WIXLIB

FORWARDTHINKINGFINANCIALEDUCATIONNATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION (NEFE )

LIFE IS FULL OF UNCERTAINTIES.Personal finance doesn’t have to be one of them.The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE ) is the leading privatenonprofit 501(c)(3) national foundation dedicated to inspiring empowered financialdecision making for individuals and families through every stage of life. Throughincreased understanding of personal financial issues, everyone can enjoy better,more secure and more satisfying lives.WE HAVE A LONG HISTORYOF MAKING A DIFFERENCENEFE evolved from the College for Financial Planning ,a Denver-based nonprofit that served as the nation’s firstfinancial-planning educational institution. The College helpeddefine the concept of financial planning and establish theprofession through the creation of the CERTIFIED FINANCIALPLANNER certification.As the College grew, diversified and advanced its interactionwith the public, its trustees and management recognizeda critical need for ongoing educational efforts that couldprovide reliable, impartial financial information to consumers,particularly the underserved. To meet that need, the trusteescreated the National Endowment.With more than a quarter-century ofdedication to the public good, NEFEcontinues its legacy of service withcommitment to providing financialeducation and practical informationto people at all financial levels.

OUR FUNDING—NEFE is independently funded by its ownendowment and operates as a noncommercial entity free from financialties to other organizations. NEFE’s endowment was established with theproceeds of the sale of the College for Financial Planning and relatedtransactions in 1997. Additional growth is realized solely through investmentof the endowment’s assets; NEFE does not accept funding from government orcorporations, and does not raise revenue through the sale of products orservices. All NEFE resources are provided free of charge.

LEADING THE FIELD ANDBUILDING KNOWLEDGETo understand and meet the changing financial education needsof Americans, NEFE joins forces with thought leaders across thecountry and worldwide to help move financial capability forward.Convening Expertswww.nefe.org/conveningsBriefing Influencerswww.nefe.org/pressroomEvaluation of the current state is a cricual first step in cultivatingfinancial education themes and topics. NEFE conducts think tanksand commissions working groups of collaborators and specialistsin the financial literacy community to communicate and facilitateprogress by assessing work to date and generating ideas for futureresearch and programs.By providing media with relevant, targeted story ideas and pressresources that cover financial topics, and by aiding journalists intheir efforts to understand events affecting the economy andpersonal finance, NEFE strives to provide practical, reliable andunbiased financial education to members of the public.Contributing to Advancementswww.nefe.org/publicpolicyBecause NEFE observes the ever-evolving personal financelandscape and is acutely aware of how each change affectsconsumers, we are compelled to comment on financialliteracy topics through public policy and government. NEFEhas provided testimony to and worked with a variety ofdecision-making entities, in nonlobbying roles, including the:Facilitating Discoverywww.nefe.org/researchThrough our support of rigorous behavioral economic research,NEFE seeks evidence of what works and knowledge gaps in the fieldin order to evaluate the effectiveness of current programs and lay thegroundwork for future programs. The research grants we provide tolike-minded educational institutions and foundations generateextended insight into Americans’ lives, while shorter-term publicpolling gives us a snapshot of specific financial attitudes and behaviors. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of the Treasury U.S. House of Representatives U.S. SenateMeasuring Impacttoolkit.nefe.orgSince success measurement is important for any education program,NEFE encourages financial educators to routinely evaluate their owninitiatives. To help, NEFE provides the Financial EducationEvaluation Toolkit , designed to help financial educators understandevaluation concepts and efficiently use them so they can documentthe impact of their programs on learners.

NEFE helpsincrease understandingof personalfinancial issues.

NEFE PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPSDesigned to help people make informed, thoughtful and beneficialfinancial decisions that are aligned with their values.All NEFE programs and materials are free of charge.We partner with noncommercial organizations to ensure we provide only objectiveand credible information through our programs, and we continually evolve withthe changing financial climate, technological advancements and societal trends tomeet consumers’ shifting needs.IN THE CLASSROOMInvesting in the future by reaching students right where they learn.WORKING WITH EDUCATORSTO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS AREMOST LIKELY TO SUCCEEDHigh School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP)www.hsfpp.orgNEFE’s flagship High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) has promotedfinancial literacy to high school teachers and students since 1984. By providing anaward-winning, noncommercial financial education curriculum—complete with freeclassroom materials and lesson plans—the HSFPP has reached more than 11.5 millionstudents in more than 109,000 classrooms across the country.NEFE built the HSFPP around performance competencies that have been proven toimprove financial knowledge, behavior and confidence in students. We continuallyupdate these competencies to correlate with national and state education standards.NEFE offers freeclassroom materialsand lesson plans.

