Written By: Gilles Hudelot, CFP®, AFC®
Ronald Reagan once joked that “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
Contrary to the former president’s feelings, there are some great resources that allow you to borrow or incorporate into your client education so that you don’t have to start from scratch.
Government Resources:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
The CFPB has educational materials on over a dozen money topics. These are organized under resources for practitioners for a broad range of special groups. These include a variety of ages from K-12 to older adults, service members & veterans and multilingual communities. The materials are available both in English & Spanish, with some resources available in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Russian, Arabic and Haitian Creole.
The CFPB also offers a questionnaire that you can use to measure how clients are doing on a financial well-being scale. It’s a good resource to evaluate how clients are financially performing before and after a financial literacy course and measure their progress.
Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
The SEC has broad authority over all aspects of the securities industry. Included in their mission is providing investors with the information and tools they need to make sound investment decisions. This is done through the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance’s (OIEA) investor education program, which includes in-person outreach, digital and social media, and other communication channels, including the SEC’s website for individual investors, Investor.gov.
Federal Reserve Education Platform
The Federal Reserve System provides a comprehensive, free platform with economics and personal finance resources for K-12, college, and community educators. This platform equips educators with ready-to-use tools for building lifelong financial security and offers professional development programs that provide graduate credit through Wichita State University. Resources cover money, economics, monetary policy, and personal finance topics.
Several regional Federal Reserve banks, including Dallas, New York, and St. Louis, have additional resources.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Money Smart Program
The FDIC Money Smart Program is designed to help people of all ages enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. It includes courses for kids and adults of various ages, as well as a suite of 14 “How Money Smart Are You?” games that can be used to engage learners on various financial topics.
Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC)
This is the federal government’s one-stop shop for financial literacy. The Financial Literacy and Education Commission consists of 24 federal agencies working together to strengthen financial capability and increase access to financial services for all Americans.
Materials and tools are organized around five principles of Earn, Save & Invest, Protect, Spend, and Borrow. Some of the materials are also available in Spanish.
Nonprofit Group Resources:
In addition to government programs, there are great resources through nonprofit groups.
National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE)
The National Endowment for Financial Education provides leadership, research, and collaboration to advance financial well-being. It is dedicated to improving the effectiveness of financial education by supporting research, engaging in policy work, and creating educational resources.
Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP)
The Foundation for Financial Planning supports the development of pro bono financial planning program models that can be replicated and scaled for greater impact. They offer free Pro Bono Financial Planning Volunteer Training, along with resources for financial planners seeking to provide pro bono advice and education to underserved communities.
The FFP also packages and shares pro bono program models and free resources to help both financial planners and consumers make the most of their pro bono engagements.
FINRA Investor Education Foundation
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) education and research arm, where it supports a variety of original research on financial topics that affect consumers. They also support a variety of education resources, including the military financial readiness project and their support of the military spouse fellowship program.
National Governor’s Association (NGA) and National Association of State Treasurers (NAST)
The National Governors Association and National Association of State Treasurers maintain resources for financial literacy and financial wellness programs. Some of the resources are national programs already mentioned above, but they also include state or territory-specific resources.
Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy
The Jump$tart Coalition is a nonprofit organization of over 150 national partners working to advance financial literacy from pre-K through college. Their clearinghouse is a searchable database of curated financial education resources from hundreds of providers, offering lesson plans, activities, games, and educational materials. Some resources have a cost, but many are available for free.
If you want to start providing educational resources for your clients and organizations, search through the resources above to see if any cover the areas you are interested in. Adding in these resources will save you time and add credibility to your efforts.
Gilles Hudelot, CFP®, AFC® is the Director of Education at Fruition, a personal finance tool. Learn more about Gilles via LinkedIn or by visiting his FindAnAFC.org profile.
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