The ever-present question regarding a financial literacy platform is how to calculate the return on investment. Finances are a highly private matter and a program that discusses them can be both tempting and (possibly) intrusive. However, because financial health is often managed behind closed doors, results are not immediately visible for both the administrators and the users. Credit scores take time to improve. Debts take time to pay down. Interest continues to accrue. Stress will always be present. Even for the users who have seen an improvement in their finances, aside from a happier employer or student, the results of that private improvement will often not be evident to the administrator. Therefore, the last bastion of ROI is to be found in the data.

Administrators

Who Are They?

Administrators vary in their role and job title regarding the platform. They often range from: the people that found the program, the people that purchased the program, and the people responsible for implementing the program.

What Are They Looking For?

Overall, administrators are looking for their programs to be effective. However, one of the strengths of a good financial literacy platform is its versatility to customize it for a variety of goals. Therefore, the effectiveness of a financial literacy program is a subjective matter entirely dependent on the defined usage of the platform. Some organizations view financial literacy as a holistic solution and measure the number of enrollments as an indicator of the platform’s effectiveness; others choose to employ customized learning modules as a tool to tackle specific problems, ultimately delivering a successful performance of the platform, while usage numbers are not as significant.

Response

iGrad incorporates a substantial and comprehensive implementation process wherein we work closely with the client to launch the program, perfect branding, modify choices and tweak marketing material to successfully launch the financial literacy program.

Among administrators, from internal data polling, iGrad and Enrich consistently earn high marks in all categories regarding the platform.

  • 79% agreed the content and topics on the platform were wide-ranging and useful.

  • 89% of polled administrators agreed their contact person for the platform was helpful and responsive.

  • 79% of administrators claim the frequency and quality of the platform updates met or exceeded expectations.

In short, the experience of creating, launching and implementing iGrad, from an administrator’s standpoint, exceeds in every data point.

Users

Who Are They?

The users are the people for whom the platform is intended. Whether trying to get through school with as little debt as possible, or stressing about burdensome credit card debt in their workplace, the user is any person who can, and should, benefit from using the platform and its many options to improve their financial literacy.

What Are They Looking For?

Users are simply looking for improvements. They want to see more money in their bank, in their pockets, in their retirement funds and paying down their debt. Ideally, once users are empowered to take better, more informed control of their finances they can tackle the tangential problems associated with that stress such as anxiety, sleeplessness, poor productivity and lack of attention.

Response

iGrad or Enrich users vary in age, income level, debt level and knowledge. Coincidentally, the platform effortlessly caters to each individual’s most effective and needed topics.

  • 88% of users say they have either gained new financial knowledge or have remained at the same level of financial literacy due to the platform.

  • Less than 10%  claimed not to enjoy the variety of learning including videos, articles and games.

  • 83% said they had seen changes in their emotional spending after reading articles on the topic.

  • 97% agree that the content and topics on the platform will affect or change their behavior.

Neither the iGrad or Enrich platforms provide concrete answers to specific questions, opting instead to provide a self-guided educational foundation. It is beholden to the users to enact the changes and take hold of the offered education.

Engagement

What Is It?

A program has been found and implemented. The users have the resource they’ve demanded. But the work doesn’t stop there. Increasing awareness and usage of the platform is essential. Engagement is the key to a working financial literacy program.

What Are The Results Of Engagement?

Studies show that repeated usage of a financial wellness program increases its effectiveness. Making the existence known and recommending usage of the program is dependent upon the administrators. Both the iGrad and Enrich platforms offer a plethora of marketing materials designed to make the announcement and reminders of the platform effortless. However, even with a suite of available tools, engagement remains a difficult hurdle. Once the users are made aware of the platform, encouraging repeated usage and exploration is another necessary step.

Response

Despite the encouraging statistics above, there is one area in our polling which has potential for improvement - program awareness. When asked if the user had a chance to use the available tools and resources more than half (54%) disagreed. Among polled data and testimonials, both iGrad and Enrich frequently see user testimonials wishing they had known about the program. Over three-quarters of users (77%) claimed to be unaware there was more to the platform outside of their required learning modules.

These sobering testimonials drive home the point of the overwhelming need for engagement regarding the online platform. When asked why the student hadn’t signed back onto iGrad after a period of time, students replied with comments such as:

  • “I had no idea and do not know what it is.”

  • “I didn’t even know it existed.”

  • “For me to receive an email of someone questioning me about why I haven’t returned to some place I didn’t know even know was there really frustrates me. No one reached out to me and said anything about any [platform].“

Of the users that have consistently used the platform, the testimonials greatly change in tone, such as:

  • “[The  platform] helped me have a clear understanding of how to budget myself financially and not spend frivolously.”

  • “[The  platform] is a phenomenal tool that provides informative articles and information. Gaining knowledge before stepping into demanding situations has been imperative to my financial success thus far in the semester.”

  • “[The  platform] has been amazing. I can't thank them enough for sharing such great and incredible articles that everyone can relate to and learn from.”

Conclusions

The iGrad platform has been carefully designed, and won several awards for its versatile, customizable, content-rich functionality. By accounting for numerous learning styles with a variety of resources including games, videos (as well as text alternatives), articles, calculators and worksheets, the platform aims to engage the user while allowing the administrators ease, access and value. Among both users and administrators, and across hundreds of independently branded sites, the iGrad platform has excelled as a leader in the industry by presenting financial literacy in a way that earns results from satisfied, educated, financially-aware clientele.

Data: Here