DELAWARE: FINANCIAL LITERACY
The Bond Buyer
By Alison Vekshin
September 9, 2002
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner last week endorsed a task force report that recommended expanding the state's financial education initiatives and launching a statewide financial literacy campaign.
The Governor's Task Force for Financial Independence spent six months exploring ideas on how state residents could boost their financial assets and take control of their finances. The panel is chaired by state Treasurer Jack Markell and Caroline E.W. Glackin, executive director of the First State Community Loan Fund. It includes 29 business, government, and community representatives.
Among its 15 recommendations, the task force suggested training state caseworkers to incorporate financial literacy into their meetings with social services clients. It encouraged educational initiatives such as employer-based financial education, pre-purchase housing counseling, and ways to fight predatory lending.
"These strategies promote savings, goal-setting, and education, " Markell said. "While the task force's recommendations cover a range of diverse initiatives, they all empower families with the tools to be self-sufficient and financially independent. "
