Information from the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions
Financial Education Blog
Financial education news and updates from the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.
Identity Theft Awareness Week Jan. 27-31
January, 23, 2025
Have you or a person you know been affected by identity theft? It is more common than you might think! Identity theft is when someone takes your name and personal information (like your social security number) and uses it without your permission. There are many ways thieves can steal...
Financial Ins & Outs for 2025
January, 15, 2025
It’s a new year, which means a fresh start for your financial health! Going into 2025, there are a few things we all should consider when looking to improve financial stability. DFI offers the financial ins (what we are doing in 2025) and the financial outs (what we are going to stop doing in 2025...
Holiday Spending and Saving
December, 18, 2024
It’s that time of year! The hustle and bustle of holiday shopping has arrived and with it the possibility of debt. Have you ever spent more than you should have on gifts? It seems like every year there is pressure to have the biggest, best, most expensive gift which often ends up hurting your bank...
FEPPP's Financial Education Grant Deadline
December, 18, 2024
Financial Education Public-Private Partnership (FEPPP) will be closing the Financial Education Grant on Dec. 31. School districts still interested in applying for the Financial Education Grant FP 672 have until then. You can learn more about this opportunity on their flyer. For additional...
Second Annual Next Generation Financial Leaders Announced!
November, 06, 2024
Are you interested in a career at DFI or with one of Washington’s bank and credit unions? Then join us for the Next Generation Financial Leaders program! After a successful leadership program in June 2024, we are excited to announce it is back June 2025. This program will connect you with leaders...
DFI's Spanish Financial Education & Outreach Update
October, 30, 2024
DFI’s outreach team is doing big things for financial education in Spanish! Here’s what we’ve have been up to so far this year: Summer: LETI’s Latino Expo 2024. DFI had a booth full of resources! The Expo had a group of community organizations, state agencies, and food trucks to...
Avoid Scams While Donating to Charities After a Natural Disaster
October, 03, 2024
After the recent Hurricane Helene, it’s only natural for people to want to donate and help anyway they can. Just make sure it’s not a scam! Scammers use things like hurricanes to set up fake funds, donation sites, and even fake charities that don't go to help victims. Make sure...
College Savings Month
September, 25, 2024
Now that summer has come to an end, school is now in session! If you are a junior or senior in high school, you’re probably thinking about what you’re going to do after graduation. Will you go to a four-year college? Would a technical college align with your goals more? How are you...
Homeownership Month
June, 26, 2024
Buying a home is probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life. We have some great resources that can make your biggest purchase a little less scary. The Washington State Housing Finance Commision: Steps to getting started: Attend a free Homebuyer Education...
$10 Billion Reasons
June, 12, 2024
If we were to tell you that $10 billion dollars were lost to fraud last year, would you believe us? Well, it’s the sad truth based on the FTC data indicating Americans lost $10 billion in 2023 to fraud. It can be hard to even begin to fathom that amount of money, but we are using this shocking news...