CFEE Guidebook

30 BUILDING FINANCIAL CAPABILITY THROUGH FINANCIAL COACHING Using an online platform has several impor- tant benefits for any coaching program:  ` It provides a way to track participant prog- ress and to document metrics and outcomes for funders or grantors.  ` It offers a system for sharing outcomes and progress with participants.  ` It provides a way to scale up coaching and make meetings more efficient.  ` It provides an ongoing database of informa- tion about participants from year to year. Interactive Personal Finance Learning Sites Personal finance concepts discussed in coach- ing sessions can be augmented and reinforced through the use of online learning sites. CashCourse (www.cashcourse.org) is an interactive website sponsored by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), one of the largest nonprofit financial education organizations in the US. The site offers a range of financial education lessons and learning tools for adults and college students, provid- ing them with resources to learn about the basics of personal financial management. CashCourse offers a number of user-friendly resources for college and university adminis- trators who want to use the site for teaching purposes. It gives educators enrolled on the site the ability to set up school profiles where they can make assignments and track the progress of their students. Individuals can sign up for their own accounts either as a “Student” or “Other Learner.” The site has an extensive resource library with downloadable materials such as worksheets, workshop kits, how-to guides, marketing materials, and other helpful add-ons to the online CashCourse experience. SUNY Smart Track (https://www.suny.edu/ smarttrack/literacy/) , available to colleges in the State University of New York system, is a collection of resources—including a Net Price Calculator—designed to help students and families understand college costs and develop a financial plan for the future. SUNY Smart Track also offers resources on personal financial literacy, from budgeting, responsible credit card use, and avoiding identify theft to the basics of banking, bor- rowing, and working through college. The site has a learning center to help demystify college finance through loan-payment estimators and strategies to borrow responsibly and repay funds.  Build on Your Success The Money Smart Forum financial coaching program has demonstrated the many ways that financial coaching can help students and young adults build healthy financial behaviors. Creat- ing visibility and gaining support from college administrators and faculty is an essential factor in creating momentum for the program. One of the best ways to garner support from the community is to publicize the positive outcomes that students are able to achieve. We used a number of strategies to communi- cate the importance of financial well-being, including partnering with other student clubs, posting messages on the college website, send- ing announcements on email distribution lists, and writing articles for the student newspaper. For the Money Smart Forum participants, the year-end awards ceremony was a significant event and a way to call attention to their achievements. I learned the difference between a credit score and a credit report, and that I need to watch them both! Money Smart Forum student