CFO Atwater's Dollars & Sense
Dear Fellow Floridians:
In my role as Chief Financial Officer, I am offered an inside look at how
financial education can benefit a family—and how a lack of financial
understanding can work to a family’s detriment as well. The need for greater
financial literacy has never been more clear than it is now, and never more
necessary than with our children in the classroom.
It is crucial to our children’s
long-term financial well-being
that we begin engaging in
larger conversations on topics
like saving and money
management. Studies have
shown that students by and large lack a basic level of financial literacy—a
gap that will become more and more evident as they enter adulthood.
This month, we’re launching a "learn to save" challenge—aptly named
because that’s exactly what we’re trying to teach to our children. Parents and
teachers are aware that students respond best to activities that are
interactive and visually appealing. That’s why this challenge is different.
Instead of asking students to write an essay, we’re asking them to show us
what saving means to them. Middle school students will use the financial
literacy tools and resources provided by my Department to design a billboard
that illustrates their understanding of this key concept. Later this year, we will
select winners from across our state and award cash prizes—prizes I hope
they’ll choose to save. High school students have the same opportunity, but
we’re asking them to utilize our tools to create a 30-second video public
service announcement.
To further showcase the winners’ work, we’re engaging with our partners to
secure promotional awards for each winner, to include displaying the
billboard in their local area and securing air time on a local public broadcast
TV channel for their video PSA.
This contest is open to all middle and high school students—public, private
and home schooled—and I hope you’ll consider encouraging your child to
enter. This is an interactive way to teach children valuable lessons, and I
hope that it will kick start more of these conversations in your home. All of my
children have now outgrown the parameters of this contest in particular, but
my wife and I continue to talk with them about the importance of smart
financial decisions as they progress through college and beyond.
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In This Issue
Volume 12 Number 35
September 2, 2015
Message from the CFO on
the Learn to Save Challenge
News of Interest
Florida's Potential for Trade
Florida Economic Briefs
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CFO Atwater's Dollars & Sense
For a complete list of rules, a map of the contest regions and to submit an
entry, visit www.MyFloridaCFO.com/YMM.
Sincerely,
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Jeff Atwater
Chief Financial Officer
State of Florida
News of Interest
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida's financial outlook is strong
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: UF: Consumer confidence up despite Wall Street
Washington Post: U.S. economy expands at 2.3 percent in second quarter, picking up speed
Tampa Bay Times: Business leaders to gather as Florida's retail industry sizzles
Palm Beach Post: Which Florida city is No. 1 place to retire?
Florida's Potential for Trade
In Florida, global trade
means high-wage jobs and
economic opportunity. With
80 percent of global
purchasing power, 92
percent of economic growth
and 95 percent of the
world’s consumers outside
of the United States, the
potential that international trade can bring is enormous. In fact, international business already accounts
for about 16 percent of Florida’s economy.
Read more about the potential for trade in Florida from Alice E. Ancona,
the Director of Global Outreach for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, in
the summer edition of Florida's Bottom Line, CFO Atwater’s quarterly
economic magazine. The summer issue focuses on Florida's international
trade, one of the most important elements of Florida’s economy as it
embodies the global success of businesses across the state.
In addition, Florida's Bottom Line website keeps you up-to-date on Florida's economy and finances in
between quarterly editions. Past editions, special reports, infographics and news archives reflect the
recent flow of Florida facts and economic attitudes.
Florida Economic Briefs
National GDP increases in second quarter
U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 3.7 percent in the second quarter, which is significantly
http://www.myfloridacfo.com/PressOffice/Newsletter/2015/090215/September_0215.aspx[9/2/2015 2:50:46 PM]
CFO Atwater's Dollars & Sense
higher than growth in the first quarter (+0.6 percent). This increase is a reflection of positive contributions
from personal consumption expenditures, exports, state and local government spending, and investment.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Florida’s consumer confidence up in August
Consumer confidence among Floridians rose slightly in August. Expectations of U.S. economic conditions
over the next year and the next five years increased over the month.
Source: Bureau of Economic and Business Research, University of Florida
Legal Notices 2011 © Florida Department of Financial Services
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