2010.11.17 20:10:07

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It’s never too early to start teaching children about money management.  The American Bankers Association (ABA) provides a good rule of thumb:  “If they are old enough to ask for a toy or a bike, they are old enough to start learning financial lessons that will last a lifetime.”

 

The best financial lessons are part of everyday experiences. Look for opportunities to talk about money, read books aloud and play games that center around spending money wisely. Be open and honest when you discuss your financial experiences—good or bad. The ABA offers the following examples of teachable moments to help you get started:

2010.11.06 03:15:17

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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has developed an award-winning Money Smart financial education curriculum designed to help consumers understand basic financial services, develop money-management skills and learn how to use banking services effectively.
The FDIC’s Money Smart program is available free of charge in four primary formats:

•  An instructor-led curriculum for adults on CD-ROM available in seven languages and print versions for the visually impaired;
•  An instructor-led curriculum for young adults between the ages of 12-20 on CD-ROM, Money Smart for Young Adults;
•  A self-paced Computer-Based Instruction format online for all ages in English and Spanish; and
•  A portable audio (MP3) version, Money Smart Podcast Network.
  

2010.10.27 19:03:43

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From ghosts and goblins to skeletons and jack-o-lanterns, we all have scary things on our minds as Halloween approaches. And although we can all agree that a walking, talking skeleton isn’t real, this edition of Tuesday Tips is devoted to steps you can take to make the very real threat of work-from-home scams less scary.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently issued a fraud advisory to warn consumers of the dangers of work-from-home scams. These types of work-from-home opportunities are often advertised in newspaper classifieds, online employment websites or in unsolicited e-mails.

2010.10.14 00:16:42

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Oct. 17-22 is National Protect Your Identity Week. Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in America. According to the American Bankers Association (ABA), as many as 15 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year—that’s one new case every two seconds.

Most identity theft takes place offline. Identity thieves often rely on paper documents by invading mailboxes, vehicle glove compartments and trash cans to steal and misuse information.

According to a 2006 survey by Javelin Research, 63 percent of information breaches could have been prevented and occurred in four categories: 30 percent from lost or stolen wallets, credit/debit cards or checkbooks; 15 percent from friends, family, in-home employees and neighbors; 9 percent from stolen mail or garbage; and 9 percent from home computers (hacking, viruses or phishing).

2010.10.07 02:23:39

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October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a national public awareness campaign to encourage everyone to protect their computers and personal information. In our increasingly networked world, mobile devices of all shapes and sizes—in addition to traditional laptop and desktop computers—connect us to the Internet almost anywhere anytime. This makes us all vulnerable to the possibility of identity theft – and makes protecting our personal information more important than ever.

To help protect your personal information, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Cyber Security Alliance suggest taking the following steps: