Virtual Financial Literacy Toolkit

Post Monica McDearmon

virtual toolkit logo

We’ve collected a variety of virtual resources that you can explore and share with your customers and communities.

If you find a great virtual resource, please email Monica McDearmon to share it with the group!

American Bankers Association Virtual Resources

Get Smart About Credit Logo

Get Smart about credit (GSAC) information:

The Get Smart About Credit program—sponsored by the ABA Foundation—is a national campaign of volunteer bankers who work with young people to raise awareness about the importance of using credit wisely. The age group focus for this program is high school and young adult.

  • Get Smart About Credit Day was officially celebrated on October 15, 2020, but bankers are encouraged to register and participate at ANY time during the year!
  • New virtual resources available, including:
    • Student engagement guide
    • Web-conferencing guide
  • New lesson plans for the virtual environment
    • Building a Strong Financial Reputation Presentation
    • Deciphering Savings Data Presentation
  • Register today (it’s free!) to get access to all of the GSAC resources, including:
    • Presentation materials
    • Communication tools
    • Promotional materials

Teach Children to Save logo

Teach Children to Save (TCTS) Information:

  • Three revised TCTS lessons plans adapted for an online learning environment will be released for each of the following grade groups:
    • Grades K-2
    • Grades 3-5
    • Grades 6-8

TCTS Reminders:

  • Register participation in the ABA Foundation’s financial education programs to access FREE resources.
  • The Foundation’s financial programs can be done at any time during the calendar year – it doesn’t have to be April.
  • Don’t worry about registration numbers – take your best guess!
  • Please do NOT send the lesson plans directly to parents/teachers. We want to make sure bankers still have a communication channel to their community as being the real-world expert. Also, the lessons as of right now are not structured to be taught virtually. 

Resources Available Now:

  • ABA Consumer Resources – Youth & Money
  • Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Money
  • Money Talks Newsletter
  • Needs Vs. Wants Coloring Sheet
  • Bankers and You Bingo
  • Spot the Banking Difference Activity Sheet
  • On an episode of the American Bankers Association Banking Journal Podcast, one bank discusses what they are doing to revamp its financial education offerings for virtual formats, as well as some lessons learned along the way. The ABA Foundation’s Jeni Pastier talks about how to deliver the foundation’s signature Teach Children to Save program virtually, as well as other resources from ABA for digital financial education. Listen here.
  • Each of the ABA Foundation’s financial education program’s private resource page, available to bankers who have registered participation, has a Social Media Toolkit. This is an easy, one click resource for bankers to promote Teach Children to Save (TCTS) through their own social media channels.
    • Financial Literacy Month social media toolkit has been updated. Access the toolkit here. Use #financialliteracymonth and #vabankers in social media posts so VBA and ABA can help amplify your efforts.
    • The TCTS toolkit has been updated to include virtual lessons. Access the toolkit here. Use #TeachChildrenToSave and #vabankers in social media posts so VBA and ABA can help amplify your efforts.
  • Ten Years of Lights, Camera, Save! Finalists Videos are all posted to ABA’s YouTube Channel and can be shared on your bank’s social media channels or via direct community outreach. These short videos, all created by 13-18 year olds, are an entertaining way for viewers to see smart savings skills implemented. When using the contest videos include #LightsCameraSave and #vabankers in your post so VBA and ABA can amplify your efforts.

Banzai! – VBA Endorsed Provider

Banzai logo

The VBA has partnered with Banzai, a carefully designed web-based financial literacy program for all ages and groups, including K—12 schools, community programs, employee onboarding, and even families. A partnership with Banzai provides an opportunity for Virginia banks to enhance your existing financial education initiatives and deliver the latest technology to local schools through a private-labeled program that teaches, assesses and certifies students in a variety of personal finance topics.

In the past few months, teacher requests for Banzai resources have increased by 300%! This is a great opportunity for your bank to support schools and teachers that are in need of online education tools to share with their students.

You can view a sampling of the Banzai Direct platform here where you can browse their course offerings, calculators, and available coaches. View a demo of the Banzai Direct platform here.

Browse their interactive library here, which includes articles on insurance, retirement, taxes and more!

Online Financial Literacy Programs & Resources

Virtual Presentation Tools

The Great Investo – Resource from the Delaware Bankers Association

Enjoy a magical video lesson with The Great Investo as he reads the new book ”The Great Investo and the Astounding, Abounding, Compounding Machine.” Explore all of the resources here.

  • View the video here.

    • Keep score with Investo’s Great Savings Race in the video with this worksheet
    • Download and print the eight page Saving Magic activity book filled with puzzles and fun
    • You can download a free Kindle version of the book on Amazon, April 27th through May 1st
  • The Great Investo Savers Club

    Kids between the ages of 8 and 11 can join The Great Investo Savers Club.  The Club has lots of fun and informative ways to set goals and start saving!  Click on the picture at right for more information on the The Great Investo Savers Club.

  • The Great Investo Book Series

    You can enjoy Investo and Penny’s adventures in the series of illustrated children’s books available from Amazon and other retailers.  Their latest adventure is The Great Investo and the Winning Ticket.  

  • Money Magic

    The six-part Money Magic series introduces elementary school students to age-appropriate personal financial concepts in order to instill sound money skills and build future financial independence.  Each lesson includes a eight-to-ten minute video, teacher lesson plan, and student activities sheet.

Financial Literacy Themed Book Suggestions

Financial Literacy Book Suggestions

AARP BankSafe – FREE Elder Financial Exploitation Training

AARP’s BankSafe training combines industry knowledge and experience with a state-of-the-art, online learning experience. AARP worked with more than 2,000 financial industry professionals to develop the training platform’s content and interactive scenarios. The platform is one of few designed specifically for frontline staff, supervisors, financial advisors and compliance officers.

Users learn how to identify potential financial exploitation and take the right actions to stop it. In fact, researchers from Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology found that employees trained with AARP BankSafe were able to save an average of 12 times more money per employee from financial exploitation than employees trained with other methods. To learn more, click here.