Plumas Bank and the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) are celebrating Financial Literacy Month in April and encouraging Americans to take control of their financial future by learning fiscally responsible habits and putting these lessons into practice.
According to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC®) 78 percent of U.S. adults believe that despite what they already know about personal finance, they could still benefit from financial advice and answers to everyday financial questions from a professional.
“No matter where you are in your personal financial journey, having a strong foundation of financial principles and best practices for money management will help you avoid financial pitfalls and set you up for financial success,” commented Elizabeth Wainscoat, Plumas Bank business advisor and branch manager in Truckee, Calif. “As your trusted financial advisor, Plumas Bank is here to help you navigate the financial landscape with confidence when making financial choices that can affect your future.”
Often referred to as America’s favorite lenders, community banks are financial experts with a wealth of knowledge and local expertise that make them uniquely suited to help you reach your financial potential through assistance with:
● Budgeting to help you track income and expenses and build a plan to manage your finances, reach your financial goals, and create a nest egg.
● Saving and investing to help you assess appropriate savings and investment goals and vehicles based on how much, how accessible, or anticipated timelines.
● Using credit effectively to establish and maintain good credit so you can reap the benefit from this convenient and flexible form of payment without the consequences of mismanagement.
● Understanding debt load and available options like debt consolidation.
“Knowledge is power and in the case of financial literacy, it can put consumers on the path to financial security and generational wealth that builds stronger communities,” ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. “Community banks offer important savings products and services to help fulfill financial goals at every age and life stage—whether saving for a car, or continuing education, funding a down payment or small business, or planning for a vacation or retirement.”
ICBA also offers financial literacy programs through community bank partners including Visa’s Practical Money Skills, the FDIC’s Money Smart initiatives and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.
