On Thursday (March 24, 2022), Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed April Financial Awareness Month in Nebraska. The proclamation recognizes the importance of financial awareness to Nebraskas and that Nebraska is a leader in financial innovation, financial literacy education, and protection of consumers and vulnerable adults. Additionally, the Nebraska Capitol will be lit up green for Financial Awareness Month April 1-3.
The month-long financial awareness campaign is an initiative of the Nebraska Council of Economic Education (NCEE) and the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance (NDBF). Nebraska banks, credit unions, securities professionals, state agencies, consumer groups, and private sector organizations conduct a variety of educational activities in schools, workplaces, and communities to educate Nebraskas on the importance of setting goals, making wise financial decisions, and protecting yourself and your financial future.
“Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been saving and investing for a while, April is a great time to review your financial health and awareness. Consider working with a bank, credit union or registered securities professional to help protect and grow your finances,” said NDBF Director Kelly Lammers. “There have been a number of recent financial initiatives, from the Financial Innovation Act to additional consumer protections for vulnerable adults and the elderly. It is important to review the basics and learn about new products like cryptocurrencies and digital assets to improve your financial awareness.
“At NCEE, we primarily focus on K-12 financial education. If we can reach kids early and instill good financial habits, we’ve changed their financial future. I encourage everyone to get involved in something this April Financial Awareness Month. Financial literacy is a lifelong quest. No matter your age and stage, there is always something we can do to improve our financial situation,” said NCEE President Dr. Jennifer Davidson.
NDBF Director Lammers and Dr. Jennifer Davidson, NCEE President, encourage all Nebraskanians to participate in financial awareness efforts offered by NCEE, NDBF, and other organizations, including:
- The Nebraska Council on Economic Education is the premier organization to provide economic and financial education and resources in Nebraska. NCEE programming and resources are available at http://nebraskacouncil.unl.edu and http://nceefinance.org.
- NDBF has information and four new My MoNEy videos on financial education topics at https://ndbf.nebraska.gov/consumers/consumer-resources.
- The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office has information on how to protect yourself from identity theft and scams at https://ProtectTheGoodLife.Nebraska.gov.
- The Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office, in partnership with NCEE, has a robust and personalized new financial education learning center, Enrich. https://nast.enrich.org/landing/nast-start-nebraska
- The Nebraska Bankers Association and its 162 member banks are pleased to support Nebraska Financial Awareness Month. Nebraska banks are committed to improving financial literacy in the communities they serve. They sponsor programs and provide tools to help Nebraskanians of all ages improve their financial decision-making and achieve their financial goals. Individuals and families who have a solid foundation of financial education are more likely to buy a home, save for college, and invest, which, in turn, helps Nebraska communities thrive. Nebraska banks also watch over their customers. They have been pushing for legislation to be passed allowing them to suspend a transaction if they suspect a vulnerable customer is being financially abused.
- For the Nebraska Credit Union League, promoting financial well-being for all is an essential part of fulfilling the credit union’s mission of People Helping People. Financially healthy credit union members lead to healthy credit unions and healthy communities. Financial well-being is not “a thing” that credit unions do. It is “the thing”.
- FPA of Nebraska is a professional organization for Certified Financial Planners™ and supports various financial literacy programs through Junior Achievement and other initiatives.
- Nebraska Independent Community Bankers encourages Nebraska residents to discuss their financial needs and solutions with the local community bank in April and thereafter whenever questions arise. AARP encourages Nebraskanians to visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim to one.
- Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA-PBL) is a national professional and technical student organization for middle school, high school, and college students interested in careers in business administration, business education, management, finance, and in information technology. More than 5,800 students at more than 150 high schools and 13 post-secondary schools in Nebraska participate in the FBLA-PBL organization. The FBLA offers over 15 competitive finance career events to include financial literacy. The benefits of FBLA membership are leadership development, career preparation, community service, networking with business and community leaders, and challenging competitions.
