COSTA MESA, Calif., April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian's Rod Griffin, director of public education, was recognized as Educator of the Year by the Institute for Financial Literacy. Griffin was presented the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award at the Annual Conference on Financial Education, which was held in Orlando, Fla., last week. The EIFLE Awards acknowledge innovation, dedication and the commitment of individuals and organizations that support financial literacy education worldwide.

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Introduced in 2007, the Institute for Financial Literacy's Educator of the Year award honors individuals who have a passion for improving the financial capabilities of those they serve and are committed to promoting financial literacy in the local community and educational settings.

"I am proud of Rod for being recognized as educator of the year by such an important group," said Craig Boundy, chief executive officer, Experian North America. "I am equally proud that Experian continues to set the standard for working with consumers and keeping their financial well-being as a priority."

Over the last two decades, Griffin has made significant contributions in helping consumers become financially capable. He was instrumental in establishing the industry's first online credit advice column, Ask Experian, in 1997 and with the evolution of social media now hosts weekly Q and A sessions on Periscope, Blab and Twitter. Griffin speaks at conferences around the country teaching educators, consumers, small-business owners, youth, military members and those who serve the underserved population how to build and maintain a positive credit history. In addition, he manages Experian's financial grant program, which helps the company expand the reach of its financial education initiatives.

"Educators are the drivers behind advancing financial literacy. Since 2007, we have had the pleasure of recognizing those who are dedicated on a daily basis to further enhancing our mission, and this year is no different," said Rachel Gordon, executive director of the Institute for Financial Literacy. "For decades, Rod Griffin has committed to championing consumer education and has innovated the process in doing so. He could not be more deserving of this award for his distinguished accomplishments."

Experian's public education and grant programs are built on the principle of maximizing positive impact through strategic relationships with people and organizations that can reach those in need. Experian(®) established the industry's first dedicated consumer education program more than 20 years ago and has supported the advancement of financial literacy through:


    --  Ask Experian, the first financial education advice column in the credit
        reporting sphere
    --  Weekly consumer engagement through #CreditChat, a conversation about
        personal finance with a panel of experts via Twitter and Blab, which
        suggests ways consumers can change their financial behavior
    --  A daily #CreditScope live chat on Periscope to answer questions about
        credit and money
    --  Financial literacy grants and contributions of nearly $1 million in 2015
        to nonprofit organizations that provide innovative education outreach
        for consumers of all ages and demographics

In addition, Experian has developed specific resources for small-business owners to help educate and gauge the health of their business, including:


    --  BusinessCreditFacts.com -- an authoritative source for understanding and
        learning about the benefits of managing business credit. Visit
        http://www.businesscreditfacts.com.
    --  Business Score Planner((TM)) -- an educational tool that helps business
        owners understand how financial plans and changes to commercial credit
        information can impact a business credit score. Visit
        http://sbcr.experian.com/scoreplanner.

April is Financial Literacy Month. To support this year's theme, "Envision a Financially Literate Future," Experian is offering free credit education events and encouraging individuals to conduct a credit checkup. Please visit http://www.experian.com/education to learn more about activities and new resources launching throughout the month.

About the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards
 Established in 2007, the mission of the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards is to promote the effective delivery of consumer financial products, services and education by acknowledging the accomplishments of those that advance financial literacy education. Each year, the Institute for Financial Literacy presents the EIFLE Awards to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional innovation, dedication and commitment to the field of financial literacy education.

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.

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

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SOURCE Experian