Latest news with #Goalsetter
Associated Press
08-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Mastercard: Financial Freedom 101: This Bootcamp Taught Students To Take Control of Their Finances
Tanya Van Court was about to learn a lesson that would change her life. In 2001, after earning her master's in industrial engineering from Stanford University, Van Court was vice president at a broadband internet provider in Silicon Valley. In her time at the company, she had watched as the value of her stock options soared to $1 million. Then the tech bubble burst. Her holdings lost 98% of their market price in one day. 'I thought, 'Tanya, that was a fatal mistake,'' she recalls. 'But I didn't know if there was anything I could have done differently, because I hadn't been taught the basics of personal finance.' What she did know was that she never wanted this to happen again, not to her or anyone else. That's what inspired Van Court to create Goalsetter, a family finance app that puts education first. Goalsetter, a veteran of Mastercard's Start Path startup engagement program, allows parents to schedule allowance payments, which kids can save, invest or spend via a Mastercard debit card. The app also offers interactive content — such as videos, memes and games — designed to make learning about money fun. Yet in recent years, Van Court has grown concerned about another group: college students, standing on the precipice of careers, salaries and adult responsibilities. And as a Black woman, Van Court was particularly worried about Black graduates, who must navigate systemic economic barriers (for every $100 of wealth held by white families, black families have only $15) while also disproportionately saddled with student loan debt — four years after graduation, Black students owe an average of 188% more than white students. At Mastercard, Dawn Boudwin, a director on the Community and Belonging team, was thinking about the same challenges, but from the opposite direction — she knew some of Mastercard's customers wanted to boost financial literacy among college students to put them on the path to financial health but struggled to find the right approach. So she reached out to Van Court to create the Financial Freedom Project, a virtual money management boot camp for college students. Because of Mastercard's strong relationships with Atlanta-area Historically Black Colleges and Universities, they chose Spelman and Morehouse Colleges and Clark Atlanta University for the pilot. In a series of online classes, Van Court and her team taught 88 students how take control of their finances and achieve their long-term goals. 'Wherever you get your degree, you should leave school prepared for real life, and basic financial education can help set everyone up for success,' Boudwin says. 'We heard anecdotally on campuses, 'We don't even know where to find this type of information.' There was an appetite for it, and it wasn't being met.' The uphill journey to financial literacy Today, students using Goalsetter's educational platform achieve, on average, an 83% mastery of financial concepts. 'By the time these kids are out of their parents' houses, they are truly ready for the world,' she says. But how ready is the typical college student? To find out, last year Goalsetter administered a 12th-grade-level financial quiz to students at Stanford, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta University. At each school, the average score hovered around 50%. 'We must find ways to deliver financial education to these kids on their own time. The more Americans we can put on solid financial footing, the stronger our communities will be.' Tanya Van Court The results reminded Van Court of her own hard road to financial literacy. 'They're getting prestigious degrees, but if you don't come out of college knowing exactly what to do with your first paycheck, you're already behind,' she says. 'The right instruction can give students at these institutions a shot at developing generational wealth. You can't live the dream if you don't speak the language.' Changing the game Fortunately, higher education has been shown to bolster financial resilience for graduates: About 30% of students at HBCUs move up at least two income quintiles from their parents by age 30 — nearly double that of students at other colleges and universities. Van Court wondered whether additional financial education could multiply that impact. And, if so, which behavioral nudges would motivate them most? Thus, the bootcamp was born. Using content adapted from the Goalsetter curriculum, Van Court and her team led the students through ten Zoom workshops, devoting each half-hour session to a different core concept, such as investing, debt management and retirement planning. They also offered on-demand access to recordings of the classes on their website. By the end of the bootcamp, the participants had improved their financial literacy scores by an average of 29.4%. Their confidence improved in step: 73% reported feeling comfortable making investments through an app, compared to 32% before the course began. The results also showed a similar positive shift in confidence around choosing a savings product — 49% pre-survey compared to 85% post-survey. These findings can help Mastercard's customers inform and evolve their financial literacy programs and enable the integration of Goalsetter and its white-label app, Boudwin says, as well as strengthen the company's own on-campus financial literacy efforts through its Master Your Card initiative. 'We can really tailor how we're showing up to make sure we're giving students the information they really need, to have the greatest impact on their financial management behaviors.' Now Van Court wants schools around the country to draw inspiration from these results to prevent financial literacy from getting lost in the shuffle of lab reports and term papers. 'We must find ways to deliver financial education to these kids on their own time,' she says. 'The more Americans we can put on solid financial footing, the stronger our communities will be.'
