We strive to improve the financial knowledge and decision making abilities of Montana citizens.


Treasury Seeks Public Comment on Financial Education Standards

The US Treasury Department is soliciting comment on a set of financial education core competencies that it has developed in its role as Chair of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission. Comments are specifically requested on whether the competencies are complete, and whether any parts should be deleted, revised, or expanded.

The list of competencies is available here. Instructions for submitting comments may be found in the second paragraph. The deadline for comments is September 12th.

Free Financial Literacy Program Available to Teachers

Free hard copies of the Building Your Future financial literacy curriculum are available to high school teachers upon request, while supplies last. The curriculum covers banking, financing, and investing. Ten thousand copies are available, courtesy of the Actuarial Foundation.

Teachers who would like to receive a free copy should send their name, school, and school mailing address to Programs@ActFnd.org. The curriculum can also be downloaded for free here.

Credit Unions Publicize Small Loans Program

Did you know that most credit unions make loans as small as $300? And that the repayment schedule on these loans typically ranges from six to twelve months, depending on the borrower’s ability to repay?

Montana Credit Unions for Community Development is launching a statewide campaign to increase awareness of these small loans. Read more »

Asset Building Summit Is Around the Corner

BEST Montana is hosting the Asset Building Summit in Bozeman on September 2nd. The summit will discuss asset building through four tracks focusing on different types of assets:

  • Political assets
  • Economic assets
  • Human assets
  • Tax track

The summit will follow the Rural Communities Conference, to be held on August 31st and September 1st in Bozeman. Its focus on assets is an opportunity to learn more about the topics in asset-building which will be covered by the Rural Communities Conference.

For more information on the summit and to register, please visit the Asset Building Summit page.

MFEC Unveils Local Coalitions Page on Our Website

A new kind of financial education resource is making its debut on our website. The local coalitions page provides information on organizations which have formed community-based coalitions to strengthen their financial education efforts and provide a full range of services to their communities. Information includes descriptions of coalition activities, participating organizations, meeting times, and contact information.

Free Tax Services Save Montanans $14.5 Million, Aided by Partnership-Powered Website

submitted by Montana Credit Unions for Community Development

Free tax sites across Montana helped tax payers obtain more than $14.5 million in federal tax refunds for the just-ended 2009 tax season as a result of the 14,279 tax returns it prepared, according to the IRS. Read more »

Conference to Tackle Building Wealth in Rural Communities

The MSU Horizons Program is hosting a Rural Community Conference (RCC) on the MSU-Bozeman campus on August 31 and September 1, 2010.

Full information the conference can be found at www.ruralcommunityconference.org.

Report Finds Financial Barriers for Non-English Speakers

A new report finds that non-English speakers in the United States are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to managing personal finances and acquiring financial literacy—and often fall victim to bad financial habits and practices as a result. Read more »

Teachers Back Greater Support for Financial Education

Only a small fraction of K-12 teachers feel that they have the skills to teach personal finance, according to a newly-released study. The study asked teachers to rate their competency to teach six topics in personal finance. Fewer than 20% of those surveyed felt “very competent” to teach any topic. Read more »

Financial Capability Challenge Results Released

Results of the National Financial Capability Challenge have been released, and the lesson for Montana is that much work remains to be done to ensure that young Montanans learn the financial literacy skills they need. Read more »