City Treasurer Using Texting To Talk To Teens About Finances
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Buying a car? Opening a savings account? Want to know about student loans?
As WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding tells us, there's someone waiting to help you at the Chicago City Treasurer's office.
Treasurer's office spokeswoman Lilia Chacon says it just makes sense to use texting to talk to teens about finances.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding reports
Podcast
"This is a program aimed at reaching out to teenagers in a way we know they like to communicate via their phones," she said. "It's meant to be a hotline about questions they may have about banking, how to buy a car, how to navigate loans, and of course savings."
Chacon says financial literacy needs to start young.
"We're hoping teens take advantage of this," she said. "When you give them the tools, they will take advantage of them. They want control of their money. They want to understand how things work. It's never mattered more."
The Treasurer's office is handing out business cards with the phone number on it. The hotline is officially up and running and manned by a Treasurer's office staff member.
"It's just one more way we can spread the message about financial literacy," said City Treasurer Stephanie Neely. "We want to give these young people the tools they need to take control of their financial futures.
The Text Help Line For Teens is (773) 916-7346.
