Pub. 10 2020-2021 Issue 6

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S — H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S March • April 2021 3 BY NATHAN EWERT, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT OF FNBO (FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF OMAHA) FOR COLORADO AND WESTERN NEBRASKA 2020-2021 CBA CHAIRMAN April is Financial Literacy Month – But We Work On It Year-Round CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE A pril is Financial Literacy Month across the coun- try, during which banks and community partners redouble efforts to assist consumers in becoming more financially savvy by drawing attention to ongoing programs and available products toward that end. This year, our communities need our help more than ever as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Colorado, bankers and their institutions take that work extremely personally, giving their time and treasure to help educate their customers and communities and help them achieve their financial goals. That happens through a number of efforts, both inside and out of the bank, and I want to make sure bankers are well versed with information on some valuable efforts and programs to share. Much of the content offered during virtual MoneySmart Week 2021 (MSW) — beginning April 10 — will focus on supporting the needs of low-to-moderate income communities, those hit worst by the pandemic and its related job loss. If you’re not familiar, MSW is a national public education program coordinated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and delivered by a network of supporters — including many here in Colorado. You can learn more at moneysmartweek.org . You may recall earlier this year that our national coun - terpart, the American Bankers Association, announced it was making a concerted effort to grow the number of banks participating in the Bank On program to increase the num- ber of safely banked households in the country. Many of our institutions have long been partners of Colorado-based Bank On efforts in Denver and, more recently, in Boulder County. But for those who don’t know about the program — it’s a movement driven by more than 90 coalitions to connect people with safe and affordable bank accounts and credit-building opportunities. continued on page 4