Treasurer Stacy Garrity Announces America Saves Week Webinars

Treasurer Stacy Garrity today announced three upcoming webinars as part of America Saves Week, which runs February 27 through March 3. America Saves Week is an annual event to encourage families to make informed choices when it comes to saving and protecting money, reducing debt, and building wealth.

“America Saves Week is the perfect time to highlight Treasury’s great savings programs and let families across Pennsylvania know that we can help them save more effectively,” Garrity said. “I’m excited to work with the Pennsylvania Bankers Association and PHEAA for these webinars to help get the word out about the great financial resources available to Pennsylvanians.”

Treasury is partnering with experts to present three free webinars that will cover cybersecurity, student financial aid, and an overview of Treasury’s savings programs, including the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program, Keystone Scholars and the PA ABLE Savings Program.

The America Saves Week webinar schedule is:

• Tuesday, February 28, at 12:00 p.m. – Protecting Your Savings

This session, presented by the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, will share information about the current cybersecurity landscape and provide tips on safeguarding your financial information. 

• Wednesday, March 1, at 12:00 p.m. – Covering College Costs

Presented by Treasury and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), this session will cover affordable ways to pay for college, including the benefits of PA 529 plans and other aspects of financial aid to cover funding gaps, such as PA Forward Student Loans.

• Thursday, March 2, at 12:00 p.m. – Overview of Treasury’s Consumer Savings Programs

Presented by Treasury, this session will illustrate how families can use Treasury’s savings programs to build a brighter future, including PA 529, Keystone Scholars, and PA ABLE.

The PA 529 College and Career Savings Program helps families steadily and strategically save for future education expenses. Treasury offers two plans; the PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan, which allows families to save at today’s tuition rates to meet tomorrow’s tuition costs, and the PA 529 Investment Plan that offers a number of investment options. Both plans offer significant state and federal tax advantages and can be used for a wide variety of qualifying technical, collegiate, apprenticeship and K-12 educational expenses.

Keystone Scholars jumpstarts educational savings by providing a $100 investment for every child born to a Pennsylvania family on or after January 1, 2019. The program uses no taxpayer money, and the funds are invested by Treasury to grow as the child grows. The funds can be used after a child’s 18th birthday for a wide variety of postsecondary educational expenses.

PA ABLE is a tax-free way for Pennsylvanians to save for disability-related expenses while maintaining government disability benefits. PA ABLE allows for up to $17,000 in savings annually, and up to $100,000 total without impacting important benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. Funds are easy to access and may be used for a wide range of expenses.

To register for one or more of these free webinars, visit pa529.com/webinars.

To learn more about all of Treasury’s Consumer Savings Programs, visit patreasury.gov/consumer.

Media contact:
Samantha Heckel, Press Secretary, 717-418-0206 or sheckel@patreasury.gov