Money Smart Week Reflection

Money Smart Week is a national public education program coordinated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Money Smart Week is in April and is dedicated to teaching individuals and communities the importance of financial literacy. Starting in 2002 as a coordinated effort of more than 40 Chicago area organizations working together to empower people with the knowledge and skills to make better-informed personal financial decisions.

This year due to the pandemic, the campaign was viewed virtually.  The Money Smart Week Team stated “Virtual Money Smart Week 2021 reached thousands of attendees, many in low- and moderate-income communities.”

The team also shared some highlights from the week:

• 42% of registrants were from low-to-moderate income zip codes.
• Attendees were from 47 out of 50 states.
  • Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana had the highest number of registrants.
• On average, they had 539 views of each event.

The 2021 Annual Report is now available to view on their website and so are the highlights of the week. Please view the links below to learn more!

• Day 1 | Talking Cents w/ UChicago FinEd Initiative
• Day 2 | Savings: A Little Can Make a Big Difference w/ FINRA
• Day 3 | Bank On It: Finding Safe + Affordable Bank Accounts w/ Economic Awareness Council
• Day 4 | Understanding the Basics of Federal Student Loans w/ U.S. Department of Education
• Day 5 | Tax-Related Fraud + Identity Theft w/ IRS
• Day 6 | Managing Personal Finances During Covid-19 w/ GFLEC
• Day 7 | Housing Protections + Resources w/ CFPB
• Day 8 | Tips for Managing Money Ups and Downs w/ University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension