THE IMPROVING FINANCIAL AWARENESS
& FINANCIAL LITERACY MOVEMENT

A Very Big Social Challenge That Requires Attention Now!

Do You Realize?

As you may know, most people are never taught the essential principles of smart money management and are provided with very little personal money knowledge at home or school. This leaves them vulnerable to become victims in many of their everyday money decisions, which jeopardizes almost every aspect of their lives, including their health and well-being, financial security and any hopes of financial independence or even an adequate retirement.

Just in the US, we currently have more than 10,000 people reaching age 65 daily; many will run out of money before they die. Many families are burdened with large amounts of student loans and other forms of growing debt. This lack of financial understanding has created further problems as more than ½ of our adult population don’t have nor understand why they need an up-to-date financial, estate and gift plans to protect themselves and their families. We have a serious problem. This lack of financial awareness, along with the financial illiteracy epidemic places a HUGE growing amount of pressure on families and friends, employers, nonprofits; as well as the ultimate safety net the government. This is not just a local epidemic - it’s an international one. And these societal problems/challenges are not limited to the US . . . they are worldwide.

The Strategy

To help address the lack of financial awareness and the financial illiteracy epidemic we began taking an active leadership role to recognize organizations and their management, and individuals that are championing improving financial awareness and financial literacy. We are then uniting them with other associations, organizations, nonprofits, educational institutions, municipalities, employers, and news media to actively focus their vast community resources into The Improving Financial Awareness &; Financial Literacy Movement with its semi-annual concentrated personal finance content media blitz around the strategic campaign venues

Financial Literacy Month (April) and six months later with

Estate and Gift Planning Awareness Month (October) (We worked with Congressman Thompson’s Office during 2007 and 2008 to help create an Estate Planning Awareness proclamation that was co-authored by 50 bi-partisan Congresswomen & Congressmen; we have helped advance and promote it since.)

The plan is to touch everyone at least twice a year through these strategic campaign venues, with educational and motivating content, reminders and tools for making wise informed lifelong   financial decisions and to get and keep your financial house in order by having current financial, estate and gift plans. 

The objective is to encourage financial / nonprofit / education professionals and their organizations, employers, municipalities, and the news media to actively participate in this movement by sharing some of their knowledge to alert, educate, motivate, and assist everyone to cost effectively establish and keep their financial, estate and gift plans current. We understand that this is a massive undertaking; however, it’s being accomplished through leading organizations and their associates that include:

Together these organizations represent nearly 1,000,000 financial professionals. The accountants, attorneys, estate planners, financial planners and advisors, insurance agents and brokers, trust officers, and nonprofit executive directors and development officers that are members of these organizations are helping to mobilize the financial and estate planning and nonprofit communities by providing support, tools, and education for their professionals and the general public they serve.

 

2021 The Improving Financial Awareness
& Financial Literacy Movement's Distinguished Co-Honorees

Each year we recognize and honor a distinguished group of hard working ‘Thought Leaders’ for their outstanding individual efforts in improving financial awareness and financial literacy. It gives us great pleasure to recognize this year’s Co- Honorees representing Thought Leadership in Academia, Financial Services, News Media and Nonprofits.

REPRESENTING ACADEMIA THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
The International Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Association the University of Ghana (The FA Association)
Over the last year these fine gentlemen have been working on creating The International Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Association at the University of Ghana Business School. The FA Association is taking a leadership role in rolling out The Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Movement in Ghana.   Ghana Executive Summary Overview Ghana University Association
	Professor Godfred A. Bokpin, Dean of Students Affairs University of Ghana Professor Godfred A. Bokpin is an Economist and Professor of Finance. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics from the Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University in Japan, Master of Philosophy Degree in Finance and B.Sc. (Admin) in Accounting with First Class Honours from the University of Ghana. Professor Bokpin combines three broad disciplines of accounting, finance and economics and the interrelations between them in teaching and research that uniquely distinguishes his output. He has extensive experience consulting for industry, Civil Society Organisations, and government
	Professor Justice Nyigmah Bawole Dean, University of Ghana Business School Professor Justice Nyigmah Bawole is Dean of the UGBS. He obtained a PhD in Development Policy and Management from the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK in 2013. He also holds a Master of Philosophy in Public Administration, Bachelor of Science in Administration (Public Administration) and Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Ghana Business School. He also attended Wesley College of Education in Kumasi and Yeji Secondary/Technical School. Professor Bawole has consulted for a number of local and international organisations and featured on many radio / TV programmes providing insightful analyses on important policy issues.
	Professor Charles Andoh, Head - Department of Finance Professor Charles Andoh (PhD), Technische Universitaet, Kaiserslautern, Germany) is an Associate Professor and the Head of Department of Finance in the UGBS.  He holds a BSc. Mathematics from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology (Ghana) and MSc degrees in Mathematics and Financial Mathematics from respectively the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Professor Andoh research interests are in the areas of risk evaluation in investment decisions, time and financial time series analysis, finance theory, artificial intelligence and its application in finance
	Benjamin Amoah, PhD, Coordinator, The International Improving Financial Awareness & Literacy Association, TFAF Ambassador & Advisory Board Member Professor Charles Andoh (PhD), Technische Universitaet, Kaiserslautern, Germany) is an Associate Professor and the Head of Department of Finance in the UGBS.  He holds a BSc. Mathematics from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology (Ghana) and MSc degrees in Mathematics and Financial Mathematics from respectively the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Professor Andoh research interests are in the areas of risk evaluation in investment decisions, time and financial time series analysis, finance theory, artificial intelligence and its application in finance

♦ The Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Movement in Ghana    ♦ The Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy University Program at University of Ghana Business School

	REPRESENTING FINANCIAL SERVICES THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Gary L. Flotron, MBA, CLU®, ChFC®, AEP® Professor Flotron has taught at University of Missouri – St. Lewis for over 18 years and is the 2014-15 Recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. An author and frequent national speaker, Gary has spoken to numerous professional associations and conferences, and has over 35 years of experience in business and estate planning and executive and employee benefit plans. Gary is the past president of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, and their Foundation; a past national board member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP) and their Foundation; and Chair Emeritus and member of the executive committee for the Synergy Summit
	REPRESENTING NEWS MEDIA THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Jean Chatzky, CEO of HerMoney.com & host of "HerMoney" With Jean Chatzky
	The financial editor of NBC Today for 25 years and the Financial Ambassador for AARP, she appears frequently on CNN, MSNBC and was a recurring guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. Her latest book is Women with Money: The Judgment-Free Guide to Creating the Joyful, Less Stressed, Purposeful (and Yes, Rich) Life You Deserve. An in-demand motivational speaker and fierce advocate for financial literacy, in 2015, she partnered with the PwC Charitable Foundation and Time for Kids to launch Your $, an in-school magazine that reaches 2 million school children each month.
	REPRESENTING NONPROFIT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Centre for Financial Literacy Education Africa - CFLE –AFRICA is a Ghana based not-for-profit professional organization that seeks to promote and develop financial literacy skills in the average African. Their mission is to empower and educate all Africans to make financially sound decisions. Promote and develop financial literacy skills in young Africans and help them make financially sound decisions, plan for the future and live a debt free life. CFLE-Africa is the Lead TFAF Ambassador in Ghana.
	Peter Kwadwo Asare Nyarko, Executive Director, is a Financial Literacy Advocate & Educator, Financial and Business Planner, Coach & Consultant, Practicing Accountant, Author, Public Speaker and Lead TFAF Ambassador - Ghana. Peter is also the Founder/CEO of PKAN Consulting; a personal finance, group financial planning and business development firm.
	Barbara Ama Aboagye, Executive Member, a curious learner with Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on materials and structures in the environment at Ecole Centrale Nantes, France. Has a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from KNUST, Ghana. Barbara’s lifelong dream is to construct affordable housing for Africans, using plastic bottles and alternative source of material apart from cement. Her favorite quote is “If not now, then when, if not you, then who?’’ She is passionate about financial literacy and wealth management, and aspires to be a teacher someday.
	Philip Oduro Annor, Executive Member, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Finance at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and holds a Securities Industry Certificate from the Ghana Stock Exchange. He believes in strategic human capital development, global knowledge, financial literacy, and investments. Philip is passionate about finance and all its related activism; loves to volunteer and give back to the community, and envisions CFLE-Africa to be championing and creating massive awareness on financial literacy and impacting a greater number of Africans and the world at large.
To help address the lack of financial awareness and the financial illiteracy epidemic, CFLE-Africa has taken an active leadership role to recognize organizations and their management, and individuals that are championing improving financial awareness and financial literacy, then uniting them with other associations, organizations, NGO’s, nonprofits, educational institutions, municipalities, employers, the news media and concerned individuals to actively focus this vast community resource into The Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Movement in Ghana. Visit CFLEAFRICA Visit The Movement Worldwide