Associated Press
05-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
University of Phoenix and Goalsetter Continue Financial Wellness Webinar Series With Practical Tips on Creating an Emergency Fund
University of Phoenix is pleased to continue its webinar series with Goalsetter, an award-winning financial education platform dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve financial wellness through engaging and practical resources. The sixth installment of the ten-part series, 'Emergency Funds are Critical; How to Create Them, even if You Think You Can't,' will take place on Tuesday, April 15, at 12 p.m. MST. This session, featuring Goalsetter Founder and CEO Tanya Van Court, guest speaker Ben Brazier from Edward Jones and moderated by University of Phoenix Financial Literacy Director Chris Conway, will focus on the importance of having an emergency fund, setting a funding goal, and practical ways to save for emergency expenses. 'Building an emergency fund is a vital step towards financial security,' shared Conway. 'Our newest webinar aims to provide practical strategies to help individuals set up and grow their emergency funds. By offering our students the information and tools to prepare for unexpected expenses, we empower them to handle financial challenges with confidence and peace of mind.' Throughout the series, participants will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to build savings, minimize debt, plan for a secure financial future and engage in Q&A sessions during each webinar. 'Collaborating with University of Phoenix allows us to reach an audience of adult learners and provide them with the skills to make sound financial choices,' stated Van Court. 'At Goalsetter, we believe we believe it is never too early or too late to learn the building blocks of building wealth and financial stability. We look forward to equipping participants with the knowledge to make informed decisions and help them feel confident in managing their finances.' Each month during the series, University of Phoenix and Goalsetter will offer webinars focused on key strategies for financial wellness: November: Managing Credit Card Debt and Fostering Good Credit Habits December: Paying for School and Scholarships January: The Art and Science of Effective Budgeting February: Stop Overspending: 5 Tips March: Yes! You Can Save Money: Little Actions that Add Up April: Emergency Funds are Critical; How to Create Them, Even If You Think You Can't May: Why Credit Scores are Important and How to Improve Them June: How to Plan for Your Eventual Retirement July: Investing in Your Family's Future August: How to Set Your Kids Up for Future Financial Success In addition to the Goalsetter webinar series, University of Phoenix supports students' financial wellness by offering a suite of resources and tools to help them manage their finances responsibly. One such resource is the iGrad® online money-management tool, which students can use to learn how to budget, save, minimize borrowing and understand future student loan payments. iGrad is a registered trademark of iGrad, inc. Individuals interested in exploring additional opportunities to save time and money at the University may use the University's Savings Explorer® tool for prospective students. The Savings Explorer tool presents information about scholarship opportunities and transferring college credit and earning credit for prior learning through Prior Learning Assessment, national testing programs, alternative course providers, and military service. By answering a few simple questions, prospective students can learn about what other students with relevant experience have saved. . About Goalsetter Founded in 2016, the affiliated Goalsetter companies are family saving, investing, financial education, and smart spending platforms that make it easy for the whole family to go cashless while teaching them how to be money-smart. Centered around fun, relevant, and engaging financial education content, Goalsetter companies' smart money platform for families provides users with an FDIC-Insured Savings Account powered by Webster Bank, N.A.; an investment platform powered by Goalsetter Advisors, LLC; game-based financial education quizzes; the 'Learn before you Burn' parental control feature on the debit card and the 'Learn to Earn' financial reward program; as well as the latest cybersecurity features to protect user privacy. Goalsetter was founded by former Nickelodeon and Discovery Education children's digital programming executive Tanya Van Court. For more about Goalsetter visit Goalsetter is the recipient of the FinTech Best Personal Finance Product award published March 17, 2022, for the period of January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Participation in the review is voluntary and requires a logo usage fee of $3,000 USD. FinTech Breakthrough's criteria assess participating personal finance apps on 6 variables: Innovation, Performance, Ease of Use, Functionality, Value and Impact. Awards are awarded based on the opinions of FinTech Breakthrough's panel of judges. University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor's and master's degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. Michele Mitchum SOURCE: University of Phoenix Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 04/05/2025 08:01 AM/DISC: 04/05/2025 08:02 AM
