Financial Literacy Training: Developing a Successful Program

Do you need to find a winning strategy for planning successful financial literacy training? Congratulations! You have arrived in just the right place. We’ve carefully crafted a detailed walkthrough that explains each step in the journey toward achieving your goal.

Financial Literacy Training: At a Glance

Influential Financial Literacy Training Management

Bloom & Webb

In Practice: A Journey to Success

In the following scenario, you will get a taste of how a professional successfully pulled off organizing some top-notch financial literacy training programs:

Maurice is a project manager at a multinational corporation, and he supervises 18 new interns and research assistants – all of whom are between the ages of 21 and 26. After several of his team members approached him with questions related to money management, he decided to start organizing some sort of financial education training for this group. He had a pretty strong grasp of the subject matter, but he was missing some critical pieces that would be necessary for him to move forward successfully.

After performing a sample survey with a small number of them, he realized that this team needed financial literacy training that could provide them with the fundamentals of money management.

Goals for Financial Literacy Training Programs

Maurice knew that his goal for the immediate future was to teach his team members some financial knowledge that could help them in their own lives ASAP. Because all of his employees had little disposable time in their schedules, he realized that – at most – each person would be able to participate for about three hours each week. That’s why he was alright with designing a condensed financial literacy training that centered on just the core principles.

For the end of this financial education training, his eventual hope was that each member of the tam would reach the “Applying” phase of understanding.

Setting Out on a Path of Success

Maurice, with his objectives for the financial literacy training clearly defined, had to then focus his energy on selecting a delivery method for his financial literacy training programs. This group of interns and assistants, unfortunately, had schedules that were all over the place, so he knew that designing a solution that was based on the internet would be best way to conduct the financial literacy class.

Getting it Right the First Time

Then, Maurice needed to find a way to whittle down the primary focus of his financial literacy training. Due to the fact that most of the team members were quite young professionals, he opted to design the program with a focus on establishing a healthy credit score and saving strategies.

Integration of Financial Literacy Training Additions

Planning for Financial Literacy Training Scopes

Reaching Out for Help

Next, Maurice needed to seek out an experienced educator to present his financial education training programs to the group. He went searching for an instructor that had a proven track record, on top of a solid level of knowledge related to personal finance.

The educator he ended up selecting for his financial literacy training was an instructor that was certified through NFEC.

Financial Education Training Curriculum

Maurice needed a solution that would be successful, even with these time and scheduling limitations he was up against. With that understanding, he decided to make sure that he created a solution that would be broken up into smaller, modular portions that can be done whenever the group has time.  Financial literacy statistics have shown that shorter courses work well with broken up into smaller modules so her pursued this design.

Visualizing the Results

Out of the 18 employees, 17 managed to complete the first of Maurice’s financial literacy training programs – with a 19% improvement rating (on average). He then gathered the final data points and generated a report that highlighted just how much progress the interns and assistants had made, so he could present the financial literacy program to the higher-ups in the company.

Aptitude for Financial Literacy Training Use Cases

Highlighting Success & Growth

Maurice realized that this group would only be able to apply what they had learned if he could provide them with future support moving forward. When the financial literacy training ended, he wrote them all individual hand-written letters of congratulations.

He ended up choosing to keep providing follow-up financial education training options, once per month, so that they had a better chance of retaining what they were already absorbed.

Training your team and partners on the details of your financial education campaign is an essential element of any promotional effort; sadly, most groups fail to adequately prepare their staff. The consequences of not providing financial literacy training on the campaign range from a poor user experience to confused messaging and frustrated stakeholders.

The training options described below are focused on ensuring they are informed on the overall initiative so they can communicate the messaging clearly. This is different than the Certified Financial Educator Training which trains them on how to teach personal finance subjects.

The NFEC ensures that your team is ready and prepared to communicate the financial education programming with the end user and are well-trained regarding the areas important to your organization’s objectives. Training can include:

  • Initiative Training: When team members describe your messaging clearly and confidently, all interested parties are reassured. Team members are trained to communicate the overall initiative, available resources, and key program points.
  • Data Gathering & Tracking: Team members are trained to track key initiative barometers to ensure that accurate information is gathered. Training covers managing test data, lead sourcing, keeping accurate participant records, milestone measures, and other data collection important to your organization.
  • Revenue Model & Funnel: Team members are trained to properly manage leads and participants to contribute to the bottom line.

Solution Options

Crib Sheet
Key points of the campaign (initiative messaging, data tracking, etc.) are outlined and made available in print and online formats. This document provides key stakeholders a Cliff’s Notes version of the campaign so they can effectively communicate the message. Online and print versions are available.

Training Webinar
Team members participate in a live webinar or watch the recording to become educated on the financial literacy programming and overall campaign. Includes Crib Sheet. $995 setup and $250 per 1-hour webinar.

Custom Training Center
Training is available via custom eLearning center and cheat sheets built specifically for your campaign. Team members complete online activities, watch custom training videos, and must pass tests that demonstrate their understanding of the initiative. Includes Crib Sheet. $1,995* (*pricing may vary depending on scope of the project) Contact Us

Outsourced Solutions

Outsourced Participant Management & Accountability

(eLearning participants only. Live instruction is managed by our Personal Financial Speakers Association trainers.)

The eVolve eLearning course can be entirely participant-led; however, results are enhanced when enrolled students are held accountable and have a person to contact for questions.

