Did you know that people with bad credit may pay over $200,000 more for things over a lifetime? The good news about credit is that there are steps you can take right now to improve your score!

St. Louis Regional Financial Empowerment Coalition and its partners are celebrating Credit Awareness Month in October by organizing FREE on-line classes and events for residents in the St. Louis metro area. These events are specially designed to educate you about sound budgeting and finance principles that will guide you through your journey to build your credit!

Please visit the Money Smart St. Louis calendar on our website for more information. The calendar will continue to be updated throughout Credit Awareness Month and throughout the year as more financial education learning opportunities become available – so be sure to bookmark the site.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about how your credit impacts you! Plan to attend a free class! There is something for everyone. All events are free, educational, and involve no sales pitch. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get more credit tips and tools… be sure to look for Money Minute tips from Money Monday’s host Alicia Chestnut!

In support of Credit Awareness Month, the St. Louis Regional Financial Empowerment Coalition, a collaborative of local financial institutions, non-profits and community organizations, is sponsoring the Creative Arts Contest. Click here to download the Community Arts Contest flyer. Students in grades 6-8 are encouraged to answer this year’s Credit Awareness Month question with a 1-minute original song and accompanying video. MP4 files are preferred.

The 2020 Credit Awareness Question and official application will be posted September 30, 2020. Stay tuned!

Winners will receive the following awards: First place $750; Second place $500; Third place $250. Additional prizes will be awarded to the other two (2) finalists.

For questions regarding the Creative Arts Contest, please email contest@moneysmartstlouis.org.