April is National Financial Literacy Month, established by Congress in 2004 to raise awareness about financial education. This month emphasizes the importance of developing knowledge and skills to make sound financial decisions, build wealth, and secure a stable financial future.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, actively promotes this initiative to improve financial literacy and health nationwide. The OCC offers valuable resources including the Community Developments Fact Sheet on Financial Capability, Financial Health Resource Directory, and consumer fraud prevention materials to help individuals navigate their financial journey, including their Financial Literacy Digest. Learn more about OCC’s Financial Literacy initiatives and resources.
FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) is a community partner of MEA. FINRA provides informative financial resources for New Yorkers. They highlighted five steps you can take to boost financial capability:
- Boost Your Skills with FINRA’s educational content on investment fundamentals
- Take Advantage of Tools like BrokerCheck and savings calculators for better decision-making
- Protect Your Money by learning to identify fraud tactics and implementing safeguards
- Educate Children through resources like Thinking Money for Kids to build healthy financial habits
- Support Financial Education in the Workplace with FINRA’s organizational assessment tools
Learn more about how FINRA can help strengthen your financial knowledge and decision-making skills here, or explore FINRA’s complete financial capability resources during Financial Literacy Month here.
NYCERS (New York City Employees’ Retirement System) offers specialized resources tailored for those planning their financial future. Their Member Resources include:
- Planning for Retirement with tools to help set goals for financial security.
- Pension Seminars
- Survivor Benefits
- Domestic Relations Order guidance for pension distribution in divorce situations
Visit NYCERS official website for complete information. For specific information about your NYCERS account, please contact NYCERS’ Call Center at (347) 643-3000 or visit NYCERS’ Walk-in Center at 340 Jay Street in downtown Brooklyn.
The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers free, confidential financial planning through their Talk Money program, which can help with things like improving credit, saving for the future, and dealing with debt. For more information, check out their FAQ page for more information.
DWCP also offers resources for developing financial literacy skills among young people, with guides like The Top 10 Tips for Young Consumers and Tips: Before You Take Out Student Loans.
In partnership with the Department of Education, they have also recently announced a pilot program for the Financial Literacy for Youth Program (which aims to have all students in NYC public schools be able to learning financial literacy skills by 2030) to bring in-school banking services to students so they are able to gain hands-on experience with opening a banking account and using banking services.
