Congratulations to "Save Out Loud" Contest Winners!

Four grand prize winners of the Ready.Save.Grow. "Save Out Loud" national contest were announced in early December. View the winning photo and video entries.

In recognition of their achievement, United States Treasurer Rosie Rios will pay a virtual video visit to each of the winning entrants' classrooms. Students will have the opportunity to ask Treasurer Rios about the role of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, her responsibilities as the Treasurer, and savings-related questions.

"Learning the value of saving at an early age is important, and I commend these students for setting savings goals and having a plan in place to achieve them,” said Treasurer Rios. “I also want to thank the educators, parents and mentors who have taken the time to teach and model good savings habits for our youth."

The contest asked students in grades K-12 to submit photo and video essays about saving. It was aimed at encouraging school-age children and their families to consider the importance of saving, and inspire more people to establish savings goals.

 
  In The News
Cash Course: Looking At Saving Options

 
Mint.com: MintFamily with Beth Kobliner: My Kid Saves More Than Your Kid

 
DFI Money Talks Blog: Savings Photo and Video Contest for K-12 Students

 
The Motley Fool: The Basics of Savings Bonds

 
Forbes: Tired of Earning Less Than 1%? 5 Ways to Earn More on Your Savings

 
  Other News
Treasury, MyMoneyAppUp Partners Announce Winners of the App Design Challenge

 
MyMoneyAppUp Partners Announce Winners of the IdeaBank Challenge

 
Treasury Looks Back at 76 Years of Paper U.S. Savings Bonds - As Move to Online Savings Bonds to Save Taxpayers $120 Million

 
U.S. Treasury's Bureau of the Public Debt Earns Government Communicators Award for Savings Bond Interactive Timeline

 
  Partner Tools/Resources
Toolkit for nonprofit organizations

 
Toolkit for employers

 
Toolkit for financial institutions

 
 

Encourage Holiday Season Gift-Giving with U.S. Savings Bonds

Giving savings bonds as holiday gifts can send a meaningful message about saving to children and young adults. This holiday season, the Treasury Department has issued newly designed printable gift certificates in vintage themes to present to loved ones.

Digital savings bonds are available on TreasuryDirect.gov for as little as $25. They are affordable and safe, because they protect the original principal while earning interest.

Below are helpful tips for giving digital savings bonds as gifts:

  • Both the gift-giver and recipient will need to have an account in TreasuryDirect, the Treasury Department’s secure, online system for managing digital savings bonds and other Treasury securities conveniently, 24/7. Open an account.
  • Children under the age of 18 can receive gifts via a minor linked account within the TreasuryDirect account of the parent or guardian.
  • Detailed instructions on buying digital savings bonds as gifts are available in this video, tip sheet and instructional demo. Share these resources on your website, social media channels and member communications to show your members the benefits of buying a bond as a gift.

More information about purchasing digital savings bonds as gifts can be found in the gift giving section of the Ready.Save.Grow. website.

Help People Save at Tax Time

Help those you serve turn tax season into a time for savings.

In 2013, tax refunds can again be used to buy Series I savings bonds. When filing their tax returns, people can designate how much of their refund should be used toward paper I Bonds by using IRS Form 8888. Any remaining unused funds will be returned by direct deposit or check. While most savings bonds are electronic, savings bonds purchased with tax refunds can be issued in paper form for those without TreasuryDirect accounts.

Check out this FAQ for more information about tax refund savings bonds, and spread the word through your existing communications channels.

Thank You Partners!

We’d like to offer a special "thank you" to all of our Ready.Save.Grow. partners who played a key role promoting and supporting the "Save Out Loud" contest. More than 15 non-profits reached over 800,000 students, educators, advisors and parents by sharing contest information via Twitter, Facebook, blogs and e-newsletters. Specific efforts included:

  • Institute for Financial Literacy promoted "Save Out Loud" by tweeting and posting contest information to their Facebook page.
  • America Saves tweeted, posted to their Facebook page and blogged through their website.
  • Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) included "Save Out Loud" on their website and in their e-newsletter.
  • Contest judge Beth Kobliner, a member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability, published a blog article on Mint.com, which reached more than 609,000 readers.
  • National Council on Economic Education included the contest information in their blog and e-newsletter to teachers.

Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out about "Save Out Loud."

  

TreasuryDirect is a registered mark of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Ready.Save.Grow. is a service mark of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Unsubscribe

Bureau of the Public Debt
P.O. Box 7015
Parkersburg, WV 26106-7015