America Saves Partner Resource Packet
Volume 5 Issue 1
Moving from Financial Literacy to Financial Action
March 22nd – May 1st
America Saves’ goal is to promote the importance of savings and encourage individuals and families to take financial action. To help the people you serve save more successfully and to promote the importance of savings throughout your footprint, we have put together this resource packet with you in mind. Itcontains a sample article, suggestions for social media content, and tools and resources designed to help you communicate with the public, your audience, and with other organizations.
We encourage you to use this material to:
· Supplement the savings information you already provide to others;
· Encourage individuals to take the America Saves pledge, thereby creating and committing to a basic savings or debt reduction plan and;
· Position your organization as "in front" of the savings message and the need to save.
Look for new packets from America Saves every six to eight weeks. The anticipated launch date for the next packet is May 2, 2016.
We want to hear from you. Please take a moment to complete this four-question survey on the usefulness of this material.
Sample Article
Use this content for your blog, newsletter, email communications, or any other publication.
You can either rewrite the information or use as a guest post.
Financial Literacy Month Is a Great Time to Start Saving
Financial Literacy Month provides an opportunity for everyone to learn more about their personal finances and take steps to improve their financial picture. This year’s celebration kicks off on April 1, 2016. If you’re looking for a place to start your review of your holistic financial picture, America Saves provides 3 easy ways to assess your current situation and take action to save.
1. Saver Checklist Tool – Check off your savings accomplishments to see how you're doing.
2. Assess Your Savings Tool – Complete the assessment to see if you are saving adequately, and create a savings plan.
3. Pledge to Save – The first step is to take the America Saves Pledge. Once you start saving, it only gets easier. Before you know it, you're on your way to making your dreams into goals, and your goals into reality.
Where and How America Savers Save – Traditional Accounts Still Top the List
Each year, America Saves conducts a survey of those who have taken the America Saves Pledge to learn more about where and how America Savers save.
Highlights from the Where and How America Savers Save:
· A bank savings account is the most frequently selected product for saving money among America Saves survey respondents, followed by credit union savings accounts.
· Those under 25 years old were much less likely to select a credit union savings or money market account as one of the savings products they used than those age 35 and older.
· Those under 25 years of age were also more likely to select “safe place at home” as their main savings product.
· More than 60% of respondents reported saving automatically.
· Survey respondents feel the products they use to save help them save, are convenient, are easy to understand, and feel safe.
Savings starts when you take action, assess your current financial situation, and take action to save. Once you have taken the America Saves pledge and made your savings plan, you will be well on your way to safe, frequent, and successful savings in a savings vehicle of your choice. Celebrate Financial Literacy Month today.
Tammy Greynolds works for America Saves, managed by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America (CFA), which seeks to motivate, encourage, and support low- to moderate-income households to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth. Learn more at americasaves.org.
Sample Social Media Posts
Share the following messages with your Facebook & Twitter followers.
#SavingsTipTuesday
Take steps to improve your #financial picture during #FLM2016 this April! http://ow.ly/L2J5o @AmericaSaves #SavingsTipTuesday
Try the Assess Your Savings tool to see if you're #saving adequately: http://ow.ly/L2JdV @AmericaSaves #FLM2016 #SavingsTipTuesday
Use the Saver Checklist tool to see how your #savings habits are doing: http://ow.ly/L2LwJ #FLM2016 @AmericaSaves #SavingsTipTuesday
Take the @AmericaSaves pledge to set your #savings goal during #FLM2016! http://ow.ly/L2KLG #SavingsTipTuesday
Celebrate #FLM2016 by setting a #savings goal & making your plan today! http://ow.ly/L2Lrs @AmericaSaves #SavingsTipTuesday
#SavingsFactFriday
Those w. a #savings plan are 2x as likely to spend less than they earn. http://ow.ly/L2K6a @AmericaSaves #FLM2016 #SavingsFactFriday
Savers rprt #saving for 1 of 3 goals: #emergency fund, #retirement, #debt repayment http://ow.ly/L2Kyg @AmericaSaves #SavingsFactFriday
The longer savers have been w. @AmericaSaves, the more they've been able to #save. http://ow.ly/L2LZE #FLM2016 #SavingsFactFriday
#Savings starts when you take #financial action. http://ow.ly/L2MXQ #FLM2016 @AmericaSaves #SavingsFactFriday
What females & males rprt #saving differs widely; #retirement #debt #education http://ow.ly/L2NuV @AmericaSaves #SavingsFactFriday
Additional Posts
Include automatic #savings in your #FLM2016 financial planning! http://ow.ly/L2NTm via @AmericaSaves
Setting goals for #FLM2016? Let @AmericaSaves help! Text SAVES to 30364 to get advice & #savingstips straight to your phone.
Set your #savings goal, make a plan, & save automatically - pledge to #save today! http://ow.ly/L2O47 via @AmericaSaves #FLM2016
Do you have a savvy #savingstip or story about #savings? Share it w. @AmericaSaves! You could win $25! http://ow.ly/L2ObO
Tools & Resources
Share the following tools and resources with your audience and with other organizations.
America Saves Resources
· Web & Blog:
o Finding Money to Save
o How to Plan & Set Financial Goals
o Make Family Savings Happen
o People who feel good about their finances: What do they have in common?
o Save Money or Pay Off Debt? Why Not Both!
o Saving on a Tight Budget
· Tools:
o Assess Your Savings Plan tool
o Saver Checklist tool
o Take the America Saves Pledge
o Calculators
§ Personal Wealth Estimator
§ Home Wealth Estimator
Events & Resources
· Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy
o Hill Day 2016, April 5
o 2015 Annual Award Banquet
· National Retirement Planning Week, April 11-15
o Partner Kit
· Money Smart Week, April 23-30
· Teach Children to Save Day, April 29
· Presidential Proclamations, The White House
o National Financial Capability Month, 2015s
o National Financial Capability Month, 2014
o National Financial Capability Month, 2013
Research
· America Saves
o Less Than Half of U.S. Households Report Good Savings Progress, According to Annual America Saves Week Survey, February 2016
o Personal Savings Index (PSI) Indicators Lower This Month Than Last September, January 2016
o Where and How America Savers Save, September 2015