Recent NEFE Press Releases

DENVER—Ninety-five percent of college students say the economic crisis has impacted their family’s finances and 93 percent have felt an effect on their own financial lives. The crisis also ultimately affected students’ confidence, behavior, trust in financial institutions and overall well-being. Researchers at the University of Arizona recently completed Wave 1.5 of a longitudinal study of how young adults develop financial attitudes and behaviors.

DENVER—The board of trustees of the National Endowment for Financial Education has named Richard Woltmann, JD, chairman for 2010. Woltmann, executive director of Bay Area Legal Services, Inc., in Tampa, Fla., joined the 15-member board in 2005. The NEFE Board of Trustees also welcomes new members Dorothy Bridges and Karen Vahouny as they each begin three-year terms on the NEFE leadership assembly.

DENVER—Urging employees to participate in retirement savings plans has always been a challenge. However, the findings of a study by researchers at Dartmouth College, through a grant provided by the National Endowment for Financial Education, show that specific low-cost strategies succeed in boosting employee participation rates.

DENVER—Research funded by the National Endowment for Financial Education was recognized in November, 2009, by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE). The summary of the research, Teachers’ Background and Capacity to Teach Personal Finance: Results of a National Study, received the “Outstanding Conference Paper” award at AFCPE’s annual conference.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—That free T-shirt featuring your school logo in exchange for an effortless credit card application is about to become a thing of the past. The major provisions of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act take effect in February, and the new rules include protections for college students and limit the way credit card companies market on campuses.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—As students across the country make their way onto college campuses, the National Endowment for Financial Education welcomes its 300th school to CashCourse®, a free online financial education resource for colleges and universities.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—As fires inch closer to homes in the Los Angeles Basin, residents are packing their important belongings and escaping the path of destruction. While many are doing their best to protect their homes now, some will face the daunting task of recovering financially from this disaster later.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—When President Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 in May, the goal was to bestow on consumers more control in their relationship with credit card providers. Although many of the provisions of the CARD Act do not go into effect until February, two considerable changes go into effect today.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) won the prestigious 2009 Gold Quill Award for excellence in communication, presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). NEFE captured an Award of Merit in the Social Media category for its Spendster (www.spendster.org) project.

TUCSON, ARIZONA—The last 12 months paint a sobering picture of many corporate giants. When consumers stop using their credit cards, they buckle in days. It's a macro-level reflection of the average American consumer: we live beyond our means, we don't save and we borrow stress with every dollar. Research has shown that poor money management spills over into illness, depression and other problems. But where do these financial behaviors come from? How can we change them? A new study at the University of Arizona hopes to answer these questions and more.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The board of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has named Jackie Booth, Ph.D., of Orlando, Fla., as chairwoman. Booth joined the board in 2004. Additionally, the NEFE Board of Trustees has appointed two new individuals to serve on the leadership assembly. Pip Coburn and Alexander Gonzalez, Ph.D., recently joined the board, whose 16 members each serve for three years.

INDIANAPOLIS—As the state and nation face a gloomy economic outlook, hundreds of teachers in Indiana have hit the classroom to ensure their students will not have to learn about personal finance from the school of hard knocks. In a public service announcement, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita challenges parents, school administrators and teachers to band together to help improve the financial acumen of high school students in Indiana.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—As financial and credit markets constrict, a new social media Web site launches that allows people to calculate the true cost of unnecessary purchases, often regretted in hindsight, while they share them via personal videos or photos.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—Unfair and misleading practices by credit card companies are having a negative impact on the financial future of college students. That was the point of discussion before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit of the United States House of Representatives on June 26, 2008. Brent Neiser, director of Strategic Programs and Alliances for the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), testified at the hearing, which provided an opportunity to explore ways to help college students who are adversely affected by credit cards and consumer debt, and to prevent future problems in this area.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has received the Magnum Opus Gold Award for Most Improved Design for its NEFE Digest. This is the first recognition award for the bi-monthly newsletter that publishes feature articles on the foundation’s projects and a comprehensive look at the current state of financial education.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), has been appointed chair of the Committee on Outreach by Charles Schwab, chairman of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. In his leadership role, Beck will help set the goals for the Council’s outreach activities in the upcoming months, while also serving as a member of the Youth Committee.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The first-ever National Financial Literacy Challenge, a voluntary online test of personal finance knowledge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Treasury, shows a majority of high school students don’t appear to be learning or retaining the information needed to make important financial decisions. However, on a positive note, 10 high school students were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 17, for achieving a perfect score of 100 percent on the test.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has translated its widely-used High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) student guide to Spanish. It is available online for Spanish speakers and teachers to use in learning or teaching about personal finances.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—President George W. Bush announced Tuesday, January 22, that he signed an executive order to establish an advisory council within the U.S. Department of Treasury “to help keep America competitive and assist the American people in understanding and addressing financial matters.” Ted Beck, president and CEO of the Colorado-based National Endowment for Financial Education, attended the announcement at the White House where he was officially appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, a 16-member panel charged with prescribing recommendations on better educating the public on matters related to their finances and their future.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) now provides an easily-implemented, unbiased and noncommercial financial education solution for colleges, universities and alumni associations to offer to their students. CashCourse, an online financial education resource directed at college students and recent grads, was piloted last fall at several universities through their Web portals.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The board of trustees of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has appointed Terry Pearce of Larkspur, Calif., as chairman, and named Jackie Booth, Ph.D., of Orlando, Fla., as vice chair. Additionally, the NEFE Board of Trustees has appointed two new individuals to serve the leadership assembly.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The Institute for Financial Literacy® has selected the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) as a 2007 recipient for an Excellence in Financial Literacy Education AwardTM (EIFLETM). The National Endowment was recognized in the Institutional Book of the Year for Children in the General Category for its contribution of the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP).

