Summer intern’s work now offered as a free finance guide
State Offers New Consumer Booklet Free to Maine Residents:
“On the Money – A Young Person’s Guide to Personal Finance”
Maine’s Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection announces the release of a new consumer publication, “The Downeaster Common Sense Guide: On the Money – A Young Person’s Guide to Personal Finance.” The booklet is one of the many products of Maine government enhanced by a college student’s 12-week summer internship through the Maine Government Summer Internship Program administered by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. During the summer of 2016 thirty-nine college students worked in internships in Maine state and municipal governments through this internship program.
Kyrie Johnson, who co-authored the guide while serving a Maine Government Summer Intern in the Bureau, emphasized the value of the publication for young people. “As a current college student, I believe the topics in this guide are exactly the ones that many young adults say they lack basic knowledge. We learn many subjects in school, but from K-12 and in post-secondary education it’s rare to find courses that cover financial literacy. I hope this booklet will make a positive difference in the financial well-being of my peers.”
Bureau Principal Examiner David Leach, who coauthored the guide, said it will help people become more “situationally-aware” when facing major decisions or making key choices about their finances, including:
- The financing of a vehicle or student loans
- Establishing and maintaining credit responsibly
- The significance of credit reports and credit scores
- The fundamentals of purchasing stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments
- Comparison-shopping for the lowest annual percentage rate (APR) when using credit
- The basics of auto, home, life and health insurance
- Realizing that credit cards do not represent “free money,” and that charges and cash advances must be paid back, with interest
- Avoiding too-good-to-be-true fraudulent offers, such as foreign lottery winnings, no-interest loans, or no-risk investments
“On the Money is the 10th Downeaster consumer protection guide released by the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection in the past eight years,” Leach said. “Our goal is to provide essential financial literacy publications on a variety of topics, including auto and home buying, the responsible use of credit cards, comparison shopping for student loans, understanding credit reports and file freezes, helping elders fight back against financial exploitation, and recognizing financial scams.”
The online version of this new guide and all other “Downeaster Common Sense” financial publications can be found at www.Credit.Maine.gov by clicking “Publications” and finding “On the Money.” Copies can also be ordered by calling the Bureau at 1-800-332-8529 (toll-free in Maine) or 624-8527.
The Maine Government Summer Internship Program places college students in 12-week internships with state or municipal government agencies in Maine. More information on the program is available under Student Programs on our website: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/for-students/.