Hundreds flock to Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill

While members of the U.S. House of Representatives debated the merits of cracking down on credit card practices, many Congressional staffers spent time boning up on where to find help for taxpayers with personal finance matters. April 30, 2009 was declared Financial Literacy Day and was celebrated on Capitol Hill with a Financial Literacy Fair in the House’s Cannon Caucus room. 55 organizations, including Consumer Action, government agencies, and businesses provided information about programs designed to empower people with the economic knowledge to make sound personal finance decisions during all stages of life. More than 500 staffers combed the tables for information and resources that would help constituents manage during these trying economics times. Consumer Action offered free publications on “Saving Your Home for Foreclosure,” “Staying on Track with Credit,” “Talking to Teens About Money,” “Freezing Your Credit Files” and much more. Many of the publications featured by Consumer Action at the Financial Literacy Fair are part of MoneyWi$e, Consumer Action’s award winning financial education project, underwritten by Capital One. As staffers enjoyed a buffet lunch, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL) spoke about the pressing need for schools to require financial education as part of their overall mission. The Financial Literacy Day fair was hosted by the Partnership for Financial Literacy Policy. The Partnership consists of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Junior Achievement and the Council for Economic Education.