Better Budgeting. Stronger Savings. Regions Next Step Launches New Resources as Part of Financial Literacy Month

By Jennifer Elmore

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 8, 2022 /3BL Media/ - In recognition of Financial Literacy Month, Regions Bank on Monday announced the launch of a new online platform of money-management courses to help people and businesses take the next step in their financial journey.

The platform is available through Regions Next Step®, the bank’s no-cost financial education program. Twenty-eight new courses are now available in the expanded Next Step library of resources that cover the following topics: budgeting & saving, homeownership, building or maintaining credit, preparing for retirement, investing in the future, managing medical financial hardships, and business basics.

The self-paced courses are accessible via a mobile device, tablet or desktop computer. In addition, a personalized playlist can be customized as people think about spending and saving habits, reaching certain goals, or building emergency savings.

“Helping people and business owners better understand their day-to-day finances while planning for long-term goals are two of the most important things we do year-round at Regions Bank,” said Joye Hehn, Next Step financial education manager at Regions Bank. “In recognition of Financial Education Month, we are growing the collection of online and in-person resources that are making a difference in helping provide the confidence people need to take the next step in their financial journey. We will continue our efforts to provide the financial insights, knowledge and resources that people need for a stronger – and more informed – path to their financial futures.”

In 2021, Regions Next Step provided financial education to more than 1.4 million people across the company’s footprint, delivered approximately 124,000 in-person and virtual financial wellness workshops on a variety of consumer and business topics, and received 2.4 million financial education content page views. Further, Regions Bank associates completed 7,000 financial education volunteer hours.

Regions Next Step resources are available to everyone, regardless of whether they have a Regions account. During Financial Literacy Month, Regions is highlighting these key recommendations:

• Stay active with managing money: Building a budget, automating bills and paychecks, monitoring accounts, and establishing long-term goals are all crucial ways to take charge of finances now and for the long run. Be sure to regularly access accounts to stay updated on financial goals.
• Involve the entire family in the budget: Sticking to a budget takes discipline and can be particularly challenging for families. Including a spouse and children are important so everyone understands financial goals and the roles each person plays in meeting them. Be creative with children. If eating out is a budget challenge and discussing dollar amounts is too complicated for younger children, consider a different approach to help family members stay on track. Consider reducing the frequency of dining out or placing carry out orders each month.
• Track spending: Closely track spending on a weekly or monthly basis to help ensure budget goals are on track. Regions has a free downloadable worksheet to track personal spending. At the end of the tracking timeframe, review spending trends, areas for improvement and areas on target.
• Talk openly about money: Talking about financial goals and plans with a partner is often the first step toward a healthy financial future. Establish common wants and needs early and keep the lines of communication open to establish a healthy foundation for managing money.
• Consider the impact of financial choices on credit: Establishing and maintaining good credit early is important. Always make on-time payments, and work to keep balances under 30 percent of the available credit amount. Make credit card purchases that fit into a budget and repay purchases in full each month to avoid paying interest while building a good payment history.

In addition to these tips and expanded money management courses, new resources are available to students, parents and teachers. Virtual learning resources via Adventures in Math provide lesson plans and downloadable activity sheets. Two new articles available for download now share a curated list of resources for teaching money skills and tips on how to teach kids about coins. When it comes to a solid financial foundation, Regions Next Step recommends starting children early on learning the importance of money management.

Advancing financial wellness is one of Regions Bank’s top priorities. For more advice on budgeting, saving and planning, visit Regions.com/NextStep.

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $163 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,300 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

About Regions Next Step®
Regions Next Step is the financial education program from Regions Bank, offering a free collection of action-oriented tips, tools and resources. Next Step is designed to simplify financial topics, help people of all ages and business of varying sizes stay on track and meet financial goals. Resources are available online, in-person, virtually, and in English and Spanish. In 2021, Next Step provided financial education to more than 1.4 million people across the company’s footprint, delivered approximately 124,000 financial wellness workshops, received 2.4 million financial education content page views and associates completed 7,000 financial education volunteer hours. Additional information and resources are available at Regions.com/NextStep.