United Way and SunTrust Foundation Launch Online Tool to Help People Gain Control of Their Finances

ALEXANDRIA, VA (November 16, 2016) - United Way and the SunTrust Foundation today announced the launch of My Smart Money, an intuitive website that offers useful tips and tools to help people better manage their money, regardless of their income level or circumstances. My Smart Money, powered by a $1.1 million grant by the SunTrust Foundation to support United Way’s efforts, walks users through simple, concrete steps for tackling real-life problems, including saving for college, providing for a family, planning for a retirement and caring for adults.

My Smart Money helps users with their immediate needs, including:

• Experiencing an emergency: emergency expenses, identity theft, natural disaster, a death in the family
• Struggling to pay bills: obtaining stable, secure housing, affording healthcare, paying bills
• Feeling financially unstable: managing income, finding affordable financial products, beginning a savings plan, controlling debt

United Way, along with corporate partners like the SunTrust Foundation, empowers people to get on stable financial ground with proven methods like job training and financial wellness classes. The result is thriving communities where everyone has more opportunity to succeed. My Smart Money, along with MyFreeTaxes.com, is part of United Way’s suite of financial stability products. The goal of these products is to help people fortify their financial stability and also to enable local United Way’s to better serve their communities. Financially stable individuals and families lead to a more competitive workforce and a stronger community.

“Learning how to manage personal finances is a critical step to unlocking new doors for advancement and achievement,” said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide. “When people plan for their financial futures, individuals are better positioned to seize opportunities and communities grow stronger. That’s why United Way is proud to partner with the SunTrust Foundation to launch My Smart Money and help more people attain their dreams.”    

“As an organization committed to Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being, we are continually looking for ways to help people move from financial stress to confidence,” said David Fuller, president of the SunTrust Foundation. “United Way offers financial education workshops across the country, and My Smart Money extends the learning beyond the classroom, providing the ongoing financial advice necessary to help people stay focused on their goals.”

About United Way Worldwide

United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.8 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide, and more than $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.

About SunTrust Foundation

The SunTrust Foundation is dedicated to the company's purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being by engaging organizations to advance financial confidence. Grants and activities focus primarily on financial empowerment, but also include education, health and human services, civic improvement and cultural growth. The SunTrust Foundation supports American Red Cross disaster relief efforts and contributes as a United Way Global Corporate Leader. Established in 2008, the SunTrust Foundation has proudly provided grants totaling more than $100 million throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.