WASHINGTON — Comptroller of the Currency Thomas J. Curry today issued the following statement in recognition of America Saves Week, February 23 – 28, 2015:
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is pleased to support America Saves Week, which encourages individuals and families to prepare for the future and build personal wealth.
National banks and federal savings associations play an important role in helping Americans build savings. America Saves Week provides an excellent opportunity for financial institutions to work with their customers to encourage saving as a means of creating a strong financial foundation.
I commend the Consumer Federation of America and the American Savings Education Council for their commitment to this important issue. I also want to recognize the many national banks and federal savings associations that participated in previous campaigns and encourage them to continue their support for America Saves Week by partnering with community organizations to encourage savings through activities such as:
- Sponsoring financial literacy programs that focus on basic financial services, asset building and credit management.
- Implementing school-based savings programs to help students learn about the importance of saving money and other money management skills.
- Offering bank-sponsored savings match programs, also known as Individual Development Accounts.
The OCC offers a range of resources on saving and financial literacy to consumers and financial institutions on its Web site, www.occ.gov. The OCC’s District Community Affairs Officers are available nationwide to provide information about programs banks can initiate to promote savings by their customers.