By Joanne Martonik, America Saves Campaigns and Outreach Associate
During America Saves Week, over 1,300 organizations around the country encouraged individuals to take control of their financial futures by taking financial action. America Saves Week may be over but your journey to becoming a successful saver is just beginning. America Saves and Money Smart Week are teaming up to help you achieve your saving goals.
The concept is simple and easy,
1. Take Action - pledge or re-pledge to save today
2. Attend an Event- find a Money Smart Week event in your area to learn more about saving to help you realize your saving goals. See what events are happening in your area.
3. Spread the Word – share your savings efforts with friends and family and with America Saves
You can take financial action and make a personal commitment to save by setting a goal and making a plan. Opting in for goal based text messages will provide you with additional encouragement right to your cell phone to continue your savings efforts. As a committed saver you’ll receive monthly emails with helpful saving strategies and resources, saving tips and information through Twitter and Facebook, a quarterly newsletter that features current financial information and stories from successful savers and a website with tools such as a simple way to Assess Your Savings Plan.
Additionally, increased education can help you realize your goals. Money Smart Week is a public awareness campaign to promote financial education across all age groups. Launched in 2002 by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the program is now active in more than 45 states through national partnerships with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Cooperative Extension and the American Library Association.
“Money Smart Week began as a coordinated effort among a small group of Chicago-area organizations working to promote financial literacy,” says Alejo Torres, Senior Outreach Manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. “Today, Money Smart Week continues to expand nationally, providing greater awareness of, and access to, personal finance resources for all.”
Money Smart Week events are open to the public throughout the country on topics including kids and money, unemployment, managing student debt and retirement. With more than 3,000 events and 130,000 participants from around the country, you will not be alone in your saving efforts.
Or join the Money Smart Scavenger Hunt! Players will be asked to photograph themselves accomplishing a provided list of tasks such as "check out a money related book at your local library, "high-five your banker," or "attend a Money Smart Week event." Complete the tasks and earn points to win prizes.
To learn more about Money Smart Week visit, www.moneysmartweek.org.
The Personal Investment Enterprise Program, a partnership between Foothills United Way and Community Action Programs provides tools that empower low-income individuals and families to save and build assets to strengthen their economic stability. To learn more about the program visit www.bouldercountypie.org. The first step in applying to the program is to attend an orientation meeting with Nino Gallo at Community Action Programs at Boulder County. Nino may be reached at 303-441-3998 or at [email protected].
