Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 66 / Wednesday, April 6, 2011 / Presidential Documents 19263 

Proclamation 8646 of March 31, 2011 

National Financial Literacy Month, 2011 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Americans’ ability to build a secure future for themselves and their families 

requires the navigation of an increasingly complex financial system. As 

we recover from the worst economic crisis in generations, it is more important 

than ever to be knowledgeable about the consequences of our financial 

decisions. During National Financial Literacy Month, we recommit to improving financial literacy and ensuring all Americans have access to trustworthy 

financial services and products. 

The financial crisis was fueled by a lack of responsibility from Wall Street 

to Washington. It devastated ordinary Americans, many of whom were caught 

by hidden fees and penalties or saddled with loans they could not afford. 

Preventing a recurrence will require both better behavior and oversight on 

Wall Street and more informed decisionmaking on Main Street and in homes 

across our country. To lay the foundation for continued prosperity, we 

must expand the availability of financial products and services that are 

fair, affordable, understandable, and reliable. We must also strive to ensure 

all Americans have the skills to manage their fiscal resources effectively 

and avoid deceptive or predatory practices. 

Building on the important protections in the Credit Card Accountability, 

Responsibility, and Disclosure Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 

Consumer Protection Act, which I signed into law last year, will help restore 

financial stability by enforcing the strongest consumer financial protections 

in history. This Act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 

an agency with one job—to look out for the interests of Americans as 

they interact with the financial system. My Administration also established 

the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist the American people in understanding and addressing financial matters and to identify 

effective approaches to increase financial capability through education and 

access. Additionally, the National Strategy for Financial Literacy provides 

a new framework for strategic coordination and an overarching financial 

literacy strategy. 

While our Government is taking decisive action to promote financial stability, 

our Nation’s prosperity will ultimately depend on our willingness as individuals to empower ourselves and our families with financial knowledge. For 

more information on improving financial literacy, concerned individuals 

may visit www.MyMoney.gov or www.ConsumerFinance.gov, or call tollfree 1–888–MyMoney for guidance and resources. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2011 as National 

Financial Literacy Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month 

with programs and activities to improve their understanding of financial 

principles and practices. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with PRESDOCD2

19264 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 66 / Wednesday, April 6, 2011 / Presidential Documents 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day 

of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth. 

[FR Doc. 2011–8383 

Filed 4–5–11; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3195–W1–P 


mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with PRESDOCD2OB#1.EPS</GPH>