Who Benefits From This Undertaking?

Families benefit by learning the essential principles to smart money; it empowers them to make better informed productive everyday money decisions, save time and money with their financial advisors and product providers, and have the best possibilities to reach and maintain their personal and family financial dreams, to enjoy a financially secure, debt-free future, while passing on their values, knowledge and assets to future generations to make their lives and this world a better place.

"Employers benefit from having employees who are less stressed, happier and more productive.

Financial institutions and their professionals benefit by acquiring new business from more informed and motivated clients.

Nonprofits benefit with increased donations, planned gifts, alternate beneficiary selections and bequests from more informed and motivated donors and volunteers.

Philanthropists benefits by helping to solve a major social problem that leads to better world.

Academic Institutions benefit by having alumni, faculty and staff who are less stressed, happier and more productive and more philanthropic.

The news media benefits by providing its audience with timely valuable information.

Municipalities benefit by having happier and financially successful constituents, and a reduced strain on social welfare services.

Everyone actually benefits with a stronger and financially sound economy and a better world.

This is a great opportunity to "strengthen relationships” with clients and prospects and associates, generate new revenue opportunities for financial service / nonprofit / education professionals, while producing needed gifts and bequests for many educational institutions and nonprofits.

Most importantly, this also goes a long way to solving the lack of financial awareness and financial illiteracy epidemic.

Together we have the potential to help solve a major social challenge by advancing and contributing to one of the most broad-based, multifaceted moments for improving financial awareness and financial literacy while advancing philanthropy.

SOME Fun And Easy Ways To Participate  

1. Place financial and estate planning editorial content into your website, newsletters, social media groups, local newspapers, and radio/television/web-based shows and ads, in support of Financial Literacy Month and Estate & Gift Planning Awareness Month. If you need content see the sample articles found in the downloads section or contact us.

2. Add the "We Support Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Icon" to your website with a link to:
http://home.thefinancialawarenessfoundation.org/images/cobrand.jpg (Click on the icon below to download it)

Download Now    

3. Add an “Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Page" to your website, newspaper, and magazine. This is an excellent opportunity to show your support and to provide your employees, clients, prospects, and members of your community with a great platform to share important financial information.

4. Initiating local community-wide seminars (similar to job fairs) that focus on improving financial awareness and financial literacy.

5. Encouraging groups to host or take part national webinars built around estate and financial planning during the months of April and October.

6. Talk to your colleagues, associates, members, friends and family about The Movement and encourage them to support and participate.

7. Circulating financial awareness campaign materials and the found in the "Download Section" to your members, colleagues, associates, and encouraging them to support and participate.

Global financial literacy initiatives are increasing and we are contacted regularly for assistance and ideas from around the world. In 2018 we began assisting in the creation of The Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Movement in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania; this will touch ~ 150 million people; this is modeled after our work in the US.

