Blog

By Jen Coito, AFE Client Liaison

The impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic on the global economy is unprecedented. As businesses close, individuals lose jobs, spending slows and savings dwindle, fear and uncertainty naturally grow. With an almost guaranteed recession looming, people are wondering: What’s the best investment strategy right now? What’s the safest?  What if I can’t pay my bills? How will this affect my home purchase/cash flow/child’s college savings/retirement plan?

For more than a decade, AFE has been a trusted partner to companies across the country seeking to increase employee productivity and satisfaction by decreasing financial stress. The way we did that was by facilitating in-person workshops led by top local advisors. Our advisor partners made invaluable connections and we continued to fulfill our mission of spreading financial literacy and fostering economic independence.

The coronavirus, of course, has changed the way we work, live and communicate.

Here’s the great irony: in-person financial workshops have been put on indefinite pause at the precise moment when more Americans than ever need financial advice and guidance.

AFE is in the process of converting our workshop clients to a virtual platform so that we can continue to disseminate vital information to a new army of remote employees. We are working around the clock to forge relationships with webinar companies and research teleconferencing options (Zoom, for instance, is offering free live training webinars daily that’ll get you rolling in under an hour) so that our advisors can focus on staying on top of ever-changing financial news and trends.

Now more than ever, Americans need a trusted financial advisor in their corner, and we are committed to bridging the gap between the knowledgeable and the needy. We’ll be updating our partnerships as they solidify so please check our blog often. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out if we can support you in any way.

December 13, 2017.

The Association of Financial Educators has launched a new website. Please be sure to check it out! We are excited about having a more modern look.

As you may know, I co-founded AFE in 2008, and 2018 marks our tenth anniversary! At the start, I was determined to create an accessible source of economic information, having seen through my real estate work how urgently even the most basic financial knowledge was needed. Since its inception, AFE has partnered with corporations, organizations and qualified financial professionals to offer employees free training on topics ranging from avoiding financial pitfalls to wealth management.

In our tenth year, the AFE organizational team made the decision to seek IRS 501(c)3 nonprofit status. Our application is under review and should be approved here very soon. What we do for AFE is for charitable purposes, funded by our leadership team and AFE members, all of whom help free of charge. It makes sense to make the transition to nonprofit status, and also to allow future underwriters to avail themselves of a charitable tax deduction for the expenses and donations they give. We are also exploring interim donation options while IRS approval is pending.

I would like to thank my fellow organizers and the many AFE volunteers who take time out of their busy professional lives and schedules to prepare for and give cutting edge financial literacy workshops for those in need. Your support and involvement are invaluable and greatly appreciated. Very best wishes!

Kevin Crown | AFE Founder and President