Financial literacy concert, May 18 & 19

Press release:

Starks Financial Group, Inc., a leading local financial planning team, will sponsor a series of financial literacy rock concerts on Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19 for nearly 1,650 students at Erwin High School and Owen High School through a partnership with nonprofit Funding the Future and Raymond James Financial.

Using the power of a live rock performance to deliver inspirational lessons of finance and discipline to young people, Funding the Future helps students see their dreams as possibilities. The nonprofit’s performance combines a concert, multimedia presentation and talkback to discuss predatory lending, saving early and the danger of credit card debt. Delivering the infectious rock beats and sage advice is GOODING, a four-person rock band based out of Los Angeles.

“Understanding why it’s so important to be responsible with money is something that every young person should be exposed to early on,” said Dawn Starks, president of Starks Financial Group, Inc. “Funding the Future helps make learning about these important topics fun and interactive, so we’re proud to be sponsoring their tour in our local community.”

The local concerts are part of a national financial literacy rock concert tour, sponsored by Raymond James Financial, that will stop at more than 35 schools and play for nearly 14,000 students in 2017. According to a study conducted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), 69 percent of students who receive financial literacy education increased their saving and there was a 25 percentage point increase in those who intended to save over those who were already saving.

“We’ve always been committed to ensuring the financial well-being of our clients and their communities, so partnering with Funding the Future was a natural fit. Their work closely aligns with our mission to arm the next generation of working professionals with the tools they need to achieve success,” said Sacha Millstone, Funding the Future board member and senior vice president of investments at the Millstone Evans Group of Raymond James. “We’ve seen firsthand the positive impact these concerts have on students and are excited to bring GOODING’s rock ‘n’ roll approach to financial literacy into local communities across the nation.”

“We feel it’s absolutely crucial that financial literacy is taught in our schools,” said Gooding, lead guitarist and singer for the band GOODING. “We have talked to thousands of people at shows and on the street, and we feel this issue is a common denominator to so many problems later in life.”

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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