Web's Worth: National Endowment for Financial Education

Have you ever felt like you just can'tmake those difficult financial decisions,that you never learned enoughabout essential financial tools? You'renot alone. Many Americans are financiallyilliterate. Fortunately, a Web siteis out there to help. Founded inresponse to the great need of mostAmericans for help in understandingfinances, the nonprofit National Endowmentfor Financial Education(NEFE; 303-741-6333; www.nefe.org) isdedicated to teaching the public howto properly handle their finances.

NEFE partners with other organizationsto offer an abundance of financialinformation to the community. NEFE iscomprised of four divisions: EducationPrograms, which focus on increasingfinancial literacy, particularly in youth;Collaborative Programs, which providefinancial literacy materials to the public;Multimedia Access, which provideseasy access to personal finance information;and Innovative Thinking, whichoffers financial aid and grants to helpbring forth successful, creative solutionsfor personal finance.

The NEFE Web site includes severalresources to answer monetary inquiries.You can download free financial guidesor order them from addresses providedon the site. One such guide is "YourSpending, Your Savings, Your Future: ABeginner's Guide to Financial Readiness."This guide presents the readerwith essential building blocks for establishinga secure financial future. Thesite provides several shorter articles fullof helpful financial information. It alsoprovides numerous links to other resources,such as a Web site for youngadults (www.ntrbonline.org). For thoselooking through a wider lens, there arevarious resources for organizations andcompanies to launch their own financialliteracy programs within their communities,with the support of otherorganizations and financial planners. Ifyou're in need of a helping hand withyour personal finances or know ofsomeone who is, NEFE's Web site is asolid, comprehensive site to help youget on track.