Smartaboutmoney.org – Budget, Get Out of Debt
Learn Expense Tracking, Budgeting, Money Management & Save Money
Jan 2, 2009
The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to improving the financial well-being of all Americans. The NEFE runs a related website that offers money management tips – smartaboutmoney.org – as part of a public awareness campaign. A catchy slogan on the Smart About Money homepage tells individuals all they need to know about the NEFE and the Smart About Money campaign – “We’re...a nonprofit foundation with nothing to sell and a lot to tell.”
On Smartaboutmoney.org: Expense Tracking Worksheet & Financial Assessment Quiz
The NEFE is purely dedicated to disseminating information about financial topics to the American people. The organization does not offer debt counseling services, debt consolidation, or financial advice tailored to specific individuals. What the organization offers is resources anyone needs to get on the path to financial well-being. Here are two of those resources:
- Tracking Your Expenses worksheet – a simple printable 2-page worksheet with suggested expense categories for tracking monthly cash outflows. This worksheet simplifies budgeting and expense tracking.
- Financial Assessment Quiz – 21 questions that, when answered and submitted, guide individuals to the free financial tools of interest to them and applicable to their financial situation. The questions ask how concerned the individual is about different financial topics from credit scores to retirement planning.
Money Management Visual: Life Events & Financial Decisions Tree
Perhaps the most interesting feature on this website is the Life Events & Financial Decisions tree.
The branches on the tree and portions of the trunk represent various life events and the financial implications that go along with those life events. Scrolling over a topic reveals the money matters available for further investigation. For example, scrolling over “jobs” reveals the topics of career transitions, relocation, unemployment, and managing job benefits. Users can click on any of the topics to access financial guidance.
Note: Since this article was published, the decisions tree was replaced with an easily navigable & logically organized Life Events & Financial Decisions page. To see all major life events covered, simply click on the drop down list on the left side of the webpage.
Interesting Feature: Financial Tips Appear at the Bottom of Every Page
As users browse the Smart About Money website, different financial tips appear at the bottom of the screen. These tips are helpful and really get users thinking about financial topics they might not otherwise consider. On a single visit, the following tips appeared in succession:
- Talk to your friends and family about your struggles and triumphs regarding money.
- Assess your spending plan for this month. Are you on track?
- Compare car insurance prices on the internet. If you find a better price, consider switching policies.
- When you no longer need financial documents, shred them to avoid identity theft.
- List 10 free activities to do with a loved one. Pick one and do it.
The tips and resources on the smartaboutmoney.org website are straightforward and simple to understand. There’s no sugarcoating, just facts about personal finances and advice to help individuals get out of debt, learn money management techniques, plan for major life events, save money, invest for retirement, and make financial decisions in general.
The smartaboutmoney.org website provides resources on how to get out of debt, setting up a budget, and establishing financial goals. The resources available are simply too numerous to list in a single article. Interested individuals should visit the smartaboutmoney.org website to browse the full selection of financial topics and resources.
Resources:
Smartaboutmoney.org
National Endowment for Financial Education website
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