April is National Financial Literacy Month. When it comes to awareness months, this one probably isn’t top of mind to commemorate, but it should be. Basic money management—saving, budgeting, investing, even paying down debt—is a fundamental skill to perfect all year long, and yet, this topic typically only grabs people’s attention during the month of April. Maine credit unions are looking to change this.
People of all ages, backgrounds, and regions of the state can benefit from financial education. But providing consumers with the tools and resources they need to make smarter financial decisions can be challenging, especially during a global pandemic.
To address this need, Maine Credit Unions have developed a new online educational offering that provides personalized budgeting curriculum at no cost. While our Virtual Financial Fitness Fair was developed with high school students in mind, any adult with a Google account can participate and learn from this valuable money management experience. We also are developing curriculum for elementary-aged children to ensure younger Mainers can have access to financial education at a pace and tone that suits their unique needs. We are excited about these offerings and hope people will take advantage of these free tools, regardless of whether they belong to a credit union or not.
As we look ahead to months that honor other worthy causes, I encourage everyone to remain mindful of financial literacy. Learning how to save and spend money wisely is a craft we should continuously work to perfect.
Todd Mason
President/CEO of the Maine Credit Union League
Westbrook
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