Bellco And EVERFI Join Forces To Prepare Colorado Students For Their Financial Futures

73% of participating students claim they're ready to set up and follow a budget

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Aug 19, 2020, 10:17 ET

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bellco Credit Union is helping Colorado kids prepare for a successful financial future through its work with EVERFI, a leading social impact education innovator. More than 200 students have participated in Bellco's financial education program to date, which empowers them by helping them develop critical financial capacities as they enter into adulthood.

Schools along the Front Range have participated in the program, with students spending a combined total of more than 400 hours learning financial skills.

"With educational opportunities advancing online, we are proud to offer these important digital tools to help young people establish healthy financial habits," said Jody Soper, vice president of marketing at Bellco. "Our goal is to provide foundational financial skills like budgeting and the value of creating a savings plan to help them reach their short- and long-term financial goals."

The program has resulted in an increase in financial knowledge and capabilities among the participating students.

Assessments showed that participants' understanding of basic financial concepts, such as budgeting, credit and debt, insurance and financing higher education increased by 31% after taking the courses.
The students also reported an increase in confidence, with 73% saying they were ready to set up and follow a budget – a critical step toward reaching financial goals.

"As we head back into a new school year while still in the midst of a pandemic that is having far-reaching financial implications, there has never been a better time for families to focus together on finances, making good decisions and managing debt," said Ray Martinez, president and co-founder, EVERFI. "We applaud the commitment Bellco has made to bring these educational resources to hundreds of Colorado students."

In addition to sponsoring financial education at these schools, Bellco also offers online educational resources for its employees, members and the community through its MoneySmarts program with EVERFI. More than 25,000 people have taken advantage of these courses since the beginning of 2019, with more than 65% of those people accessing content since the beginning of this year. The most popular content pertains to building an emergency savings and creating a budget – important tools in today's environment.

About Bellco Credit Union
Bellco is one of Colorado's largest financial institutions, with more than $5 billion in assets and 27 branches in Colorado. Founded in 1936, Bellco offers a full range of financial products and services including mortgages, auto loans and checking accounts. Today, Bellco has more than 350,000 members who benefit from the advantages of a credit union, including lower interest rates on loans, higher yields on savings and access to thousands of ATMs nationwide. Connect with Bellco on Facebook and Twitter. Bellco is federally insured by NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender.

About EVERFI, Inc.
EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 41 million learners globally. Recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2020, EVERFI powers community engagement in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together financial institutions, colleges and universities, and some of the largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive impact. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, as well as Advance, Rethink Education and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.

Contact:
Jill Petersen, GroundFloor Media
M: 206-683-5225

SOURCE Bellco Credit Union