Sister companies, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), Merrimack County Savings Bank (the Merrimack) and MillRiver Wealth Management (MillRiver) have joined together to support the NH Jump$tart Coalition. As gold level sponsors, each company contributed $3,000 to NH Jump$tart, which aims to improve the financial literacy of pre-kindergarten through college-age youth by providing advocacy, research, activities, standards and educational resources.

Additionally, employees of MVSB, the Merrimack, MillRiver and New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp (NHMB), the holding company for the sister organizations, previously contributed to NH Jump$tart through a recent Jeans Day. Each NHMB Jeans Day allows employees the opportunity to wear jeans on a Friday, in exchange for a personal donation to the nonprofit being honored that day.

"Beginning financial education early and reinforcing those skills throughout a student's educational career carries tangible benefits into adulthood and beyond," said Paul Provost, President of MillRiver. "NH Jump$tart has been incredibly successful at teaching practical habits such as working toward goals, spending less than one earns and avoiding and eliminating debt."

"MVSB, the Merrimack, MillRiver and NH Jump$tart share a commitment to the financial education of our youth. By collaborating, more resources and expertise are available to accomplish this task," added Rick Wyman, President of MVSB. "Analyzing real-world concepts such as credit rating helps our children and teens adopt good lifelong habits."

"Jump$tart's FinLit300 competition is a unique consumer knowledge tournament for high school students," continued Philip Emma, President of the Merrimack. "There, they are able to apply classroom-based financial education in a contest of knowledge and skills. Teaching students about financial responsibility from a young age paves the way for an independent and self-sufficient adulthood."

"Our vision is for personal finance to be included as part of the educational curriculum for all students," said Daniel Hebert, President of NH Jump$tart Coalition. "We're made up of organizations and individuals that share a common commitment to this mission. Thanks to the wonderful support from like-minded companies such as MillRiver, MVSB and the Merrimack, we're much closer to reaching that goal."

FinLit300 empowers high school students to apply classroom-based financial education in competitions that culminate in an annual championship each May. Topics are based on the Jump$tart National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education, which include spending and saving, credit and debt, employment and income, investing, risk management and insurance and financial decision making. This year's event is scheduled for May 1,, 2018 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH.

NH Jump$tart is dedicated to improving the personal financial education of students. Founded in 2000, NH Jump$tart has reached thousands of children and teens with information about financial literacy and smart consumer behavior, preparing young people for a lifetime of sound financial decision-making.

Its success can be traced back to volunteer efforts of individuals bound by the common passion of teaching sound financial habits. For more information, visit nhjumpstart.org.


Posted 2/23/18