COSTA MESA, Calif., March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- April is National Financial Literacy Month (#FLM2016), and Experian(®) is joining the Jump$tart Coalition(®) to highlight the importance of financial education and improve Americans' understanding of financial principles and practices. The theme for this year's initiative is "Envision a Financially Literate Future." To celebrate the month, Experian is offering free credit education events and encouraging individuals to conduct a credit checkup.

http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20130131/LA51658LOGO

"Research shows that only 57 percent* of adults in the United States are financially literate. That's a disturbing statistic that proves the need for better and more effective education programs," said Rod Griffin, director of public education at Experian. "With the next generation increasingly more reliant on technology, the future of financial literacy is going social, and Experian is dedicated to making credit education accessible across as many platforms as possible -- all year round."

Below is a list of activities consumers, small business owners and educators can participate in during the month of April:


    --  Join @Experian_US in its weekly #CreditChat on Twitter and Blab every
        Wednesday at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Experian's public education experts
        and leaders in personal finance will discuss popular topics and ways
        consumers can change their financial behavior.
        --  April 6 -- Favorite apps to organize your financial life
        --  April 13 -- Investing 101: how to prepare for retirement
        --  April 20 -- Ways to teach your kids about money
        --  April 27 -- The benefits of community banking
    --  Experian hosts a daily #CreditScope live chat at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time
        on Periscope to answer questions about credit and money.
    --  Follow @Experian_US on Snapchat for daily credit tips and a
        behind-the-scenes look at the world of Experian.

Upcoming conferences and events


    --  On April 5, Experian will share information about its financial
        education outreach and resources at Financial Literacy Day on Capitol
        Hill (#FLHillDay2016).
    --  Rod Griffin will participate on the first Periscope broadcast by
        America's PrepareAthon! on April 6 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Viewers will
        hear from experts in the financial, emergency preparedness, and
        insurance fields on why it is important to financially prepare for
        disasters and the tools they can use to get prepared. This discussion
        will be live-streamed on Periscope.
    --  The Jump$tart Coalition is honoring Experian on April 6 for its work
        using technology and social media to serve customers and educate
        consumers.
    --  Experian -- a longtime National Consumers League supporter -- will be on
        the officials' panel for the LifeSmarts competition championship, hosted
        by the league on April 9 to 12 in Denver.
    --  On April 13 at the Annual Conference on Financial Education in Orlando,
        Griffin will present an inside look at how and why Experian has
        aggressively incorporated social media into its overall public education
        program in a session titled Going social: the future of financial
        education.
    --  On April 25 at the Financial Counseling Association of America
        Conference, Griffin will present on the future of financial education.

Consumer education resources


    --  Learn more about the history of credit scores in this short video series
    --  To learn how to participate in our social media events, please visit
        http://www.experian.com/blogs/news/about/join-us-on-social-media/
    --  For new consumer resources launching throughout the month, please visit
        http://www.experian.com/crediteducation

"We are in an exciting time where technology can catapult financial information to the masses and make a true difference in moving the country toward financial literacy," said Laura Levine, president and CEO of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy(®). "Experian has been at the forefront of leveraging the latest technology to innovate how it educates and serves consumers. These efforts have made a huge impact, prompting Jump$tart to recognize Experian for its work shaping the future of financial literacy."

Throughout the month, the Financial Literacy Month campaign will encourage individuals to take the time to think and talk about their own money matters and to take full advantage of resources designed to improve their financial literacy and well-being.

Credit report checkup
Credit reports play an important role in credit transactions and many other financial relationships. This month, we challenge consumers to visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com to get a free copy of each of their credit reports from each national credit reporting company. Under federal law you are entitled to a copy of your credit report annually from all three credit reporting agencies, once every 12 months.

About Experian
 We are the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making.

We also help people to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft. In 2015, we were named by Forbes magazine as one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies."

We employ approximately 17,000 people in 37 countries and our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil. Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2015, was US$4.8 billion.

To find out more about our company, please visit http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, "Inside Experian."

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

* https://www.mhfi.com/corporate-responsibility/global-financial-literacy-survey#keyfindings

Contact:
Kelsey Stagner
Experian Public Relations
1 714 830 7907
kelsey.stagner@experian.com

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130131/LA51658LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/experian-celebrates-financial-literacy-month-with-interactive-credit-education-events-to-help-consumers-become-financially-capable-300243856.html

SOURCE Experian