Financial Education Blog
Financial education news and updates from the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.
Tax Scams and Fraud
Tax season can already be a stressful time, let alone considering the types of tax scams and fraud that are out there! When filing your taxes this year, you should be aware of the many potential opportunities for scammers and fraudsters to take advantage of you and steal your money. The IRS wants…
National Consumer Protection Week 2025
DFI is celebrating National Consumer Protection Week in partnership with the Washington State Attorney General's Office and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)! The FTC created National Consumer Protection Week to increase awareness and information about consumer rights and help…
Dating or Defrauding Avoid Romance Scams
Romance scammers tell all sorts of lies to steal people's hearts and money. Reports to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) show those lies are working. Nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam, with losses hitting a staggering $1.3 billion in 2022. During the month of February, DFI along…
Identity Theft Awareness Week Jan. 27-31
Have you or a person you know been affected by identity theft? It is more common than you might think! Identity theft is when someone takes your name and personal information (like your social security number) and uses it without your permission. There are many ways thieves can steal…
Financial Ins & Outs for 2025
It’s a new year, which means a fresh start for your financial health! Going into 2025, there are a few things we all should consider when looking to improve financial stability. DFI offers the financial ins (what we are doing in 2025) and the financial outs (what we are going to stop doing in 2025…
DFI's Spanish Financial Education & Outreach Update
DFI’s outreach team is doing big things for financial education in Spanish! Here’s what we’ve have been up to so far this year: Summer: LETI’s Latino Expo 2024. DFI had a booth full of resources! The Expo had a group of community organizations, state agencies, and food trucks…
Avoid Scams While Donating to Charities After a Natural Disaster
After the recent Hurricane Helene, it’s only natural for people to want to donate and help anyway they can. Just make sure it’s not a scam! Scammers use things like hurricanes to set up fake funds, donation sites, and even fake charities that don't go to help victims. Make sure…
College Savings Month
Now that summer has come to an end, school is now in session! If you are a junior or senior in high school, you’re probably thinking about what you’re going to do after graduation. Will you go to a four-year college? Would a technical college align with your goals more? How are you…
Homeownership Month
Buying a home is probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life. We have some great resources that can make your biggest purchase a little less scary. The Washington State Housing Finance Commision: Steps to getting started: Attend a free Homebuyer…
$10 Billion Reasons
If we were to tell you that $10 billion dollars were lost to fraud last year, would you believe us? Well, it’s the sad truth based on the FTC data indicating Americans lost $10 billion in 2023 to fraud. It can be hard to even begin to fathom that amount of money, but we are using this shocking…