VSCPA Celebrates Virginia Financial Literacy Month

April 2010 is Virginia Financial Literacy Month! The VSCPA participates in the month as part of its award-winning Financial Fitness campaign to improve the financial health of all Virginians. The VSCPA hopes the commemorative month, along with other outreach activities, will build awareness for the importance of wise money management as well as recognize and encourage other Virginia organizations to make a difference in financial education. 

The VSCPA offers a variety of supportive resources online at www.FinancialFitness.org to help Virginia organizations get involved, including a commemorative logo, promotional flyer and more.

“Virginia CPAs are very passionate about this important issue,” said James K. Walker, CPA, chair of the VSCPA Board of Directors. “The VSCPA continues to grow our financial literacy initiative to educate Virginians of all ages on money management and fiscal responsibility topics.”

National statistics show the United States is suffering from a decline in the level of financial literacy among citizens. In fact, more than half of Americans lack a basic understanding of how to prepare for their short- and long-term financial needs. More than 80 percent of Virginians feel CPAs, as the premier financial experts, should be active in educating their respective communities on wise financial planning.

To celebrate Virginia Financial Literacy Month, the VSCPA is holding free financial literacy workshops for the public led by experienced VSCPA members. A virtual workshop titled "Exercise Your Financial Future" will be held on Tuesday, April 6. The workshop designed for women called “Money-Wise Women” will be held on Thursday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Richmond CPA Center (4309 Cox Road in Innsbrook). Visit www.FinancialFitness.org to register online or call (800) 341-8189.

The VSCPA will hold a statewide “Financial Fitness Day” community service event on Saturday, April 24. Volunteer CPAs will man informational booths from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wal-marts, shopping malls and other locations across Virginia to offer free resources and materials to the community. Booths will be set up in Charlottesville, Dulles, Fairfax, Harrisonburg, Martinsville, Norfolk, Richmond and Virginia Beach. Visit www.FinancialFitness.org for exact locations.

Other facets of the VSCPA initiative include a consumer website, www.FinancialFitness.org, which serves as a clearinghouse of financial resources for the public. The VSCPA launched a Financial Fitness Facebook page to share important money management resources with the public. The VSCPA also created a Financial Fitness Twitter account to share quick tidbits of financial information. New for this year, the VSCPA will tweet a financial tip every day in April!

For more information on any of the VSCPA’s events for Virginia Financial Literacy Month and to find a toolkit to help your organization get involved, visit www.FinancialFitness.org.

The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA) is the leading professional association dedicated to enhancing the success of CPAs. Founded in 1909, the VSCPA has 9,000 members who work in public accounting, industry, government and education. For general information, please visit the Press Room on the VSCPA website at www.vscpa.com, e-mail vscpa@vscpa.com or call (804) 612-9424. To search for a CPA in your geographic region, visit www.FinancialFitness.org and click on “Find a CPA.”