Council Members Urged to Get Involved in Financial Literacy Efforts

Leaders of the American Institute of CPAs' national effort to improve financial literacy among the American public called on members of the institute's ruling Council to get involved as the institute unveiled a consumer Web site tied to the educational initiative.

At their Fall meeting here, where the theme is "Volunteers: Harnessing the Power," Carl George, chair of the institute's National CPA Financial Literacy Commission, urged all Council members to sign up with the financial literacy volunteer database, https://volunteers.aicpa.org/financialliteracy.

"This is a long-term process. It will take years to effect the behavior of the American public," Jimmy Williamson, chairman of the AICPA's grassroots mobilization team, told council members here, referring to the AICPA's joint effort with state CPA societies. The effort kicked off in May of this year.

As part of that effort, the AICPA unveiled a consumer Web site, www.360financialliteracy.org, which offers information organized by life stages, such as college, entrepreneurs, marriage, parenthood, home ownership and retirement.

The institute has also created a CPA Financial Literacy Resource Center, www.aicpa.org/financialliteracy, which includes a CPA Mobilization Kit, created in conjunction with the California CPA Society, to help CPAs get involved in their communities.

In addition, the AICPA is offering members a free two-credit continuing professional education course, "360 Degrees of Financial Literacy: An Overview," that covers basic financial literacy issues.