Outside Sources Can Aid Plan Sponsors’ Financial Education Efforts

Seventy-eight million Americans say their finances have reached “horror show” status, including 34% of Millennials and 16% of Baby Boomers, according to WalletHub’s Financial Fears survey.

Forty-four percent of respondents say medical bills are the expense they fear the most. The top two financial fears are an unplanned emergency (25%) and not enough retirement savings (24%).

Indeed, most Americans face more pressing financial needs than saving for retirement. This is one reason for the increasing focus by retirement plan sponsors on financial wellness education.

While plan sponsors may turn to retirement plan providers and/or providers to help them offer financial wellness education, outside sources may provide help as well.

For financial wellness educators

The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) announced an expansion and update of its financial education resources. More than 10 new financial literacy assets have been added and all resources have been updated.

Updates include:

• Complete Financial Education Programming Solution. Designed for organizations that desire to start a new program or enhance an existing personal finance program.
• Certified Financial Education Instructor Update. The latest CFEI program launched in January 2019 and is now integrated with the new financial literacy resources.
• Expanded Presentations and Financial Literacy Curriculum. The research-based lesson plans have grown from a 550-page student guide to 1,800 pages with an all-new design and integrated multimedia features.
• Updated & Expanded Online Learning Center launching 12/2019. Updated eLearning training now delivers more than 100 hours of education and a new Learning Management System (LMS) for facilitators.
• Updated Financial Education Standards & Educational Framework. As part of this development, financial education standards and frameworks for learners and educators have been updated to provide guidance to the industry.
• Ongoing Education Resources. Expanded ongoing education resources include social media education, mobile learning app, and DRIP education.
• Support Resources. The NFEC’s new website launched last month, new team members have been added, and now offer a robust customer support system.
• Expanded Branding & Customization Options. All student-facing materials can now be private-labeled and custom-branded.

For Millennials

Savology launched a solution that aims to fix the financial wellness problems among the digital generations by providing free financial plans in five minutes or less.

Plans feature customized recommendations in the form of action items to help users become more financially secure one step at a time. Action items include such prescriptions as building an emergency fund, paying off debts, increasing savings rates, completing an estate plan, optimizing taxation, and mitigating risks with key insurances.

“By having a financial plan in place, Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to save enough money to reach their goals,” says Spencer Barclay, Savology founder and CEO. “Savology empowers millennials to take control of their financial future by providing a more accessible and usable alternative to traditional financial planning.” 

For more information visit https://savology.com/.

For Black women

AARP and the Ad Council have teamed up to launch the “Tribute to Our Sheroes” retirement savings campaign to help Black women boost their retirement savings. Launching October 24, “A Tribute to Our Sheroes” is designed for Black women seeking to get more out of their existing retirement plans, or to begin one.

The groups note that the U.S. at large is facing a growing retirement savings crisis, but Black women are disproportionately affected. Many factors, including wage disparity, play a role in the lack of savings Black women are able to accumulate throughout their careers. According to EqualPayToday.org, Black women typically have to work an additional seven to eight months to earn what their white male peers make in one year. In addition, the daily financial pressures of caring for their family and loved ones often cause them to deprioritize their own needs in favor of nurturing and uplifting others. All this can leave them less prepared for what’s to come in their retirement years.

A free, three-minute online chat experience and customized tips and resources are available at www.aceyourretirement.org/Shero.