Pennsylvania Secretary of Banking Bill Schenck said the free service provides financial assistance for Pennsylvanians about personal budgeting, loan information and banking options in a user-friendly manner.
"We asked working families how the Department of Banking could be more helpful," said Schenck, "and people kept saying they needed help with understanding financial information and ways to make better personal financial decisions. 'Your Money's Best Friend' fulfills that need by providing information that's unbiased and easy to comprehend."
"There's no sales pitch, no hidden agenda, and most importantly, you don't have to be a certified public accountant to access the information," said Schenck.
The Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education, which was created by Governor Edward G. Rendell in 2004 to help the public improve their personal money management plans and increase the quality and availability of personal finance education in Pennsylvania's schools, workplaces and communities, developed the new site.
"Saving is down, debt is up, and foreclosures and bankruptcies are ruining people's lives," said Office of Financial Education Director Hilary Hunt. "By improving financial literacy, we are empowering Pennsylvanians to take control of their financial destiny and make sound decisions with their hard-earned dollars."
"Your Money's Best Friend" covers topics such as banking, budgeting, investing, buying a house, getting married, taxes, and talking to loved ones about money. Along with explaining concepts, the site provides practical tips and advice, links to other helpful resources, calculators and a glossary of financial terms.
The site also allows visitors to look-up community-based resources such as housing counselors, university cooperative extension offices, programs and services in their area. Simply type in a ZIP code and the site's mascot, "Buck," will retrieve a list of contact and background information for an ever-growing number of organizations.
The Governor has also proclaimed April as "Financial Education Month."