As you may know in many parts of the world financial literacy deals only with savings, budgeting and debt management and many have never heard or thought about comprehensive financial planning which also includes: helping people get and stay organized, establishing personal and financial goals, retirement planning, planning for major expenditures, investment planning, tax planning, risk management planning, and estate, gift and charitable planning.

We wonder what the global societal and economic impact on the world’s markets will be if we can significantly increase the quality of life and buying power of THE PEOPLE around the world through The International Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Movement.

We believe this will go a long way towards solving many of the world’s current social challenges while benefiting ‘The Entire Community’ by having happier and financially successful constituents, creating jobs and helping to build a robust economy, while reducing poverty, crime, and the strain on social welfare services.

For more information on this subject, go to our main menu and click on "Downloads".  Scroll down until you see a Yellow Banner with the title "The International Financial Awareness & Literacy Movement”.

The Employer / Community Programs

For municipalities, employers, and organizations for their residents, employees, patrons, and prospects this thought provoking program is more than just a source educational financial information and advice. It is a complete personal financial management system - a clear step-by-step process designed to help organize the participant's financial affairs and provides them with the essentials principles to smart personal money management - the foundation to personal finance knowledge. The program provides the participants with the sustainable tools so they can better address financial challenges and advance toward achieving and maintaining their personal and family financial and philanthropic goals, while reducing debt and the stress that surrounds this area of life.

The City of Monterey and its Public Library (The oldest in California) made this presentation to their patrons and the Greater Monterey Bay Area Residents as a Community Gift. This can be a wonderful community service and an excellent development tool for local nonprofits. What do you think about this for communities you and your colleagues touch? For more information on this subject, go to our main menu and click on "Downloads". Scroll down until you see a Yellow Banner with the title "Financial Awareness & Literacy Programs".

Academic Programs

We are developing Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Programs for Universities and Colleges. Universities and Colleges are in a strategic position to materially improve the lives of its students, alumni, faculty and administrative personnel, and supporters. This happens through their current education programs and through a new addition to life-long learning and a life-long connection to the people that make up their community.

By providing graduating students, faculty and administrative personnel, alumni, and supporters (The Community) access to the Your financialPARTNER University / College Program™ you are building a lifelong bond and social media connection while giving your community the secrets of smart money and essential principles to smart money management - the foundation to personal finance knowledge. This is an excellent life-long learning program for graduating students, faculty and staff, and alumni while helping with development efforts at schools you touch.

These have been piloted at the University of Miami - School of Law for its graduating class, the student athletes at Sonoma State University to its graduating athletes, and (USC) University of Southern California Emeriti College, and Miami Dade College which launched the first Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Student Club.

In 2019 at Makerere University in Uganda we established the first International Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Research Center; Makerere University is the largest University in Uganda with a student enrollment of 35,000. We hope to globally link together universities and colleges through research centers like this.

There is ‘No-Cost’ to this quality program and it’s presented by your financial service alumni and can be recorded and edited on campus so you can control the message and content!!! We are also working on establishing The International Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Literacy Research Center within the colleges and universities we touch and to globally linking them together.

Several TFAF Ambassadors are exploring using elements of the colligate programs at high schools.

For more information on this subject, go to our main menu and click on "Downloads". Scroll down until you see a Yellow Banner with the title "Financial Awareness & Literacy Programs".

On behalf of The Financial Awareness Foundation, our Board of Directors, TFAF Ambassadors and the participating associations, organizations, nonprofits, and professionals, we thank you for your efforts and for assisting us in having a positive ongoing impact on improving financial awareness and financial literacy across the country, and around the world.

Respectfully submitted,
Valentino Sabuco, Executive Director
The Financial Awareness Foundation
A 501(c) (3) Nonprofit
Dedicated to Substantially "Improving financial awareness & financial literacy..." ^SM