NFCC New Consumer Financial Stabilization Initiative Exceeds Expectations
Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 08, 2014 -- The National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC) today announced the six-month activity report of the Sharpen Your Financial Focus program. With generous funding from Bank of America, Chase, GE Capital Retail Finance and Wells Fargo in support of financial education, the three-step program was launched September 16, 2013, with an initial goal of enrolling 30,000 consumers in the first year.
The consumer-centric program, designed to assist consumers with immediate financial concerns as well as build a solid financial future, includes the following features:
MyMoneyCheckUp®, an online financial self-assessment tool designed to increase financial awareness and provide consumers with concrete steps to improve their financial well-being;
A financial review with an NFCC Certified Financial Professional for a one-on-one in-depth assessment of their financial situation, and
An opportunity to receive further targeted education, such as participating in a workshop or a follow-up coaching session.
Below is a snapshot of the results of the first six months of program activity:
To date, more than 20,000 consumers from a diverse array of states have enrolled in the program, and have completed at least two of the three steps.
Demographics show that the majority of participants are white and female, and 40% are either married or living with a partner.
The median age is 42, with no significant difference in age between male and female participants.
Forty-three percent are renters and a total of forty-one percent of the participants are homeowners or in the process of looking to purchase a home.
Nearly sixty percent have at least some post-high school education.
The average monthly income of participants is $3,552, with an average unsecured debt total of $7,610.
Seventy-three percent of program participants reported zero savings, while 83 percent reported less than $100 in savings.
The reason given most often for seeking help was unemployment or underemployment.
Consumers are very thankful to have such a comprehensive program available to them. As an example, two testimonials from NFCC member agency American Financial Solutions are provided below:
From Carl V. Rezendes of Saugus, MA: “The MyMoneyCheckUp tool was excellent. It gave me a better perspective as to my financial "blood pressure" and allowed me to visually see where I needed improvement. It also offered me tips regarding what areas I needed to focus on. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in reaching their financial goals.”
From Lance White of Hastings, MN: “I finished MyMoneyCheckUp, and you were right, it did open my eyes. I can easily turn this around. I look forward to moving ahead and appreciate your help.”
“The positive response to the Sharpen Your Financial Focus program proves that consumers are ready to embrace financial education delivered through a trustworthy source,” said NFCC President and CEO Susan C. Keating. “NFCC and the financial institutions represented in the Sharpen Alliance not only recognized the need for an increased understanding of personal finance, but met it. The network of more than 600 NFCC member agencies and 2,000 Certified Financial Professionals nationwide and in Puerto Rico is proud to provide the critical skills American consumers need to secure a healthy financial future.”
In order to measure the long-term impact of the Program, the NFCC has entered into an agreement with The Ohio State University to perform a descriptive analysis of consumers participating in the Sharpen Your Financial Focus initiative, including a comparison of baseline and follow-up indicators collected by surveys and credit report attributes. Interim results of this evaluation will be available later on this year.
To learn more about the Sharpen Your Financial Focus program (available in English and Spanish), consumers are urged to visit http://www.SharpenToday.org. For help with financial concerns or answers to everyday financial questions, be automatically connected to a nearby NFCC member agency by calling 855-3-SHARPEN (855-374-2773).
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About the NFCC
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), founded in 1951, is the nation’s largest and longest serving national nonprofit financial counseling organization. The NFCC’s mission is to promote the national agenda for financially responsible behavior, and build capacity for its members to deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services. NFCC Members annually help millions of consumers through more than 600 community-based offices nationwide. For free and affordable confidential advice through a reputable NFCC Member, call (800) 388-2227, (en Español (800) 682-9832) or visit http://www.nfcc.org. Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NFCCDebtAdvice, on Twitter: twitter.com/NFCCDebtAdvice, on YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/NFCC09 and our blog: http://financialeducation.nfcc.org/.
About the Sharpen Alliance
The Sharpen Alliance is a coalition of financial institutions which supports the NFCC’s Sharpen Your Financial Focus program by providing resources for the delivery of financial education through NFCC Member Agencies with the goal of helping consumers make wise decisions about their personal finances. Founding members of the Alliance include the following financial institutions: Bank of America, Chase, GE Capital Retail Finance and Wells Fargo.
Gail Cunningham, National Foundation for Credit Counseling, http://www.DebtAdvice.org, +1 (940) 500-4100, [email protected]
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