Schwab MoneyWise

Program Components

Schwabmoneywise.com

This Web site, launched in April 2007, contains practical guidance, tips, tools, calculators and other useful resources to benefit all types of consumers, from those who want to learn the nuts and bolts of personal finance themselves to those who want to teach the basics to others. Information is organized as follows:

• A Money Basics section, which covers fundamentals such as goal-setting; budgeting; calculating personal net worth; managing credit and debt; saving and getting started on investing; as well as understanding health insurance and disability, long-term care and life insurance; retirement and estate planning; income taxes; and the different types of financial accounts.

 

• A Life Events section, which provides information on important financial choices and decisions involved in changing jobs, getting married, buying a home, starting a family, getting divorced and losing a spouse.

 

• A News & Views section adds timely perspective with articles and insights on a broad range of topics, including trends in retirement and philanthropy, insights into the health insurance crisis and interesting survey results about people’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviors regarding money.

 

• A Talking to Kids section incorporates multiple resources for parents, including a quiz to help them assess how good a job they’re doing as money mentors and suggestions on areas where they could improve.

 

• A Teachers & Volunteers portal also contains news relating to financial education, classroom resources such as workshops and educator tips, and links to other sites that help bring the lessons of personal finance to life for young people.

 

• A Calculators & Tools section includes a mortgage affordability calculator and a rent vs. buy calculator, complementing the suite of other available tools including: an interactive savings calculator and a cost-of-debt (debt payoff) calculator, a spending tracker, budget planner, a retirement needs worksheet, a personal net worth worksheet, and a financial inventory worksheet.

Schwab MoneyWise workshops

Designed to help parents, educators, and other interested adults raise money-wise kids, these workshops cover topics including saving and the benefits of starting early; getting kids started on a budget; the dos and don’ts of credit for young people; and the essential ABCs for beginning investors.