A Commitment to Community Financial Education
Finding the right lender and making a connection can make the difference in buying a home or making a large purchase. Free financial education from Old National Bank also makes the difference in tackling the process with confidence.
“I began my homebuying journey feeling excited about what’s to come after taking my homebuyer’s class,” said a Minnesota first-time homebuyer. “But with lender after lender I found that either there was an assumption that I knew what I needed to know, or I saw my dreams or hopes being minimized. That’s until a phone call I had with Rhonda.”
Upon connecting with an Old National lender, the first-time homebuyer was empowered to realize what she could achieve, rather than what she could not.
“From start to finish, Rhonda prioritized supporting me and helping me stay realistic about the process, helping me with information and the things I needed to think about when shopping for a loan,” said he first-time homebuyer. “She left me feeling empowered, supported, and energized that I very much could be a homeowner. One submitted loan application later and everything that came after, and I’m a homeowner.”
Financial Education and Empowerment
Old National began its commitment to financial empowerment in 2016 with the creation of Real-Life Finance education courses, held in-person across various nonprofits, schools, senior living communities and more.
In 2019, Old National added a digital version of its financial empowerment program, called Real Life Finance eLearning. From financial literacy courses, homeownership classes, credit recovery and more, Old National works with clients to reach their financial goals. Rather than leading with “no,” ONB lenders lead with, “How can we get you there?”
In 2022 alone, more than 7,400 individuals were impacted through financial education classes and workshops hosted by Old National. And it’s more than just offering home-buying resources.
Old National also strives to make all of its resources as accessible as possible. Financial empowerment curriculum is offered in a variety of ways:
• In-person curriculum (Real-Life Finance) for ages pre-K through adult on all personal finance topics
• Virtual homeownership classes
• In-person homeownership classes
• In-person Money Safety for Seniors classes
• Virtual and in-person homeownership classes in Spanish
• A free downloadable first time-homebuyers guide
• Digital, self-paced, online curriculum called Real-Life Finance eLearning
Growing Housing Opportunities
“I am very pleased to see the growth in our financial education programs for the communities we serve,” said Old National Financial Empower Director, VP, Ben Joergens. “Being able to expand our curriculum to reach everyone from pre-K through adult, we know that we can truly make a difference throughout our footprint. Also, since COVID, we have also been able to reach people virtually through webinars and our very own Real-Life Finance eLearning platform. As our company has grown over the years, it’s imperative that we continue to grow our educational programs to meet the needs and requests to better serve our communities.”
Old National has more than 100 registered financial education instructors led by a dedicated Financial Empowerment Director, along with seven Community Outreach and Financial Empowerment Officers.
To learn more about Old National’s Financial Education Courses and request a workshop, click here.
If you’d like to enroll in Real-Life Finance eLearning, click here.
