Every day people spending money do something that involves managing it – whether it is balancing a checking account, checking credit card statements, saving money for retirement, or simply deciding whether to pay cash or charge a purchase. A new resource is now available to help improve our understanding of money management.
On October 12, 2004, the federal government, through a partnership of twenty federal agencies, launched a website, www.mymoney.gov, and toll-free hotline, 1-888-mymoney, to help Americans easily access information that can help them better understand their money—how to save it, invest it, and manage it wisely to meet important personal goals.
The website provides information on a variety of financial education topics. It divides financial education into nine key areas of budgeting and taxes; credit; financial planning;
home ownership; privacy, fraud, and scams; responding to life events; retirement planning; saving and investing; and starting a small business. Information is also available in Spanish. This site will grow over time with more information on lots of different topics so you are encouraged to visit often.
You can get a free “My Money Financial Tool Kit” mailed to your home free of charge through the mymoney.gov website by clicking on the “My Money Tool Kit” link to fill out an order form. If you do not have access to a computer, you can also order by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-888-mymoney. Hotline operators support both English and Spanish requests. The tool kit covers the important financial areas of saving, investing, managing credit wisely, and planning for retirement as well as understanding Social Security benefits. The average delivery time for a tool kit is 2 to 3 weeks.
The publications provide helpful information and enable individuals to make better financial decisions. They also provide information about how to contact the various sponsoring government departments and agencies for additional information. Many of the publications will also be available in a Spanish version of the tool kit.