Wells Fargo is apparently not the only bank honoring Annual Get Smart About Credit Day. I wanted to give a shout out to Indiana-based bank S&T, who is spending its autumn reaching out to high-school classrooms, scheduling visits to teach students about the importance of budgeting, the skills involved with managing a checking account, and even about the ins and outs of credit. I am loving the credit education initiatives of these banks! The Sacramento Bee reports,
“S&T Bank, a full-service financial institution with branch locations in 10 Pennsylvania counties, is pleased to once again partner with the American Bankers Association Get Smart About Credit Campaign to teach local students about smart financial management. As part of the campaign, area teachers are encouraged to schedule a classroom visit with a financial expert from S&T Bank who will offer lessons on how to manage a checking account, how to budget and how to use credit responsibly. The classroom lessons are geared toward students in grades 9 through 12.
“Studies indicate that fewer than 50 percent of teens understand how to budget,” said Todd D. Brice, president and chief executive officer of S&T Bank. “At S&T Bank, we feel that it’s important for teens and young adults to be empowered with smart financial strategies. Decisions they make now about their finances and credit can impact them for years to come.”"
Click here to read more about S&T’s collaboration with the American Bankers Association this fall.
To me, S&T (and Wells Fargo, while I’m at it,) just gets it. Targeting financial education at youngsters may not fix the oodles of credit problems trailing millions of adult American consumers in the present day, but it certainly will set the stage for educated and wise credit decision-making for the generation to come. Now, come on millions of adult American consumers! Jump on that band wagon and get yourselves schooled on credit, or else don’t be surprised if your high-schooler comes home one day and knows more than you about what goes into determining a credit score! 
