Northwest Bank employees shared important lessons on saving money with local students as part of the American Bankers Association (ABA) National Teach Children to Save Program. Since becoming Teach Children to Save Champions in 2012, Northwest Bank has had the privilege of educating almost 19,000 students in partnership with the ABA through this national program.

The educational presentation involves bankers teaching students financial skills through activities, interactive scenarios and sharing real-life experiences. The lessons cover the basics of saving, how interest makes money grow, how to cut spending, bill management, how to create a budget and how to distinguish needs from wants.

The ABA Education Foundation’s Teach Children to Save Program along with other financial education initiatives have reached 13 million young people with the help of more than 275,000 bankers who increase financial literacy through hands-on learning and raise awareness about the important role that banks, and bankers play in helping young people develop lifelong saving habits.

“Familiarizing students with financial education fundamentals at an early age puts them on a path to becoming smart money-managing adults,” said Joe Conover, president of Northwest Bank. “Teach Children to Save is a great opportunity for us to share our passion for financial education and improve our local community.”

Northwest Bank was able to educate more than 1,860 students this year.

Northwest Bank is a $2.47 billion community bank that offers a full line of business, agricultural, mortgage, consumer deposit and lending services as well as wealth management and insurance services. Northwest Bank has offices located in Algona, Ames, Arnolds Park, Ankeny, Estherville, Fort Dodge, Humboldt, Le Mars, Milford, Sioux Center, Sioux City, Spencer, Spirit Lake, West Des Moines, Iowa and Omaha and La Vista, Nebraska.