March 2022 Money Smart Newsletter

In This Issue

March Monthly Message from the FDIC
Success Story: Lake City Bank Supplements Money Smart for Adults With the New How Money Smart Are You? Game
The CBI (Computer-Based Instruction) will be removed on March 31
Latest FDIC Consumer News Edition
Money Smart Alliance
#GetBanked – FDIC Public Awareness Campaign

March Monthly Message from the FDIC

During March, we recognize the week of March 6 as National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW). The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) describes this week as “a time to help people understand their consumer rights and avoid frauds and scams.” Below you can find the many resources we have to promote consumer protection.

Our newest resource, How Money Smart Are You?, offers an online game called “Protecting Your Identity and Other Assets” and is a resource that can be easily shared within your community.

If you are working with K-12 students, our Money Smart for Young People curriculum has several options to help. For example, “Protecting Yourself,” lesson 10 in our middle school curriculum, focuses on identity theft and methods to prevent it. Our high school curriculum offers a similar lesson on consumer protection (Lesson 20) that also touches on consumers’ rights and consumer protection laws, as well as how to protect personal information.

If your audience is adult-focused, then be sure to check out Module 11, Protecting Your Identity and Other Assets in our Money Smart for Adults curriculum, or our Money Smart for Older Adults curriculum, which focuses on many different types of scams and thefts that are targeted on Older Adults. We recently collaborated with the CFPB to enhance our lessons related to romance scams, which is unfortunately a growing area of concern.

We are eager to hear about your promising approaches or successful strategies involving Money Smart. Please share your story or tips about Money Smart at moneysmartnews@fdic.gov. Join us on social media using the #FDICMoneySmart and show us any of the Money Smart products in action!

Success Story: Lake City Bank supplements Money Smart for Adults with the new How Money Smart Are You? Game

The CBI (Computer-Based Instruction) will be removed on March 31

For those that have not yet made the switch to our new How Money Smart Are You? and are still using our legacy system, all paths (young adult and adult, English and Spanish) of our Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) will be removed on March 31, 2022. You will no longer be able to play those games or retrieve certificates of completion via the CBI system after that date. Your account will not automatically transfer from the CBI platform to How Money Smart Are You?

We strongly encourage organizations and individual consumers to make the switch NOW to our newest product, How Money Smart Are You? (https://playmoneysmart.fdic.gov). The Spanish version of How Money Smart Are You? will be available by March 31.

Latest FDIC Consumer News Edition

The March 2022 edition of the FDIC Consumer News focuses on economic inclusion: a path towards building financial stability. Read it here.

Money Smart Alliance

The FDIC recognizes organizations that contribute to the delivery of the Money Smart curriculum through the Money Smart Alliance Program. By joining the Alliance, you can benefit from Money Smart updates and other information that can strengthen your financial education efforts. Membership also includes quarterly information-sharing calls just for Alliance members. Our next call is scheduled for March 23.

#GetBanked During Tax Season

For many Americans, their tax refund represents their largest payment through the year. As part of our ongoing work to expand financial inclusion to unbanked individuals and families, the FDIC has continued the #GetBanked public awareness campaign with the hope of reaching unbanked households before they file and encourage them to look at banking options that may work for them. The fastest way to get your tax refund is to have it electronically deposited for free into your bank account with direct deposit.

Your organization may be able to help spread the word. Use our new social media tool kit and consider sharing information on your website or on social media to help reach unbanked Americans.