News Release: Money Smart Week
National Money Smart Week Campaign Offers Free Financial Education
CHICAGO - More than 3,000 free financial education classes and seminars for consumers will be held in more than 45 states during Money Smart Week, April 5-12.
Classes are open to people of all ages at businesses, financial institutions, schools, libraries, community organizations and government agencies throughout the country. They cover a wide variety of money-management topics including saving for college, buying a house, using credit wisely, managing student debt and financing retirement.
The educational events will be carried out by more than 1,500 local and regional partnering organizations. In addition, there are several national partners, including the American Library Association, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension.
“Money Smart Week is an incredible opportunity for consumers to access free advice on all areas of personal finance,” says Alejo Torres, Senior Outreach Manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which coordinates the campaign. “We hope individuals and families will take advantage of these educational offerings and ultimately improve or enhance their financial success.”
Money Smart Week is the broadest and most comprehensive financial education program in the country. Started in 2002 in Chicago with just 40 programs, it has expanded significantly to become the only national educational program for people at all stages of life.
According to exit surveys, 93% of 2013 participants indicated that they’re likely to change the way they manage their money after attending a Money Smart Week Class.
Consumers who are interested in finding out about classes in their area during Money Smart Week can visit www.moneysmartweek.org.