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—Financial education programs in the research marketplace have proliferated in recent years. Yet, accessible ways to evaluate their effectiveness have not kept pace. Focusing on this challenge, the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) provided a grant to a team of university researchers for creating a powerful assessment tool designed to help educators measure the success of their respective programs. The result of the collaboration led to the development of the NEFE Financial Education Evaluation Toolkit^SM, an innovative resource that now is available online at no cost to users.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—With the resounding theme of “All across the nation, financial education for a new generation,” the highly-anticipated 2007 edition of the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) was officially delivered recently to a national network of representatives who work to ensure the financial well-being of America’s youth.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has appointed Sara M. Bentley and Hugh H. Makens, JD, to its Board of Trustees. The new trustees were nominated by the current members of the 14-person board, which is the governing body responsible for setting the policies of the foundation.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—It’s a refrain that can make the most stoic of parents quake—the voice of a teenager asking, “Mom, dad, can I borrow $500?” A new program is making this conversation, and other discussions of money, easier for teens and parents alike in hopes of creating financially responsible adults.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—It’s never too early or too late to start saving for life goals. To help individuals achieve financial well-being, there’s a Web site which reaffirms that no matter what stage of life a person may be experiencing, now is the best time for them to get smart about money. The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has created www.smartaboutmoney.org to help consumers cope with the many financial challenges they will face in their lifetime, by providing a wide variety of practical, unbiased and dependable personal finance resources.

DENVER—Ninety-five percent of college students say the economic crisis has impacted their family’s finances and 93 percent have felt an effect on their own financial lives. The crisis also ultimately affected students’ confidence, behavior, trust in financial institutions and overall well-being. Researchers at the University of Arizona recently completed Wave 1.5 of a longitudinal study of how young adults develop financial attitudes and behaviors.

DENVER—The board of trustees of the National Endowment for Financial Education has named Richard Woltmann, JD, chairman for 2010. Woltmann, executive director of Bay Area Legal Services, Inc., in Tampa, Fla., joined the 15-member board in 2005. The NEFE Board of Trustees also welcomes new members Dorothy Bridges and Karen Vahouny as they each begin three-year terms on the NEFE leadership assembly.

DENVER—Urging employees to participate in retirement savings plans has always been a challenge. However, the findings of a study by researchers at Dartmouth College, through a grant provided by the National Endowment for Financial Education, show that specific low-cost strategies succeed in boosting employee participation rates.

DENVER—Research funded by the National Endowment for Financial Education was recognized in November, 2009, by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE). The summary of the research, Teachers’ Background and Capacity to Teach Personal Finance: Results of a National Study, received the “Outstanding Conference Paper” award at AFCPE’s annual conference.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—That free T-shirt featuring your school logo in exchange for an effortless credit card application is about to become a thing of the past. The major provisions of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act take effect in February, and the new rules include protections for college students and limit the way credit card companies market on campuses.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—As students across the country make their way onto college campuses, the National Endowment for Financial Education welcomes its 300th school to CashCourse®, a free online financial education resource for colleges and universities.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—As fires inch closer to homes in the Los Angeles Basin, residents are packing their important belongings and escaping the path of destruction. While many are doing their best to protect their homes now, some will face the daunting task of recovering financially from this disaster later.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—When President Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 in May, the goal was to bestow on consumers more control in their relationship with credit card providers. Although many of the provisions of the CARD Act do not go into effect until February, two considerable changes go into effect today.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) won the prestigious 2009 Gold Quill Award for excellence in communication, presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). NEFE captured an Award of Merit in the Social Media category for its Spendster (www.spendster.org) project.

