September 2022 Money Smart Newsletter

In This Issue

September Monthly Message from the FDIC
How Money Smart Are You? New Enhancements
Money Smart Train-The-Trainer Webinar Including Best Practices for Presenting and Engaging Audiences
Upcoming Money Smart for Small Business Train-the-Trainer Webinar
National Hispanic Heritage Month Outreach Events
Latest FDIC Consumer News Edition

September Monthly Message from the FDIC

September is National College Savings Month. Back-to-school time is a time when many people start considering their college savings plan. A lot of people use 529 Plans (www.investor.gov) to start savings for their children’s college tuition. A 529 plan is a college savings plan that is usually sponsored by a state. You can use these funds for any qualified educational expense.

Lesson 12 of our High School level of Money Smart for Young People curriculum offers more information on college and student loans. Topics such as the cost of college, different college financial aid choices and earning potential of different degrees are all discussed.

Join us on social media using the #FDICMoneySmart and show us the Money Smart products in action!

How Money Smart Are You? New Enhancements

We now have more than 500 Organization accounts and over 20,000 Player accounts. We have awarded more than 62,000 certificates of completion. Here are several enhancements we recently made to the site:

Relaunched the Managing Debt game, which now includes the current treatment of medical debt on consumer credit reports issued by the three nationwide credit-reporting agencies.
Primary contacts for Organization accounts can now download a roster of players who voluntarily linked to their Organization account.
Both Primary contacts and Additional Staff for Organization accounts can now read updates from the FDIC via a link on their My Account page.
Players can now earn Master Certificates, indicating they played, won, and learned something from all 14 games. We have awarded more than 2,500 Master Certificates so far!
Game-specific and Master Certificates now include player ID numbers and the Organization Display Name for the organization they were linked to when they won, if applicable.
Welcome emails to individual players now include the Organization Display Name for the organization they linked to when creating their account, if applicable.

Want an Organization account? Complete the form at https://playmoneysmart.fdic.gov/organization-apply. We look forward to receiving your request.

Questions? Would you like a demonstration of the site? Email us at communityaffairs@fdic.gov.

Money Smart Train-The-Trainer Webinar Including Best Practices for Presenting and Engaging Audiences

The FDIC will host the Third Quarter Money Smart Train-The Trainer Webinar on September 21, 2022 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM ET. This training will provide: an overview of the Money Smart Program, an orientation on Money Smart course content, materials/resources, best practices for presenting and engaging audiences, and recommendations for identifying outreach and collaboration partners to help achieve an optimal impact for clients and consumers. You can find more information, including registration information, here.

Upcoming Money Smart for Small Business Train-the-Trainer Webinar

The next Train-the-Trainer webinar on Money Smart for Small Business (MSSB) program will be held on September 28, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET. This workshop provides an overview of the program to potential and existing MSSB trainers to equip them with the knowledge necessary to deliver the curriculum effectively. The MSSB financial education program helps entrepreneurs and small business owners enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. Learn more or sign up for this webinar on the Money Smart Training and Events page.

National Hispanic Heritage Month Outreach Events

The FDIC continues its efforts to improve the financial capability and economic empowerment of the Hispanic Community. We recognize the importance of increasing access to financial education and financial services for the U.S. Spanish-speaking population. The Community Affairs Team will host two events to support these efforts: “Juntos Adelante: programas y herramientas ofrecidos por la FDIC para fomentar el empoderamiento financiero de los Hispanoparlantes” (event in Spanish) on October 6 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm ET and “Juntos adelante: Programs and Tools Offered by the FDIC to Support the Financial Empowerment of the Spanish-speaking Population” (event in English) on October 13, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET. These webinars will feature the new resources in Spanish. The webinar will also include an overview of FDIC financial education tools and economic inclusion resources currently available in Spanish. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions related to the Money Smart program, the #GetBanked campaign, and how these initiatives can support their financial education and economic inclusion efforts. To learn more about these events and to register, visit the Money Smart Training and Events page.

Latest FDIC Consumer News Edition

The September 2022 edition of the FDIC Consumer News is titled “Banking on the Environment” and focuses on environmentally friendly banking. Read it here.