The Web site technology suggests a monthly deposit amount to the account holder to reach that goal.
The U.S. Social Security Administration offers a wide variety of new and important publications and other resources and tools for the public about retirement, benefits, and support for family members in the event of disabilities or death.
Wells Fargo recently launched a free virtual world, “Stagecoach Island,” an entertaining and interactive companion site to Hands on Banking, its free financial education program. Teens can explore the island and its hidden secrets, connect with friends and make new ones, and learn smart money management. Educators can use the “Stagecoach Island” virtual world in the West Texas Center for Economic Education classroom to teach important lessons in budgeting, saving, managing credit, buying a home, and getting a job. Participants earn virtual money by visiting the Learning Lounge, and answering questions about money management. They can also obtain virtual jobs, credit cards, and home loans giving players the opportunity to learn, earn, build and, play in a virtual world.
The American Bankers Association has launched “Teach Children To Save,” a Web site designed to make classroom lessons for children available to everyone. The site offers tips for young people and their parents on how to establish a budget, start a savings account, and make regular deposits.
The National Endowment for Financial Education has developed a new Web site dedicated to help people optimize their retirement paycheck by making wise decisions.
HelpWithMyBank.gov - The OCC’s Web site that provides answers to more than 300 commonly asked banking questions. While targeted at national bank customers, the site answers many questions common to all banking consumers and provides useful information about contacting regulators of state banks, thrifts, and other financial institutions. A link from HOPE NOW to HelpWithMyBank.gov has been established.
MyMoney.gov - The U.S. government's Web site dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics of financial education. The site houses important information from 20 federal agencies on such topics as buying a home, foreclosure prevention, deposit insurance, privacy, fraud, scams, balancing a checkbook, and investing in a 401(k).
Subscribe: Sign up for the OCC’s “Financial Literacy Updates” by visiting http://www.occ.gov/canewslistserv.htm.
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