DASH for the STASH contest organized by Dept. of Financial Institutions, Investor Protection Institute
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 13, 2016) — From a pool of 64 people submitting completed responses in Kentucky, a Bowling Green man was selected to receive a $1,000 IRA contribution.
Eddie Zoeller won DASH for the STASH playing from the South Central Kentucky Community and Technical College in Bowling Green.
“I haven’t always done things right when saving for retirement,” said Zoeller. “However, the information I received at DASH for the STASH made some complex ideas clear and easy to understand.”
A total of 33 public libraries and community colleges in Kentucky participated in the 2016 DASH for the STASH investor education and protection program and contest conducted by the Investor Protection Institute (IPI) and the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).
“We applaud Kentucky’s winner – and all the participants – for taking the opportunity to learn more about smart investing and fraud protection,” said Shonita Bossier, Director of Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions’ Securities Division. “We take seriously our mission to protect the public, and we were enthusiastic about presenting this investor education information in a different way that is fun and engaging.”
The unique, scavenger hunt-like contest attracted an estimated 3,200 individuals nationwide at 308 participating locations in 12 states and jurisdictions. Participants learned from educational posters and then were quizzed about key investing topics: financial fraud, building a nest egg, selecting financial advisers and the cost of investment fees. From the total pool of more than 800 people submitting completed responses, 12 individuals providing correct answers – one in each participating jurisdiction – were randomly selected to receive $1,000 IRA contributions.
“Staying true to our mission of educating individuals to be wise and safe investors, the DASH for the STASH program has proven to be an effective way in Kentucky and elsewhere to engage communities in multiple jurisdictions and provide an opportunity for them to learn and share information in trusted environments such as public libraries, educational institutions, community organizations and workplaces where they have access to additional resources,” said Don Blandin, IPI President and CEO. “We look forward to being an educational resource for all of the DASH participants in the future.”
The 2016 DASH for the STASH campaign expanded on the original, one-state pilot program in 2014 in Iowa. The 2016 DASH for the STASH effort doubled the six states and jurisdictions that participated in 2015. There also was a significant increase this year nationwide in the number of completed entries, from fewer than 500 in 2015 to more than 800 in 2016. In another important step forward, some of the DASH for the STASH locations in Kentucky offered the posters in Spanish and Chinese in addition to English as part of the IPI’s partnership with Consumer Action (http://www.consumer-action.org).
The list of Kentucky libraries and community colleges that participated in the DASH for the STASH includes: Bath County Memorial Library, Calloway County Public Library***, Casey County Public Library*, Clark County Public Library, Clinton County Public Library*, Cumberland County Public Library, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, Estill County Public Library*, Gallatin County Public Library*, Garrard County Public Library, Hardin County Public Library*, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Lincoln County Public Library*, Louisville Free Public Library*, Madison County Public Library***, Mason County Public Library*, Maysville Community and Technical College, McLean County Public Library*, Meade County Public Library, Muhlenberg County Public Libraries, Nelson County Public Library*, Paris-Bourbon County Library*, Paul Sawyier Public Library (Frankfort), Pineville-Bell County Public Library, South Central Kentucky Community and Technical College, Spencer County Public Library, Taylor County Public Library, Trimble County Public Library*, Warren County Public Library*, Webster County Public Library*, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, Woodford County Library*. (One asterisk behind a location name indicates that they offered the program in Spanish, two asterisks indicate that the location offered the program in Chinese, and three asterisks indicate that the location offered the program in both Spanish and Chinese. All locations offered the posters in English.)
ABOUT THE INVESTOR PROTECTION INSTITUTE
The Investor Protection Institute (http://www.iInvest.org) is an independent nonprofit organization that advances investor protection by conducting and supporting unbiased research and groundbreaking education programs. IPI serves as an independent source of unbiased and non-commercial investor education and protection materials.
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
The Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions (http://www.kfi.ky.gov) is the Kentucky state agency responsible for the supervision of the financial services industry and for chartering, licensing and registering various financial institutions, securities firms and professionals operating in Kentucky. In order to accomplish its mission, DFI conducts examinations on state-regulated financial industries through its Division of Depository Institutions, Division of Nondepository Institutions and Division of Securities. Consumers can check with DFI before investing to verify if the investment opportunity is registered and if the seller is licensed, by calling 800-223-2579.
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