At Wintrust, we’re committed to providing financial resources to help the people in our communities thrive. That’s why we’re proud to offer Money Smart, a free financial education program provided by the FDIC. The Money Smart curriculum is a complete set of courses designed to help people of all ages build knowledge, security, and confidence in their financial abilities. 

We began our partnership with Money Smart 11 years ago, and now we have more than 160 trained Money Smart facilitators within the Wintrust family, consisting of bank tellers, loan officers, and more. We provide Money Smart via in-person courses; one-on-one training at our banks; and most recently, virtually. We frequently partner with local schools, churches, municipalities, and other organizations to provide these free educational resources to the people in our communities. 

Money Smart is divided into four programs, each consisting of multiple instructor-led modules:

Money Smart for Young People features age-appropriate courses for children and teenagers, including resources for parents and educators of younger children. This curriculum also includes Money Smart for Young Adults, which helps young people ages 12-20 learn about the basics of managing money.  

Money Smart for Adults consists of 14 modules on a variety of topics to help adults manage their finances with confidence, including: budgeting, understanding and effectively using credit, managing debt, buying a home, and more.

Money Smart for Older Adults helps educate older individuals and their caregivers about preventing financial exploitation, making informed financial decisions, and avoiding common scams aimed at seniors.

Money Smart for Small Businesses was developed in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide an introduction to topics related to starting and managing a business, including: planning your business, managing finances, tax planning and reporting, and more.

At Wintrust, we know everyone has their own unique financial goals, and we’re dedicated to providing tools like Money Smart to help you reach them. To learn more about the Money Smart courses available in your area, please contact your local Wintrust Community Bank.