[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 6, 2011)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19263-19264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8383]


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

[[Page 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 
                toll-free 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.

[[Page 19264]]

                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.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2011-8383
Filed 4-5-11; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P