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As of 2011, the Hispanic population comprised 16.7% of the United States population, the largest minority group following African-Americans. In addition, 20.3% of U.S. households speak a language other than English. Recognizing the need for expanded financial resources to the Hispanic community, Experian provided a generous grant to translate the NFCC’s MyMoneyCheckUpTM tool into Spanish. The resource provides consumers with a means of evaluating four key areas of personal finance: budgeting and credit management, saving and investing, planning for retirement and home equity. The tool is now available in Spanish at MiAyudaFinanciera.org and Debtadvice.org. “Experian is pleased to work with the NFCC Member Agencies in helping families improve their financial capability and in making this valuable tool available to a wider audience,” said Maxine Sweet, Experian vice president of public education. “We have a shared goal of helping everyone learn to live credit smart. That starts with a clear understanding of your financial position and having readily accessible tools to help guide your future.” Experian has supported the NFCC’s outreach from its earliest days, with representatives previously serving on its Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Education committee and the boards of member agencies across the nation. We recognize the valuable role of the NFCC and its member agencies in helping consumers recover from debt and that they share our passion for educating consumers to live credit smart. To learn more about Experian’s financial education resources, please visit LiveCreditSmart.com. Photo: Shutterstock

Thanks to the new online tools and services found at SSA.gov, you no longer have to wait on the phone or in line at the Social Security Administration (SSA) to access your benefits. Today, vital financial information such as your recorded earnings; social security benefits (or expected benefits), and disability and survivor benefits are instantly accessible online. The SSA recently announced the online “My Social Security” account, a tool that provides access to benefit verification letters and statements. Signing up for an account is easy, free and secure. Simply visit SocialSecurity.gov/myaccount to create a unique username and password. You will then be asked a series of questions provided by Experian to verify your identity and ensure secure access to your account. At this point, your account is fully set up and you can check your information as many times as you want, free of charge. This is important because, much like balancing your checkbook, regularly checking your online social security account is key to making informed financial decisions. Since its announcement, thousands of people a day have been checking their online account. Take charge of your financial planning and create an online “My Social Security” account to check your statement today. Photo: Shutterstock

Email marketing continues to be the hub and driving force in cross-channel integration as consumers are becoming more vocal and more demanding with what they expect from their favorite brands. Today, Experian Marketing Services released findings from its email market survey that addresses acquisition and engagement tactics email marketers use in tackling these challenges head-on. Email strategies often act as connectors to Website, mobile, social and in-store channels. To provide deeper industry insight and help marketers better understand how leading brands are using specific email marketing tactics, Experian Marketing Services surveyed email marketers across eight verticals about their email-marketing initiatives, including their strategies for subscriber acquisition, mobile and social marketing, testing and creative design. “We are seeing more email marketers testing new engagement strategies to expand their reach into other marketing channels,” said Peter DeNunzio, general manager at Experian Marketing Services’ CheetahMail. “Insights from this market study not only confirm that email is still a very strong performer, but it is also a spearhead in the progression towards true cross-channel optimization.” Fifty-three percent of respondents represent multichannel retailers — companies that have both brick-and-mortar stores and ecommerce sites. These survey results provide benchmarks on which marketers can gauge their own programs, or use as a factor when deciding to implement new tactics. Key insights in this study include: 44 percent of total opens occur on mobile devices 52 percent of marketers have used animated gifs in their email campaigns Marketers are seeing strong survey completion rates, regardless of offer Email is still a strong performer as a generator of both Website traffic and revenue Email marketers are testing subject lines and creative more than any other factors 78 percent of brands use sales associates to collect email addresses Download the study here and receive deeper insight on strategies marketers are using for subscriber acquisition and engagement. Photo:  Shutterstock