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University of Phoenix and Goalsetter Continue Financial Wellness Webinar Series With Practical Tips on Creating an Emergency Fund
Virtual, free series features Goalsetter's award-winning curriculum together with financial wellness leaders PHOENIX, April 05, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--University of Phoenix is pleased to continue its webinar series with Goalsetter, an award-winning financial education platform dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve financial wellness through engaging and practical resources. The sixth installment of the ten-part series, "Emergency Funds are Critical; How to Create Them, even if You Think You Can't," will take place on Tuesday, April 15, at 12 p.m. MST. This session, featuring Goalsetter Founder and CEO Tanya Van Court, guest speaker Ben Brazier from Edward Jones and moderated by University of Phoenix Financial Literacy Director Chris Conway, will focus on the importance of having an emergency fund, setting a funding goal, and practical ways to save for emergency expenses. "Building an emergency fund is a vital step towards financial security," shared Conway. "Our newest webinar aims to provide practical strategies to help individuals set up and grow their emergency funds. By offering our students the information and tools to prepare for unexpected expenses, we empower them to handle financial challenges with confidence and peace of mind." Throughout the series, participants will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to build savings, minimize debt, plan for a secure financial future and engage in Q&A sessions during each webinar. "Collaborating with University of Phoenix allows us to reach an audience of adult learners and provide them with the skills to make sound financial choices," stated Van Court. "At Goalsetter, we believe we believe it is never too early or too late to learn the building blocks of building wealth and financial stability. We look forward to equipping participants with the knowledge to make informed decisions and help them feel confident in managing their finances." Each month during the series, University of Phoenix and Goalsetter will offer webinars focused on key strategies for financial wellness: November: Managing Credit Card Debt and Fostering Good Credit Habits December: Paying for School and Scholarships January: The Art and Science of Effective Budgeting February: Stop Overspending: 5 Tips March: Yes! You Can Save Money: Little Actions that Add Up April: Emergency Funds are Critical; How to Create Them, Even If You Think You Can't May: Why Credit Scores are Important and How to Improve Them June: How to Plan for Your Eventual Retirement July: Investing in Your Family's Future August: How to Set Your Kids Up for Future Financial Success In addition to the Goalsetter webinar series, University of Phoenix supports students' financial wellness by offering a suite of resources and tools to help them manage their finances responsibly. One such resource is the iGrad® online money-management tool, which students can use to learn how to budget, save, minimize borrowing and understand future student loan payments. iGrad is a registered trademark of iGrad, inc. Individuals interested in exploring additional opportunities to save time and money at the University may use the University's Savings Explorer® tool for prospective students. The Savings Explorer tool presents information about scholarship opportunities and transferring college credit and earning credit for prior learning through Prior Learning Assessment, national testing programs, alternative course providers, and military service. By answering a few simple questions, prospective students can learn about what other students with relevant experience have saved. Register for the University of Phoenix and Goalsetter webinar here. About Goalsetter Founded in 2016, the affiliated Goalsetter companies are family saving, investing, financial education, and smart spending platforms that make it easy for the whole family to go cashless while teaching them how to be money-smart. Centered around fun, relevant, and engaging financial education content, Goalsetter companies' smart money platform for families provides users with an FDIC-Insured Savings Account powered by Webster Bank, N.A.; an investment platform powered by Goalsetter Advisors, LLC; game-based financial education quizzes; the "Learn before you Burn" parental control feature on the debit card and the "Learn to Earn" financial reward program; as well as the latest cybersecurity features to protect user privacy. Goalsetter was founded by former Nickelodeon and Discovery Education children's digital programming executive Tanya Van Court. For more about Goalsetter visit Goalsetter is the recipient of the FinTech Best Personal Finance Product award published March 17, 2022, for the period of January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Participation in the review is voluntary and requires a logo usage fee of $3,000 USD. FinTech Breakthrough's criteria assess participating personal finance apps on 6 variables: Innovation, Performance, Ease of Use, Functionality, Value and Impact. Awards are awarded based on the opinions of FinTech Breakthrough's panel of judges. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor's and master's degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT Michele MitchumUniversity of
