Company Distributes Financial Education Tools to Help Organizations Expand Their Reach During National Financial Literacy Month
PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, an employee-owned investment firm, is celebrating 50 years in 2025. To recognize this milestone anniversary, Ferguson Wellman is launching a new initiative to promote more financial education and literacy. A recent World Economic Forum study revealed that financial literacy in U.S. adults has hovered around 50% for the last eight years, with a 2% drop in the past two years. Financial literacy in women consistently lags behind their male counterparts, and generationally, Gen Z fares the worst, answering only 38% of P-Fin index questions correctly. The index gauges understanding of financial issues that enable sound financial decision making.
To support efforts to improve knowledge of the fundamentals, Ferguson Wellman has developed 12 self-paced, microlearning videos covering a variety of topics on investing and personal finance. Initially designed exclusively for Ferguson Wellman clients, the firm is distributing the full DollarSense education program to the public for free, starting this April.
“As April begins National Financial Literacy month, one important way we bring value to our community is through facilitating a better understanding of investments and an individual’s values around money management,” says Steve Holwerda, CFA, managing director at Ferguson Wellman. “At the center of our wealth planning philosophy is reminding our clients: It’s not what you make—it’s what you keep that fosters growth.”
Each six-minute video is designed to introduce viewers to fundamental financial planning concepts. They help individuals get started on saving and investing, understand their own risk assessments, and keep them focused on long-term goals during times of market volatility.
Ferguson Wellman’s DollarSense Videos Educate Public on a Wide Array of Investing and Financial Literacy Essentials, Including:
- Setting Goals and Calculating Your Personal Net Worth
- Building Your Budget, and Planning for Future Goals
- Debt Management and Understanding Income Taxes
- Insurance and Risk Management – Understanding Your Risk Tolerance and Impacts of Behavioral Investing
- Saving for Retirement
- Market Dynamics and Asset Allocation
- The Power of Time in Long Term Wealth Management
- How Stocks and Bonds Work
- Portfolio Evaluation and Review
Partnering With Organizations Dedicated to Fostering Better Financial Literacy and Outcomes for Future Generations
Recognizing the long-standing work of schools and nonprofits educating their students and stakeholders, Ferguson Wellman is pledging $50,000 to support more resources to promote financial literacy and awareness. In light of the passage of Oregon State Bill-3 and Washington House Bill 1285 requiring financial literacy in schools, Ferguson Wellman plans to support educators deliver this content through their videos and collaboration with other content providers.
“Our founders stayed engaged with the schools they attended throughout their careers. It’s fitting in our 50th year that we honor their legacy through promoting free financial education,” says George Hosfield, CFA, Ferguson Wellman’s chief investment officer.
Ferguson Wellman will start with two organizations with a proven record of reaching students through school collaborations: Financial Beginnings and Junior Achievement.
For 50 years, Ferguson Wellman has remained steadfast in its commitment to serving our community through direct giving and employee board nonprofit involvement. Employees have been involved through board service, volunteering and charitable support of Financial Beginnings and Junior Achievement.
About Ferguson Wellman Capital Management
Ferguson Wellman is an employee-owned investment advisory firm founded in 1975. The firm manages $8.9 billion for 1,026 individual and institutional clients, offering customized investment portfolios and holistic wealth planning strategies starting at $4 million. Ferguson Wellman has two divisions: West Bearing Investments for clients with $1 million investable assets and our private family office, Octavia Group for clients with assets starting at $10 million. Ferguson Wellman has been included in national rankings in 2024 by Forbes, Barron’s and CNBC. See disclosures below. For more information, visit www.fergusonwellman.com (data as of 12/31/2024)
Rankings Disclosures
Ferguson Wellman and West Bearing were named by the following companies:
- CNBC to their 2024 “Financial Advisor 100” ranking. #10 of 100 companies.
- Barron’s to their 2024 “Top 100 RIA Firms” ranking. #62 of 100 companies.
- Forbes to their 2024 “Top RIA Firms” ranking. #46 of 250 companies.
Contacts
For media inquiries, contact:
Laura Bernards (primary)
C3 Collective
(503) 317-9214
[email protected]
Mary Faulkner (secondary)
Ferguson Wellman
(503) 789-5887
[email protected]
