SEFCU’s Institute for Financial Well-Being and Mastercard Launch Financial Education Partnership
Two prominent leaders in the financial services industry, SEFCU and Mastercard, are teaming up for an exciting new education partnership that will promote and scale financial well-being and inclusion.
As part of the partnership, Mastercard will introduce SEFCU’s award-winning Institute for Financial Well-Being's free education webinars, active public event schedule, and opportunities for specially-tailored education programs – for private groups, nonprofits, and businesses – through its own financial education program, Master Your Card. This collaboration will provide greater access to free financial education classes for people of all ages, backgrounds, and learning styles.
SEFCU’s robust, convenient, and fun learning platforms help people grow their financial acumen, teaching important lessons about saving, budgeting, and planning for retirement. Through a joint marketing program, with content and dedicated events, SEFCU and Mastercard will focus on bringing this education to non-profits and schools specifically.
“Our partnership with Mastercard is SEFCU’s latest innovative effort to change lives every day. This collaboration will help us deliver knowledge, insight, and understanding about a myriad of financial-wellness topics to people in our community and across the world,” said SEFCU President and CEO Michael Castellana. “Providing people, especially those in underserved and underrepresented communities, with the tools necessary to make informed financial decisions and pursue positive habits will empower them to achieve economic stability and financial freedom. This is a huge win for everyone involved.”
This partnership will leverage Mastercard’s community empowerment program, Master Your Card, aimed at achieving financial inclusion for underserved communities. Master Your Card has collaborated and engaged with more than 120 community partners across the nation around one shared goal: driving understanding of electronic payments technology through access to educational sessions and other resources. SEFCU is the latest partner to collaborate with Mastercard, enabling financial equity for all.
“At Mastercard, we believe that an inclusive economy is a strong economy. We also believe that Community Institutions play a massive role in their local communities by providing access to financial tools, and our objective is to enable them to deliver more value to their members. Access to the digital economy should be a fundamental right, and Master Your Card ensures that beyond access, people in our local communities know how to responsibly act, and transact,” said Yasemin Bedir, executive vice president, Processors & Community Institutions, North America at Mastercard. “Together with SEFCU, we’re able to continue creating and scaling new education content and services to make sure we’re driving an inclusive financial future for all, and we are proud of our partnership focused on enabling them to deliver these tools to their members and their community.”
The new partnership will also help further the Institute for Financial Well-Being’s mission of guiding and encouraging individuals to focus on achieving economic stability and strength.
“SEFCU’s Institute for Financial Well-Being is committed to providing financial education to all, thereby empowering each individual to approach financial decisions from a position of knowledge to create good financial habits,” said Chief Community and Well-Being Officer Kathy Lanni. “We are thrilled to partner with Mastercard to meet individuals where they are and give them the tools and confidence they need to be on the path to financial well-being.”
SEFCU’s Institute for Financial Well-Being facilitates a rotating schedule of free, live, interactive learning events that cover practical knowledge and skills. Its content aligns with applicable New York State, common core, and national financial literacy learning standards for adults and youth. Materials and resources are rooted in evidence-based research and are designed to support individuals as they pursue their unique financial goals. Webinars are available in both 90- and 45-minute increments at various times of day to support a variety of scheduling needs. To view the public schedule of webinars and sign up for sessions online, visit https://www.sefcu.com/financial-education.
Organizations and groups can schedule private sessions by emailing [email protected] to incorporate financial education as an employee benefit, an offering to clients, or an opportunity for group connection over financial topics.
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About SEFCU
Established in 1934, today SEFCU is among the 50 largest credit unions in the U.S. with more $5 billion in assets, more than 350,000 members, and more than 50 branches in the Capital Region, Binghamton, Syracuse, and Buffalo. In addition to full-service retail and commercial banking products and services, SEFCU is committed to supporting the community through the donation of time and talent of its staff and members, as well as monetary contributions to help people and make an impact in the communities it serves. Find us @SEFCU on Facebook®, Twitter®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®, and TikTok®.