Effectiveness of Live Webinars to Teach Financial Literacy: A Case Study Among Public Employees.

In the wake of economic downturns, a global pandemic, and changes to work-based benefits, the need for financial education is evident as adults continue to show low levels of financial literacy. To address these issues, a financial wellness program for working adults consisting of six 1-hour webinars taught by area experts and business professionals was created among public employees in Nebraska, the United States. The sample for this case study program analysis includes 424 participants who participated in all six live webinars and completed both a pre- and postassessment of financial knowledge, behavior, and attitudinal questions. An estimated t test showed an 11-percentage point increase from pre- to postassessment on the knowledge questions. Additionally, participants reported positive changes in attitude regarding their finances. Regression results showed that individuals with the lowest income benefited the most, answering 1.8117–2.1176 more questions correctly, suggesting that the webinars were especially beneficial for people who might be struggling the most financially. The positive findings from this study show that impactful financial education can be delivered online via a live webinar format. This is useful for providers who develop and plan financial literacy programs for adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]