F&M Bank Brings Financial Education, Fiscal Responsibility to the Classroom with Mater Dei Partnership

Long Beach, CA, March 02, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Farmers & Merchants Bank (F&M) has partnered with Mater Dei High School as part of an ongoing initiative to educate and inform young people about fiscal responsibility. The partnership will endeavor to equip students with money management skills to prepare them for a lifetime of sound financial decisions. This educational partnership is the first of its kind in Southern California and will be expanded to additional schools throughout 2012.

“It is our passion to teach young people fiscal responsibility during these formative years to help them achieve financial security as adults,” said F&M Vice President Christine Walker, who is spearheading the bank’s education initiative. “In the midst of a challenging economy, we recognize the need to promote financial literacy to lead our young people down the path to a successful future. We are excited to join forces with an esteemed institution that shares our core values of faith, family and community.”

The first-of-its kind program will include the following components:

· - “Money Smarts,” an educational student handbook created by F&M to teach students wise money management habits during all stages of life
· - In-class educational presentations by F&M professionals
· - An ongoing presence at official Mater Dei events
· - Outreach to parents to encourage financial education in the home
· - An educational website featuring a blog on financial management and resources for Mater Dei students, parents and alumni
· - An official Mater Dei alumni debit card, anticipated for late 2012

F&M will also deploy a Money Smarts team to promote the program at Mater Dei sporting events, back to school nights, orientation days and additional high-profile Mater Dei events. The team will answer questions and provide educational materials to students, effectively opening up a dialogue of conservative living and wise financial management that will help nourish a thriving generation of responsible young people.

“Most high school curricula do not include a class on personal finance, so a lot of young people enter adulthood without a toolkit for financial success,” said Mater Dei President Patrick Murphy. “We’re happy to welcome a resource like F&M onto our campus in support of our students’ well-rounded education and long-term financial success.”

Based upon the initial success of the Mater Dei program, F&M will endeavor to expand its educational initiatives to additional schools with the goal of encouraging educators to use the Money Smarts handbook in the classroom.

As part of its firm-wide educational initiative, F&M offers free student checking, which includes a debit card that parents oversee—giving students a chance to learn the ins and outs of managing their personal finances, while keeping parents involved and aware of the students’ spending.

For more information about F&M and Mater Dei’s partnership, please visit the F&M/Mater Dei microsite: https://www.fmb.com/materdei/.

About Farmers & Merchants Bank
Founded in Long Beach in 1907 by C.J. Walker, Farmers & Merchants Bank has 21 branches in L.A. and Orange counties. The Bank specializes in commercial and small business banking along with business loan programs. Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach is a California state chartered bank with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Member FDIC) and an Equal Housing Lender. For more information about F&M, please call the media contacts listed or visit the website, www.fmb.com.

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