Financial Wellness: April Is Financial Literacy Month

April 3, 2024 / Get Well

April is Financial Literacy Month, a month focused on educating people about the importance of planning for a secure financial future. The Office of Employee Wellness and Wellbeing (OEWW) recognizes the importance of proactively addressing concerns about financial stability and navigating uncertain economic situations. Supporting your economic wellbeing as part of an overall employee wellness strategy is an evidence-based practice that helps everyone in the workplace thrive.  NOVA’s OEWW invites you to consider the following live and on-demand/just-in-time financial wellness events and resources.

Live sessions are highly recommended because they allow you to ask questions specific to your financial circumstances. This month’s highlighted event is:

  • GMU’s 4th annual Money Smart Day, which will take place on Wednesday, April 17. This event is free and open to the community, but participants will need to create a guest account to register. Once you’ve registered, you will be sent an email with the Zoom links for all sessions so you can choose the ones you’d like to attend.
  • BONUS: You can also view recordings and PowerPoint presentations from Money Smart Day 2023 and Money Smart Day 2022 without registering.

Here are a few additional tips for assessing your financial wellbeing and taking control of your financial future:

  • April is Financial Literacy Month and National Stress Awareness Month. Financial stress can lead to sleepless nights, anxiety, an inability to focus, lower productivity and absenteeism. Watch this brief three-session series on financial wellness from wellness partner CommonHealth. The series covers tips and suggestions for reducing stress associated with financial situations.
  • Take this short quiz (in English or Spanish) from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Answer 10 questions to measure your current financial wellbeing and see the steps you can take to improve it.
  • Periodically review your Social Security Statement through your personal my Social Security account. Your statement is an easy-to-read earnings record that determines your future benefits. The online statement is paired with an interactive retirement calculator that allows you to run additional benefit estimate scenarios to compare how different future earnings and retirement benefit start dates affect your benefit amount.
  • Take advantage of free resources to improve your financial literacy. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) Money Smart financial education program and MyMoney.gov can help people of all ages enhance their financial skills through interactive games, podcasts and game-based learning. There are separate tracks for adults and teenagers.

Level Up! Take your finances to the next level with practical tips and step-by-step guidance in these new online courses by Khan Academy! You’ll learn what you need to know to manage your finances like a pro — and build a solid foundation for your financial future. Khan Academy has created engaging and accessible content covering budgeting, saving, investing, taxes and more. The site has a wealth of content and a user-friendly platform to help empower you to take control of your money. Watch this short video for more information.

Want More Offerings? Click here for the financial wellness resources document curated by NOVA’s OEWW.

Pink piggy bank with black hornrimmed glasses and stacks of coins in front of him. Right panel. Black background with white type: Financial Wellness Wednesday

Submitted by:
Dahlia Henry-Tett, Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu