Financial Service Providers Encourage Financial Literacy and Connect With Community by Purchasing Halloween Candy From Kids

News provided by

National Financial Educators Council

Oct 25, 2017, 08:35 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Financial Educators Council's Cash for Candy campaign is a Halloween promotion where financial service professionals purchase candy from children. Participating organizations build relationships with their communities, while they help children stay healthy and pick up important financial literacy skill sets.

The NFEC welcomes financial service professional and institutions to encourage the physical and financial wellness of our youth by participating in this fun Halloween promotion. All materials are provided complimentary and can be branded for your organization: marketing, forms, handouts, and educational resources are available.

Participating financial service providers: 1) select marketing pieces and educational resources, 2) add their logo, 3) promote via provided ads, emails, and social media posts, 4) host the candy buyback, and 5) participate in post-program promotions.

Access complimentary and brandable Cash for Candy resources at https://www.financialeducatorscouncil.org/cash-for-candy/

Financial illiteracy, obesity rates, and other illnesses caused by poor diet have reached near all-time highs in our country. The Substitute Cash for Candy campaign is one way the NFEC and its partner organizations are working to address the financial illiteracy epidemic and improve wellness among kids.

Besides partnering with financial institutions, the NFEC encourages parents and trick-or-treat givers to get involved too. Parents are encouraged to buy back candy from their children and use that activity as an opportunity to teach their kids about money. For people preparing for trick-or-treaters, the NFEC suggests substituting cash for candy. Kids like receiving money, and it provides an opportunity to encourage positive financial behaviors.

"It takes a village to raise a child, and each of us has a responsibility when we're presented with the opportunity to talk with children and teenagers," states NFEC's CEO Vince Shorb. "This Halloween, we encourage financial institutions to substitute cash for candy and use the opportunity to talk with kids about money and strengthen community relationships."

Last year the NFEC introduced the Cash for Candy campaign, which encourages parents and "trick-or-treat" givers to substitute cash for candy on Halloween and seize the opportunity to teach children about money. This campaign was featured in two front-page articles on MarketWatch, and people from across the country participated.

This year the NFEC added the candy repurchase program to encourage financial institutions and other businesses to get involved. Participating organizations build relationships with their communities, while they help children stay healthy and pick up important financial literacy skill sets.

Up until the late 1960s, trick-or-treaters received a variety of gifts, not just candy: money, nuts, fruit, cookies and toys were all common. In the 1970s, candy manufacturers made a huge marketing push and candy began to take over the Halloween tradition, according to research by The Atlantic. This changed the holiday tradition – that's why the NFEC is fighting to change the giveaways to money and encourage kids to start picking up financial literacy skill sets early.

The direct relationship between health and a person's overall financial wellness has been well-established. On average, healthy people earn more, enjoy lower medical expenses, live longer and receive more benefits as a result. The goal of this campaign is to encourage health and provide a fun way to teach personal finance.

The National Financial Educators Council's mission is to create a world where people are financially capable to make sound, effective financial decisions that improve their lives and the lives of people they influence all around the globe. The NFEC is a personal finance company that supports the efforts of people in the financial education community. Complimentary financial literacy curriculum and other resources are available to help organizations and individuals promote the Cash for Candy campaign.

Media Contact:

Trevor Stoll
415.729.7290
[email protected]

SOURCE National Financial Educators Council