Investor Education and Consumer Outreach Programs
Each one of our programs offers a unique twist to learning about the financial marketplace.
Contact us today at informed@pa.gov to schedule an event in your area.
Financial fraud prevention programming geared for retirees and seniors. Includes multiple guest speakers through contact and coordination with local, county, and state government agencies. Fraud bingo is also included, and is conducted by the Pennsylvania AARP Consumer Issues Task Force. This fast-paced event runs 2 1/2 to 3 hours and requires a minimum of 50 attendees.
A series of presentations delivered in your community, customized to the audience.
Topics covered include:
- Avoiding Scams and Identity Theft
- Cybersecurity
- Investing 101
- Investing to Build Wealth
- Investment Fraud Prevention
- Making Your Retirement Last
- Spending Plans
A fun and interactive presentation that teaches consumers how to protect themselves from investment fraud by playing a familiar game: Bingo! Players learn how to detect financial fraud by identifying scams affecting their own city or town and learn techniques to protect themselves from this financial abuse.
Want to organize your own game? Fraud Bingo program is free of charge. Email us at informed@pa.gov or call 1.800.PA.BANKS. Groups of 25 or more can be accommodated.
A series of live, in-person presentations to women’s groups, associations and clubs by request. Topics include:
- How to Invest 101
- Using Technology to Invest
- How to Choose an Investment Professional
- Avoiding Investment Scams
- Types of Investment Accounts
Innovative, research-based programs that train medical doctors, lawyers, social workers, senior service providers, and other partners to recognize and report financial abuse targeting their clients, especially those suffering from mild cognitive impairment. To schedule a training, email us at informed@pa.gov.
A program to help new and expecting moms learn more about saving, investing, and improving their overall financial health. The series of ten lessons begins with creating spending plans and how to plan to achieve short and long-term goals. We help moms see how small changes can make big differences in their and their family’s lives. The series follows a logical “trail” that starts with an overview of the big picture and moves through to more in-depth lessons. We explore the importance of investing sooner rather than later, preparing for big purchases, types of insurances, investing and investment accounts (including educational accounts for their children), and even how to protect their hard-earned money from investment frauds and scams.
This program is offered at no cost and is completely non-commercial featuring presenters from the Department of Banking and Securities, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and the Pennsylvania Treasury.
An investor education program that works with schools and colleges to teach students to pursue financial goals and financial independence through this introduction to the basics of investing and how to avoid financial fraud.
Start Today and Retire Tomorrow
MOST Americans are NOT saving enough for retirement! MANY are NOT saving anything at all! STaRT is a "non-commercial" program, offered by the PA Department of Banking and Securities, which discusses retirement planning. The goal is to help you determine what your retirement goals are and how to help you get there. No matter where you are in the timeline for retirement, know that it’s never too late to start. That’s why we call this “Start Today and Retire Tomorrow.” While national statistics are not always positive – they indicate most of us are not saving enough for the futures we want tomorrow. The good news is that if we make changes today, we can create a better tomorrow.
Staff members participate in community and legislative expos and informational fairs throughout the year. We offer resources to consumers and investors in their communities across Pennsylvania.
This program is designed to address financial and investing challenges faced by members of the military, veterans and their families.
Making $ense of Finance is made possible through the PA Military Finance Alliance, a multi-agency collaborative effort.
Investing 101 is an introduction to saving and investing for our future goals with an emphasis on retirement. Most of us are not saving enough for our retirement. Many of us are not saving anything at all. Investing is a way to build wealth without having to be wealthy to do it. No matter how small the amount, or your background/previous knowledge, anyone can get started. Topics to be covered include: Why we need to save and invest, the difference between saving and investing, types of investments, the “power” of compound interest, investigating before you invest, technology and investing and diversification.