ICI Viewpoints

“America Saves Week” kicks off this Sunday, February 20. ICI and the ICI Education Foundation (ICIEF) encourage Americans to use the week as an opportunity to assess their savings activity and savings goals. Besides the America Saves website, the following organizations (with whom ICIEF has partnered previously) have good resources on saving and financial literacy:

• Alliance for Investor Education
• American Savings Education Council
• National Endowment for Financial Education
• Council on Economic Education
• The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy

Financial organizations can participate in America Saves Week by ensuring consumers get the information they need to make the best possible financial decisions.

As for ICIEF, we expect to soon announce new grantees in our microgrant program, established to help schools and other nonprofit organizations improve investor education in the Washington, DC area. ICIEF grants have sponsored “Financial Scholars” programs in Prince George’s County high schools, an investment “storefront” for Fairfax County eighth graders at Finance Park, and “Investing 101” workshops for adults at Arlington County libraries and participants in STRIVE DC’s job-training programs.

Next month, we’re teaming up with the SIMFA Foundation to offer a professional development and personal finance day for DC teachers and school administrators. ICIEF is also offering financial awards to DC high schools and students for participating in the National Financial Capability Challenge, a program of the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Education. The Challenge will be available online between March 7 and April 8. We’ll provide more details on these items shortly.