To support the needs of our partners for eLearning education personnel, the NFEC employs a team of educators to manage your eLearning classes. These educators:

  • Have current teaching credentials in good standing
  • Are Certified Financial Education Instructor graduates
  • Have passed a background check
  • Truly care about students’ success

There are many participant management options available that can be customized to meet your needs. These include: activity project grading, progress reporting, participant phone training, parent-teacher phone conferences, overall class management, and other duties that college professors manage when running an online learning program.

Outsourced Custom Campaign Management

The NFEC currently is not taking on new custom outsourced management clients. Instead, interested organizations are participating in our community campaigns.

Over the last 10 years we have developed campaigns for organizations with small budgets to serve millions annually. We know what works and what doesn’t. Our community campaigns include the educational materials, promotions, and a model that generates a Cost per Impact at the top of the industry.

To learn more about our shift from custom outsourced initiatives to community campaigns contact us.

Benefits of Financial Literacy Training

Financial literacy training has long-term benefits that directly impact the lives of your participants. Studies show that by receiving money management lessons people are more likely to save, invest, stay out of debt and have more money saved for retirement.

Besides the obvious benefits mentioned above, financial literacy training also impacts many other areas of our lives. As many are aware, money issues are the leading causes of: stress, relationship strain, unhealthy coping behaviors, divorce and reduces our productivity. All of these symptoms of financial illiteracy can affect our emotional state and impact those we care about most.

Financial literacy training is valuable at any age; however, the sooner you learn basic money management lessons the bigger advantage that you will have. This article will explore training tips from top rated financial literacy experts and answer the pressing question – ‘What should I look for in a financial literacy training program?’

To find a program that will best help you or the people you serve reach their goals, first locate a course that blends education with real world execution. Why have people created a fake budget when you can have them work on their own personal budget right there in class? These real life activities have participants already taking the positive action steps they need to properly manage their finances.

It is important to locate an instructor that is sensitive to the issues surrounding money. There are many people who would feel embarrassed showing their budget or net worth to others. A highly-skilled instructor knows what is acceptable to share and what may lead people to write down incorrect data purposefully to protect their ego.

The next thing you want to locate when choosing a personal financial literacy training course is material that combines theory-based lessons with practical application. In high school, we all had to learn about gross domestic product (GDP), fiscal policy and macroeconomic trends which are all important to know. For some reason, they skipped the lessons that we really needed – the personal financial lessons. The same applies to the subject of math. It’s good to know how to solve X + 4 = 8 but should those lessons also include basic money management skills. So when choosing a financial education course make sure instead of just giving you the theory of compounding interest, they cover its impact on you and provide the step-by-step instruction on how you can take advantage of this ‘theory’.

One of the most important factors in gauging the effectiveness of financial literacy training is the participant’s experience. Finding a program that is engaging and educational will keep you interested and your mind will absorb the data better. When we are bored our mind is not focused – we think about staying awake and the natural tendency of the brain is to drift off. This is especially true for subjects where we have had past negative experiences.

The subject of money is an emotional issue that reaches people on many different levels. By ensuring the financial literacy training you chose is fun; it will help to sooth past financial regrets and keep you focused on your goals. A quality financial education program will help you understand the connection between your emotions and the decisions you make with your money.

Take some time to find the financial literacy training program that will best accommodate your objectives. A little knowledge can go a long way – especially when it comes to the subject of money. Good luck and keep learning.

Financial Literacy Training Goals

The main objective behind any financial literacy training program is to help you afford those things you want to do in life while securing your future. With that said, start any program with the end in mind.

Fast forward to the end of your life and start listing out everything you want to do and accomplish by then. Work backwards and carefully think through your goals. Take some time on this exercise and adjust it over time. Once you feel your list is complete then start to calculate how much money you need to do those things you want. And if retirement is one of those ‘wants’ calculate how much you will need to retire.

The next step is to figure out your annual cost of living. Write out what your expenses are now and estimate any future cost of living increases. Then add up the totals through the end of your life expectancy. That number is how much you need you will need to accomplish everything on the list.

For many people who number is shocking, it is no wonder most people ever calculate how much they need to retire. Contrary to the saying, ignorance is NOT bliss, especially when it comes to your money. A good financial literacy training program will help you determine how much you will need and prepare you for the emotional shock that often comes with this exercise.

There are two ways you can reach your goals – 1) achieving that high of net worth 2) building up cash flow that will allow you to afford those items you want. Your financial literacy training goal basically comes down to successful achievement the net worth or cash flow needed to complete your ‘wish list’.

The best place to start your financial literacy training is by getting a qualified financial coach to help you. Financial coaches give unbiased opinions on potential investments, help you cover the basics of your finances and provide support for needed questions. Leverage this relationship and discover the areas you need to improve and focus your initial training on those areas.

Now that you have some direction, immerse yourself in study. It does take effort but the confidence you gain when you are ‘in the know’ is well worth the effort. Also consider the amount of time it can cut down your working years if you had the knowledge to get your money working for you.

Once you have the knowledge, a good team and renewed confidence; now it’s time to take action. This is where most people go wrong in their financial literacy training. They take all the other steps but do not follow through with consistent, positive, action.

With any financial education course, you take make sure to follow it up with an immediate action step. For instance, if you read a book on stock market investments then immediately start to review potential investments, schedule an appointment with a professional or sign up for an account. Just take risk-free action immediately to get the momentum going.

Financial literacy training courses can be valuable in helping you gain the knowledge and take action. Many have accountability features to keep you on course and getting closer to your goal daily.