FINDING A WAY TO FINANCIALINDEPENDENCEOn Your Own www.onyourown.orgEveryone has something they wish they would have known when theywere younger—most people have a whole list. When young adults arejust starting out, they make decisions based on their limitedknowledge of the world and learn from the consequences.But what if they had a little help?On Your Own features profiles of real people facing real issues, as wellas practical information on: Starting out in the workplaceDeciding whether or not to pursue higher educationUnderstanding credit and debtNavigating money issues in personal relationshipsMEETING COLLEGE STUDENTSONLINE TO EASE TRANSITIONINTO THE REAL WORLDCashCourse www.cashcourse.orgA customizable online tool for universities and colleges,CashCourse offers a wealth of financial education resourcesfor schools and their students. Through worksheets, calculators,quizzes, videos and articles, CashCourse provides students theresources to build the financial skills they need to get throughcollege and prepare for their future financial lives.Participating schools can brand their CashCourse website withtheir school’s logo and color scheme, and add an extra Web pageto house the school’s own resources and content. CashCourse alsoprovides workshop kits, PowerPoint presentations, instructionalmaterials, and marketing tools for schools to promote the use ofthe program on campus.

NEFE PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPSWORKING THROUGH OTHERSAddressing unique needs with collaboration.SUPPORTING COMMUNITIESBY AIDING THE EXPERTSHELPING THE UNDERSERVEDTHROUGH THE PEOPLETHEY TRUSTFinancial Workshop Kits for c Programs and Allianceswww.nefe.org/spaFinancial Workshop Kits are a one-stop shop forfinancial planning professionals, social services caseworkers,financial educators and various community volunteersinterested in facilitating financial education workshops andcounseling sessions in their communities. NEFE created thiswebsite to help facilitators overcome the preparation barrier thatoften makes speaking to specific audiences anoverwhelming task.NEFE collaborates frequently with leading nationalorganizations such as: American Cancer Society American Indian College Fund American Red Cross Dress for Success Goodwill Industries Habitat for Humanity The Salvation Army To ensure the resources cover a variety of financialeducation opportunities, NEFE developed numerousworkshop kits targeted for frequently addressedaudiences such as victims of domestic violence, peoplewith disabilities and homeless individuals. For eachaudience, the website includes a scripted teaching planwith handouts, a PowerPoint presentation, and otherrelated teaching tools.These collaborations allow NEFE to reach underserved audiencesmore directly with a team-oriented approach.NEFE first identifies segments of society that could benefit fromfinancial education, such as minority populations, youth, peoplefaced with health conditions and those going through othertough financial life challenges. Then, NEFE collaborates withorganizations with direct access to these individuals—partnersthat can leverage our joint efforts by helping shape, deliver andpromote the program or project.

NEFE reachesunderserved audiencesmore directly witha team-orientedapproach.

NEFE CONSUMER WEBSITESBecause sometimes one of the biggest financial challengesis knowing where to turn for answers.Our consumer websites are free, noncommercial and frequently updatedto ensure that we provide credible, reliable information to consumers.COVERING FINANCIALCHALLENGES FOR EVERYSTAGE OF LIFESmart About Moneywww.smartaboutmoney.orgConsumers from all walks of life can use this website to findpractical articles, financial calculators, quizzes, worksheets,money-saving tips, a discussion forum and other valuableresources to help answer commonly asked questions andprovide courses of action for various economic situations.Smart About Money covers topics related to making financialdecisions through life’s ups and downs. Help topics include: Preparing for or managing a home purchase Getting married or divorced Having children Saving for a college education Changing or losing a job Caring for an elderly parent Recovering from an economic crisisSmart About Money expands on these topics in its Resource Library,which houses hundreds of downloadable, noncommercial, reviewedbooklets and articles from NEFE and its partners.NEFE offers the toolspeople need to makesmarter decisionswith their money.

SHOWING AMERICANS HOW TOMAKE WHAT THEY HAVE LASTMy Retirement Paycheckwww.myretirementpaycheck.orgMy Retirement Paycheck grabs Americans before they retire tohelp them optimize their financial support throughout retirement.Whether website users have saved a lot or a little for retirement,this resource helps individuals considering retirement make wisedecisions based on the assets they have.Through this website, NEFE helps consumers answer importantquestions about such interrelated retirement issues as: Deciding how long to continue working and when tocollect Social Security Determining the value of a home Paying for medical care Managing savings and assetsLEARNING FROM THE PASTTO CHANGE THE FUTURESpendsterwww.spendster.orgSpendster serves as a confessional for everyday Americansto answer the question: “Why did I buy that?” NEFE’s YouTubeTMlike community website encourages users of all ages and financialbackgrounds to share stories and videos of their impulse buying,overspending or just plain wasting money.Website visitors can view entertaining stories from otherAmericans in the same spending boat and find tools—such ascalculators, quizzes, worksheets and decision maps—to helpthem prevent overspending in the future.