National Financial Capability Month, 2013

Proclamation 8951 of March 29, 2013

National Financial Capability Month, 2013

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

All Americans deserve the chance to turn their hard
work into a decent living for their families and a
bright future for their children. Seizing that
opportunity takes more than drive and initiative--it
also requires smart financial planning. During National
Financial Capability Month, we recommit to empowering
individuals and families with the knowledge and tools
they need to get ahead in today's economy.

My Administration is dedicated to helping people make
sound decisions in the marketplace. Last year, we
partnered with businesses and community leaders to roll
out new public and private commitments to increasing
financial literacy. We released a new financial
capability toolkit to help schools and employers as
they launch their own initiatives. And with our College
Scorecard and Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, we are
working to give families clear, transparent information
on college costs so they can make good choices when
they invest in higher education. Together, we can
prepare young people to tackle financial challenges--
from learning how to budget responsibly to saving for
college, starting a business, or opening a retirement
account.

Financial capability also means helping people avoid
scams and demand fair treatment when they take out a
mortgage, use a credit card, or apply for a student
loan. My Administration continues to encourage
responsibility at all levels of our financial system by
cracking down on deceptive practices and ensuring that
consumers are informed of their rights.

We also know that too many families are living
paycheck-to-paycheck, unable to take advantage of tools
that would help them plan for a middle class life. That
is why we must build ladders of opportunity for
everyone willing to climb them--from a fair minimum
wage that lifts working Americans out of poverty to
high-quality preschool and early education that gets
every child on the right track early. These reforms
would encourage the kind of broad-based economic growth
that gives everyone a better chance to secure their
financial future.

Our history shows that there is no economic engine more
powerful than a thriving middle class. Reigniting that
engine means giving ordinary citizens the tools to find
prosperity, including strong financial capability. To
learn more about managing money and navigating the
21st-century marketplace, visit www.MyMoney.gov and
www.ConsumerFinance.gov, or call 1-888-MyMoney.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim April 2013 as
National Financial Capability Month. I call upon all
Americans to observe this month with programs and
activities to improve their understanding of financial
principles and practices.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord two
thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.