Financial Literacy Resources for Every Stage of Life

Financial Literacy Resources

Find free financial education tools and programs for students, parents, educators, adults, people with disabilities, and older adults. Explore resources from the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and trusted partners to build money skills, plan ahead, and make informed financial decisions.

Audiences

Educators use Money Minded Illinois
Paying and Saving for College
Adults and Financial Wellness
People with Disabilities and Their Families
Older Adults and Retirement

The Treasurer’s Office has free financial literacy resources for Illinois residents of all ages. Our Money Minded Illinois program provides story times at local libraries for ages 3-5 and a standards-based classroom curriculum for first grade through middle school.

The Illinois Financial Wellness Hub has a wide range of tools and resources for adults and teens.

While these programs are available year-round, we’ve created materials to help you celebrate Financial Literacy Month in your community. We have a toolkit for librarians with downloadable materials, activities, and programming ideas for all ages. We also have activity packets and reading lists for parents who would like to have money conversations with their children.

Visit our Financial Literacy Month page to learn more.

Adults and Financial Wellness

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Consumer Tools

Planning for retirement
Balancing debt, retirement income, and assets becomes even more important to your financial security as you age. We can help you prepare for the future.
Debt collection
Debt collection issues can be challenging. You don’t have to face them alone. Our resources can help you understand how debt collection works and your rights.
Credit cards
Whether you’re shopping for a new card or getting a handle on an existing one, here are the resources you need to manage your credit cards.
Credit reports and scores
Your credit reports and scores affect your finances. Our resources can help you better understand them, learn how to correct errors, and improve your credit record over time.

Mortgages and Housing

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Borrower Education Materials: Easy-to-understand materials to assist homebuyers and homeowners navigate purchasing a home and avoiding foreclosure.

Financial Literacy and Pre-Purchase Counseling by Illinois Housing Development Authority

Thinking of buying a home? Financial literacy and pre-purchase counseling are both offered free of charge through our network of housing counseling agencies. Find a counselor near you today and start getting the help you need.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Mortgages Resources:

Whether you’re thinking of buying a home, already have a home loan, or are having trouble paying your mortgage, ConsumerFinance.gov has resources to help you every step of the way.

Retirement Savings and Financial Planning

My Illinois Savings (formerly Secure Choice)

Our retirement program makes it easy to save for retirement. Not only is My Illinois Savings open to employees of eligible employers, but it is also available to anyone who wants to enroll on their own and start saving.

Instilling Financial Savviness in Your Kids

Find opportunities to weave financial savvy and money habits into your everyday life to teach your children. Here are a few sample articles to get you started:

Saving for College

Saving for your kid’s college education isn’t easy, but you can probably save a lot more than you think. There are six important things to know to start squirreling away money and investing smartly, including how to save in a 529 investment plan.

When should I start saving for college?

The average college saver doesn’t open a 529 account until their beneficiary is over 7 years old. Learn about starting early to save for college and options available if your child is just a few years away from college.

When to Start Saving for College? Sa vy Strategies for Long-Term Goals
Even if your child is just a few years away from college, it’s not too late to fund a 529 plan

Tips on how to pay for college

Figuring out how to pay for college is like putting together a puzzle. It can be overwhelming to know where to start. But gradually, different pieces fit together in different combinations until the puzzle is complete. Check out seven smart ways families are paying for college.

IL 529 College Planning Center

Use the Bright Directions College Planning Center to chart potential college-related costs, learn about different colleges, research available grants, and so much more.

People with Disabilities and Their Families

Money Management with Access Living

Access Living’s money management classes, also known as its Financial Literacy Workshops, are geared toward people with disabilities who want to improve their credit, learn to budget, save for the future, and increase their employment and homeownership opportunities.

Autism Speaks Financial Planning Toolkit

All parents worry about their children’s futures. But for parents of children with special needs, the worry can be even bigger. Managing your child’s financial future can seem daunting, but having a plan can help ease your fears. This toolkit will provide you with essential information and guidance to develop a plan. The information included comes from top experts in the field. We have also included some personal stories from other parents or caregivers like you.

Illinois ABLE News & Updates

IL ABLE “Achieving a Better Life Experience” accounts help people with disabilities and their families save and invest money for disability-related expenses—while protecting eligibility for certain federal benefits. IL ABLE can be a helpful option for people who want to build savings and improve their financial well-being without risking important support benefits. Funds can be used for many costs related to living with a disability.

To get updates, tips, and resources, sign up for our ABLE newsletter.

ABLE National Resource Center

Learn all about the National Resource Center’s information and resources on the Achieving a Better Life Experience programs.

Older Adults, Retirement, and Fraud Prevention

Learn about important information from the Social Security Administration’s blog.

Living in Retirement

The Illinois Financial Wellness Hub (FinWell Hub) offers free personal finance resources on many topics, including retirement. You’ll find tips on everything from traveling on a budget and insurance to required minimum distributions (RMDs) and more.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers free tools and information to help you plan for retirement and manage your Social Security benefits. One of the most useful tools is my Social Security account. It lets you:

Review your earnings and work history
Get an estimate of future benefits
Exploring how different factors could affect your payments

Treasurer Michael Frerichs also hosted a webinar with Jack Myers from the Social Security Administration to explain how Social Security works and answer common questions. Watch the recording for more information.

Money Smart for Older Adults

The Money Smart for Older Adults Program helps older adults and caregivers recognize scams, prevent financial abuse, and make safer financial decisions. It also encourages planning ahead to help protect money and personal information.

The program was developed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Looking Out for Fraud

The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) helps older adults in Illinois and the people who care for them. IDoA offers programs and services that respect different cultures and help older adults stay independent, safe, and connected so they can live with dignity.

Older adults are often targeted by scammers. Common scams include sweepstakes and prize scams, home repair scams, and other types of fraud.

Fraud can have a serious financial impact on older adults. Some estimates show that seniors lose billions of dollars each year to scams.

To help protect yourself or someone you love, IDoA shares resources and contacts for older adults across Illinois. The Illinois Attorney General also offers a Senior Citizens Consumer Fraud Helpline. To contact the hotline, please call 800-243-5377 or email seniorhelpline@ilag.gov.

Contact Us

If you have questions about the resources on this page, please email us at financialeducation@illinoistreasurer.gov.

Financial Literacy Resources for Every Stage of Life