By Candace Higginbotham

The world of personal finance is changing rapidly.

With the increased use of digital currencies and other technological advancements, along with the continued threat of fraud, it’s a complex environment that can be challenging for consumers to keep up with.

It’s more important than ever that everyone has a basic understanding of how money works and how to manage it. But according to the World Economic Forum, financial literacy in the U.S. has hovered around 50 percent for eight consecutive years, with a 2 percent drop in the past two years.

"Increasing financial wellness is the right thing to do – to ensure that every person has the opportunity for financial success."

Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Engagement at Regions

Regions is doing its part to help turn that around. In honor of Financial Literacy Month, the bank is launching a comprehensive financial wellness blitz that will continue throughout April.

Financial wellness is firmly rooted in the culture at Regions. It’s part of the company’s mission to make life better and create shared value for customers and communities.

“Increasing financial wellness is the right thing to do – to ensure that every person has the opportunity for financial success,” said Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Engagement at Regions.

“But it’s also an investment. When people have a greater understanding of their finances they make better decisions. By establishing a better situation today for themselves and their families, they’re also building generational wealth and creating a healthier economy. And that benefits all of us.”

Regions executes on its commitment to financial wellness in several ways. The bank provides easily accessible, no-cost financial education courses to anyone, whether they’re a Regions customer or not. Regions Next Step^® curriculum includes customized tools, online resources, webinars, podcasts and in-person sessions covering topics ranging from budgeting, to saving and understanding credit, to insights for small-business owners, college students and people planning for retirement – and every life event and milestone in between.

“Building Financial Confidence” is the theme for this year’s Share the Good program, and associates across Regions’ markets will be working with community partners all month to host financial education events for a variety of audiences.

Examples include:

• Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville: In these Florida markets, Regions teams are working with the Women’s Council of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers local chapters to conduct Regions Next Step Path to Homeownership program to an audience of first-time homebuyers.
• Huntsville, Ala.: As part of Regions Day at Alabama A&M University, a historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the bank’s home state, up to 500 students are expected to participate in a Regions Next Step Reality Check budget simulation. The bank is also hosting Regions Day financial wellness events at two other HBCUs, Tennessee State University and Jackson State University.
• Jackson, Miss.: Regions is hosting a fraud-prevention session for small-business owners and nonprofit leaders. Working with the Mississippi Alliance for Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Regions Branch Manager Jason Morris will lead the session at the organization’s Nonprofit and Philanthropy Leadership Conference & Annual Meeting on April 25 at the Jackson Convention Complex.
• Austin, Texas: To help ensure students of Del Valle Early College High School/ P-Tech Center are prepared for success, Regions teams will be onsite to deliver Reality Check sessions. “Regions is proud to support these hardworking students, and we’re looking forward to ‘Sharing the Good’ at Del Valle once again in April,” said Stephanie Perryman, Regions Bank Market Executive and Commercial Banking Leader in Austin.
• Birmingham: Regions teams are presenting the Regions Next Step Money Basics for Life program at Disability Rights & Resources. On April 14, clients will take part in the Credit and Identity Theft course, part of a curriculum to enhance independent living skills and help people with disabilities learn to make good financial decisions. The bank was honored last year by the American Bankers Association Foundation for this groundbreaking financial wellness program.
• New Orleans: Regions has a longstanding relationship with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana and has facilitated financial education programs in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge markets for several years. Local teams are collaborating with BCG this month to present three Reality Check sessions: April 8 in Covington, Aprill 22 in Slidell and April 23 in Gretna.

Along with community events, Regions bankers and branch associates will be hosting financial wellness activities throughout the month.

Examples include:

• Building Better Money Habits: Regions will host webinars on April 8 and 24 that provide guidance for consumers looking to increase their savings, build financial stability and improve credit scores.
• Students and Parents: A Regions Extra Credit event, held live and via webcast on April 24, provides important information for high school juniors and seniors, their parents and school administrators, such as budgeting, financial aid, fraud prevention, investing and more. Participants in the Birmingham area may join in person at the Regions Riverchase Operations Center, or anyone can join online from 4:30-5:30 CT. Click here to register.
• Small Businesses: Regions’ bankers will be providing free workshops and seminars, in person and virtually, for small-business owners and their employees throughout the month. Anyone interested can contact a Regions representative at their local branch.

Like financial wellness, giving back is a key part of Regions’ culture and community engagement strategy. So, aligning these efforts in April – which is also National Volunteer Month – emphasizes the importance of both at the bank.

“April is always an exciting time at Regions,” said Gina Sian, head of the Regions Making Life Better Institute. “As we celebrate both Volunteer and Financial Literacy Month, adding our Share the Good campaign to the mix gives our associates a perfect opportunity to volunteer together and share the ‘goodness’ and importance of financial education to young ones and young once, at schools, businesses and nonprofit organizations.”

Approximately 1.6 million people received financial education from Regions in 2024. Volunteers, including certified Regions Next Step Ambassadors, are specially trained to deliver the material and present tailored courses to K-12 and college students, small-business owners, new homeowners, veterans, people with disabilities, seniors and more.

The full array of Regions Next Step financial wellness resources can be found at www.regions.com/nextstep. Examples of how associates work with community partners to deliver these programs can be found in the annual Shared Value Report and the Community Engagement section of Regions’ news website, Doing More Today.