FIM 2009

The Financial Campaign in October is accepted as one of the premier strategies to mobilise media, private and public sector and community groups to focus on building awareness and understanding of financial issues and jump start a move among workers and consumers to improve their financial behavior and circumstances.

Theme and Logo
The theme selected for 2009 is "Save and Invest Today… Enjoy Tomorrow" seeks to emphasise savings, wise investments and long-term financial planning as key concepts to building a secure future.

The theme is in keeping with the ultimate objective of the Financial Information Month initiative, which is to empower all persons to make the types of investment and spending choices that will allow each individual to build wealth, become financially secure and retire in comfort.

The logo portrays a royal blue piggy bank promoting the following concepts:

- regular savings
- prudent spending guided by a savings plan
- investing for the future

Royal blue, which is synonymous with hope, willpower and strength, represents the financial success available to everyone that adheres to the aforementioned principles.

The message is geared at:

1. encouraging increased savings over an individual's lifetime;
2. encouraging more saving from earlier stages in the lifecycle; and
3. promoting the concept of wise investments so that individuals can build up a stock of assets to draw on in later life.

As the campaign seeks to improve and expand and be more focused and effective, the thrust is to ensure that the community is a focal part of the entire process and measurement of learning outcomes are continuous, informal, participative and non-threatening.

Community Projects
1. Discussions with community groups and business institutions
2. Active participation in the services of a church in the month of October
3. Exhibitions at public libraries
4. Everyday Financial Heroes Project - St Kitts and Nevis only (click for details)
5. Small Business Symposium - St Kitts and Nevis only (click for details)

School Projects
Primary Schools Short Story Contest – “Adventures of the EC$5.00”- The contest provides the opportunity for the students to explore and examine good spending and savings habits through the creative medium of story telling (click for details)
(Students, click here for tips on writing your short story.)

Visits to Primary and High Schools – Representatives from financial institutions will visit schools to engage students in discussions on savings, wise use of money, budgeting, financial planning and entrepreneurship.

Presentations at Parents-Teachers Meetings - Recognising that teachers and parents can benefit significantly by learning how to make smart spending, saving and investment decisions, financial institutions will make presentations at these fora. School officials identify the appropriate schedules when these visits can best be accommodated by the school.

Media Projects
1. Financial Information Month theme song promoted on radio stations
2. Daily tips on money management and investing
3. Newspaper Articles on financial matters
4. Media programmes with discussions on financial matters

Promotional Projects
- T-shirts sporting the theme and logo
- The theme and logo on Island Purified Water Bottles (St Kitts and Nevis only)
- Street banners promoting the theme and logo

Listen to the 2009 FIM Jingle by Chesil Hamilton

Drink Island Purified Water with Financial Information Month Lables and win BIG Prizes (St Kitts and Nevis)

Click here for details

Meet Everyday Financial Heroes Finalist
Agnes Crossley - click on photo