TUCSON, ARIZONA—The last 12 months paint a sobering picture of many corporate giants. When consumers stop using their credit cards, they buckle in days. It's a macro-level reflection of the average American consumer: we live beyond our means, we don't save and we borrow stress with every dollar. Research has shown that poor money management spills over into illness, depression and other problems. But where do these financial behaviors come from? How can we change them? A new study at the University of Arizona hopes to answer these questions and more.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The board of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has named Jackie Booth, Ph.D., of Orlando, Fla., as chairwoman. Booth joined the board in 2004. Additionally, the NEFE Board of Trustees has appointed two new individuals to serve on the leadership assembly. Pip Coburn and Alexander Gonzalez, Ph.D., recently joined the board, whose 16 members each serve for three years.

INDIANAPOLIS—As the state and nation face a gloomy economic outlook, hundreds of teachers in Indiana have hit the classroom to ensure their students will not have to learn about personal finance from the school of hard knocks. In a public service announcement, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita challenges parents, school administrators and teachers to band together to help improve the financial acumen of high school students in Indiana.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—As financial and credit markets constrict, a new social media Web site launches that allows people to calculate the true cost of unnecessary purchases, often regretted in hindsight, while they share them via personal videos or photos.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—Unfair and misleading practices by credit card companies are having a negative impact on the financial future of college students. That was the point of discussion before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit of the United States House of Representatives on June 26, 2008. Brent Neiser, director of Strategic Programs and Alliances for the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), testified at the hearing, which provided an opportunity to explore ways to help college students who are adversely affected by credit cards and consumer debt, and to prevent future problems in this area.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has received the Magnum Opus Gold Award for Most Improved Design for its NEFE Digest. This is the first recognition award for the bi-monthly newsletter that publishes feature articles on the foundation’s projects and a comprehensive look at the current state of financial education.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), has been appointed chair of the Committee on Outreach by Charles Schwab, chairman of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. In his leadership role, Beck will help set the goals for the Council’s outreach activities in the upcoming months, while also serving as a member of the Youth Committee.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The first-ever National Financial Literacy Challenge, a voluntary online test of personal finance knowledge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Treasury, shows a majority of high school students don’t appear to be learning or retaining the information needed to make important financial decisions. However, on a positive note, 10 high school students were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 17, for achieving a perfect score of 100 percent on the test.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has translated its widely-used High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) student guide to Spanish. It is available online for Spanish speakers and teachers to use in learning or teaching about personal finances.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—President George W. Bush announced Tuesday, January 22, that he signed an executive order to establish an advisory council within the U.S. Department of Treasury “to help keep America competitive and assist the American people in understanding and addressing financial matters.” Ted Beck, president and CEO of the Colorado-based National Endowment for Financial Education, attended the announcement at the White House where he was officially appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, a 16-member panel charged with prescribing recommendations on better educating the public on matters related to their finances and their future.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) now provides an easily-implemented, unbiased and noncommercial financial education solution for colleges, universities and alumni associations to offer to their students. CashCourse, an online financial education resource directed at college students and recent grads, was piloted last fall at several universities through their Web portals.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The board of trustees of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has appointed Terry Pearce of Larkspur, Calif., as chairman, and named Jackie Booth, Ph.D., of Orlando, Fla., as vice chair. Additionally, the NEFE Board of Trustees has appointed two new individuals to serve the leadership assembly.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The Institute for Financial Literacy® has selected the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) as a 2007 recipient for an Excellence in Financial Literacy Education AwardTM (EIFLETM). The National Endowment was recognized in the Institutional Book of the Year for Children in the General Category for its contribution of the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP).

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—Financial education programs in the research marketplace have proliferated in recent years. Yet, accessible ways to evaluate their effectiveness have not kept pace. Focusing on this challenge, the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) provided a grant to a team of university researchers for creating a powerful assessment tool designed to help educators measure the success of their respective programs. The result of the collaboration led to the development of the NEFE Financial Education Evaluation Toolkit^SM, an innovative resource that now is available online at no cost to users.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—With the resounding theme of “All across the nation, financial education for a new generation,” the highly-anticipated 2007 edition of the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) was officially delivered recently to a national network of representatives who work to ensure the financial well-being of America’s youth.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has appointed Sara M. Bentley and Hugh H. Makens, JD, to its Board of Trustees. The new trustees were nominated by the current members of the 14-person board, which is the governing body responsible for setting the policies of the foundation.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—It’s a refrain that can make the most stoic of parents quake—the voice of a teenager asking, “Mom, dad, can I borrow $500?” A new program is making this conversation, and other discussions of money, easier for teens and parents alike in hopes of creating financially responsible adults.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—It’s never too early or too late to start saving for life goals. To help individuals achieve financial well-being, there’s a Web site which reaffirms that no matter what stage of life a person may be experiencing, now is the best time for them to get smart about money. The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has created www.smartaboutmoney.org to help consumers cope with the many financial challenges they will face in their lifetime, by providing a wide variety of practical, unbiased and dependable personal finance resources.