This past Wednesday, April 12th, Comerica Bank was honored at the third annual Financial Capability Innovation Awards at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City. The award ceremony, which is presented by the nation’s leading technology innovator, EverFi, Inc., recognized Comerica’s significant efforts to improve the financial capability of Americans through unique digital learning initiatives. The award was accepted on behalf of Comerica by Irvin Ashford, Jr., who serves as their National Director of Financial Education.
Honorees were selected based on a set of criteria that included the scale and reach of their financial education initiatives, the duration of their commitment, and unique employee volunteering activities that supplement their programs.
“We’re honored to again be recognized for our financial education programming, which combines EverFi’s digital platform and active participation by our Comerica colleagues,” said Ashford. “Helping educate our youth on the basics of financial stewardship is one of the most important things we can do in the communities of the markets we serve. We’re pleased to see the growth and success of the Comerica “Money $ense” program, and we look forward to continuing this partnership to equip students with the gift of knowledge.”
Ashford continues to promote Comerica’s commitment to providing students with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully navigate the increasingly complex financial world. Comerica has partnered with EverFi to bring “Money $ense” to local students at no cost to schools or taxpayers. The web-based program uses the latest in simulation and gaming technologies to bring complex financial concepts to life for today’s digital generation.
“Each year, we travel to the birthplace of the American financial system to honor institutions that are truly dedicated to going above and beyond in service to their communities,” said Ray Martinez, EverFi President of Financial Education. “The Financial Capability Innovation Awards have given us the opportunity to share and celebrate the tremendous investment these institutions are making and continue to make in the communities where they live, work, and serve. For EverFi, our time here reminds us just how critical the role innovation continues to play in empowering Americans to pursue economic opportunity and achieve financial security for themselves, their families, and their community.”
Administered by teachers in a classroom setting, the web-based course offers over six hours of programming on a variety of financial topics including credit scores, insurance, credit cards, student loans, mortgages, taxes, stocks, savings, 401k’s and other critical concepts that map to national financial literacy standards. The platform uniquely tracks the progress and performance of every student.
Ashford joined Comerica in 2000, and was named National Director of Financial Literacy this past August. In addition to that added responsibility, Ashford has continued his role in managing community development and external affairs for Texas, Arizona and Florida.