Washington State Department of Financial Institutions

News Release

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Contact

Lyn Peters, Director of Communications & Financial Education Outreach
PH (360) 902-8731 lpeters@dfi.wa.gov

Jeremy Lushene, Webmaster, Financial Education Outreach
PH (360) 902-0506 jlushene@dfi.wa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Financial Education Outreach Continues To Be A Priority In Meeting The Needs Of Washington Residents In Crisis

Partnerships are key as government agencies and offices work with non-profit and private organizations to offer financial education in a variety of formats and venues

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) continues to seek new methods of helping all Washington residents get the information they need to make sound financial decisions. In an effort to meet Gov. Chris Gregoire’s challenge for state agencies to improve customer service with reduced resources, DFI is pleased to share the many ways we’re doing more with less.

To reach more Washington residents while using fewer resources and funds, we've joined the world of Web 2.0 and are adding new ways to provide access to much-needed resources, including:

With these new points of access, Washington consumers may now receive immediate updates and get the latest information on how protect and improve their financial well-being, including:

Adhering to our mission of "Regulating financial services to protect and educate the public and promote economic vitality" DFI will continue to add additional resources and increase the number of methods to make this information available to Washington residents as they arise.

Understanding that Washington residents face many challenges in today’s economy, DFI is partnering with KCTS 9 PBS in Seattle for their "Tough Times" series on how to survive in a down economy http://www.kcts9.org/toughtimes. DFI’s Steven C. Sherman, Esq., a Financial Legal Examiner in our Consumer Services Division will participate in the second in the series on housing and Martin Cordell, Supervisor, Securities Division Criminal Unit of the Enforcement Section will be on hand for the third in the series on personal finance and protecting your investments.

DFI is assisting the City of Tacoma Safe and Clean Team, Federal Reserve Board, United Way of Tacoma-Pierce County and numerous non-profit organizations to offer help to homeowners facing foreclosure with a free all-day workshop.

We're also partnering with AARP (and other partners including FINRA, Microsoft and the Washington Attorney General's Office) on four "Taking Charge In Tough Times" education outreach events throughout the state.

All events will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Space is limited. Register by calling toll-free 1-877-926-8300.

About DFI
www.dfi.wa.gov ▪ 360.902-8700 ▪ 877.746-4334
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions regulates a variety of financial service providers such as banks, credit unions, mortgage brokers, consumer loan companies, payday lenders and securities brokers and dealers. The department has won numerous awards for its financial literacy and outreach programs developed to protect consumers from financial fraud. In addition to posting information about licensees and administrative actions, the DFI’s Web site features consumer tips on a variety of financial fraud-related topics. DFI also hosts a financial education blog http://finlit.blogspot.com/, a financial education Twitter page http://twitter.com/fined4all, a financial education YouTube page (where we've compiled a host of financial education videos from a variety of reliable resources) http://www.youtube.com/wadfi and a financial education calendar for Washington State http://dfi.wa.gov/consumers/calendar.htm.

 

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