|
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Treasury launched its
first financial education television commercial this
week to encourage Americans to save for important life
events. The "Choose to Save" public service
announcement, a product of a partnership with the
American Savings Education Council (ASEC), arrives
during national financial literacy month and promotes
free government resources for financial planning
available on the website MyMoney.gov and toll-free
hotline 1-888-MyMoney.
The 30-second public service announcement, part of
ASEC's broader Choose to Save series of radio and
television spots, can be found at www.treas.gov/financialeducation.
The National Association of Broadcasters is nationally
distributing the commercial, which was created at WJLA-TV
in Washington, D.C.
"The goal of this television spot is to make more
Americans aware of the federal government's treasure of
free, non-biased financial planning resources," said
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Education Dan
Iannicola, Jr. "Before the MyMoney.gov website, this
information was all a hidden treasure, spread across
more than 20 government web sites. This commercial tells
everyone that now they only need to know one place to
visit."
The ad directs viewers to the federal government's
one-stop shop website for personal finance information.
The MyMoney.gov website, available in both English and
Spanish, has links to materials that teach the
importance of saving for retirement, managing credit
cards, investing, avoiding scams and many other useful
subjects. Users can also test their financial literacy
knowledge with the Money 20 quiz.
The April release of the Choose to Save commercial
coincides with Financial Literacy Month, a national
observance to promote wise money management. The month
has been recognized by resolutions by both houses of
Congress and with events across the country.
"Managing your money is a year-round job, but this month
we join with our financial literacy partners in
government, business and the non-profit world to
encourage Americans to take the first steps to learning
more about their money," Iannicola said. "With that
knowledge Americans have the power to plan a secure
financial future."
Treasury heads the Congressionally-mandated Financial
Literacy and Education Commission. The 20-agency federal
commission created the MyMoney.gov website and toll-free
hotline in October 2004 and released a national strategy
for financial literacy in April 2006.
ASEC and ChooseToSave.org are educational programs of
the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute.
LINKS
Choose to Save Commercial
-- John MacDonald
Director of Media Relations, EBRI
202-775-6349, macdonald@ebri.org
|
About the ICFE:
About the
ICFE:
The Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE), founded in 1982 by the
late Loren Dunton (creator of the “certified financial planner” (CFP)
designation) and it is dedicated to helping consumers of all ages to improve
their spending, increase savings and use credit more wisely. The ICFE trains and
certifies Personal Finance Instructors for its own curriculum. It also trains
and certifies Credit Report Reviewers and Identity Theft Prevention Specialists.
The ICFE is an award winning, nonprofit, consumer education organization that
has helped millions of people through its education programs and resources. It
publishes the Do-It-Yourself Credit File correction Guide, now in its 16th
printing and has distributed over one million “Credit/Debit Card Warning Labels”
and “Credit/Debit Card Sleeves” world wide.
The ICFE became an official partner with the Department of Defense/Financial
Readiness Campaign in June of 2004.
The ICFE is also a partner in the national Jump$tart Coalition for Financial
Literacy and the California Jump$tart chapter. The ICFE staff is also active
with San Diego Saves, an offshoot of America Saves, and the California Student
Debt Resource Awareness Project (CASDRAP) (studentdebthelp.org).
The ICFE’s on-line help for consumers who spend too much was featured in PARADE
Magazine in the Intelligence Report section. The money helps and tips are from
“The Money Instruction Book,” a course in personal finance, positioned to become
among the premier programs in the new bankruptcy and debtor education
initiatives.
The ICFE Web site at:
http://www.icfe.info helps consumers with mending spending, learning about
the proper use of credit, budget and expense guidelines, how to set up and
implement a spending-plan and also how to access financial education courses and
videos and how to teach children about money. Other ICFE services include a free
eNewsletter, and an online resource center of financial education learning
tools, including videos, books, software and personal finance courses.
.
|
|
Our 