Enrich Financial Wellness: What Makes an Award-Winning Financial Wellness Program

iGrad, a technology-driven, financial wellness education company, encompasses two unique and award-winning, white-label platforms: iGrad and Enrich.

The iGrad Financial Literacy Program, designed for colleges and universities, is currently in use on over 600 campuses.

The Enrich Financial Wellness Program, presently used by over 250 employers and financial institutions, brings a similar interactive experience to employees and Human Resources departments in the form of a popular new employee benefit: employee financial wellness.

Both platforms are designed to cover a wide spectrum of money stresses and needs by offering an interactive, customizable, and adaptive learning technology.

The scope of financial issues facing today’s workforce is extremely variable and undeniably personal. Employers must contend with a multigenerational workforce and its varied financial stresses.

Presently, according to recent surveys, 40% of all employees have less than $50,000 saved toward their retirement, prompting 43% to postpone retirement and remain in the workforce. Consequently, fewer advancement opportunities force Gen X employees to tighten their belts.

However, the Gen X workforce is presently inundated with expenses that range from trying to put their children through college, to paying their mortgage, to chipping away at credit card debt, all while trying to save for retirement.

Sallie Mae states 42% of families borrow money to cover college expenses this year; According to CNBC, the average household owes over $170,000 on their mortgage, and over $16,000 credit card debt.

Finally, for millennial employees, due to the rising cost of college, 40% carry student debt with them into their first careers; of those, 83% affirm the substantial impact their debt carries toward other financial goals, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Taken altogether the many components of personal finance can make the topic of financial wellness seem insurmountable.

iGrad, with its innovative Enrich Financial Wellness platform, aims to make financial wellness approachable and accessible.

To develop an individualized experience, during onboarding each user is presented with a financial behavior assessment which is later used to guide them through the vast array of content in a personalized and timely manner while maintaining engagement and interest.

iGrad is a three-time winner of Education Program of the Year (The Institute for Financial Literacy), Best Product award for four years (University Business Magazine), as well as the Outstanding Consumer Information Award (AFCPE).

Rob LaBreche is Driving the Company with Vision

Rob LaBreche, Founder, President and CEO of iGrad, whose passion for financial literacy developed over 16 years in the financial aid and student loan industry, founded iGrad because he felt there weren’t any other existing programs that presented the subject of financial literacy in a compelling, relevant, and timely way.

Mr. LaBreche, along with other former financial aid professionals, realized that many college students and graduates do not have access to the financial education needed to succeed in the real world.

Therefore, iGrad’s focus is on improving financial literacy within higher education institutions in the U.S. Since its launch in 2009, iGrad has partnered with colleges and universities across the country by providing a comprehensive and customized financial literacy program.

Later, Mr. LaBreche helmed the expansion of the company to include the Enrich Financial Wellness platform, thereby providing the same entertaining financial education to employees.

With the foundation of iGrad, Mr. LaBreche has led a team of dedicated professionals to spread the word about the need for improved financial literacy education in this country.

By giving users the knowledge and necessary education to make wise financial decisions, the platform helps them achieve life goals in a way that is fun and easily understood.

Since launching, iGrad and Enrich jointly rank among the most widely-used financial education platforms available, enriching the lives of over 1,000,000 active users.

Mr. LaBreche has been featured in media nationwide including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNN and many others as a financial aid/student loan expert.

He is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance and has been featured as a speaker about financial literacy at conferences throughout the country.

According to Mr. LaBreche, “We believe financial wellness education needs three qualities to be effective: it must be continuous and ongoing, it must be interactive and engaging, and it must be relevant to each individual. This knowledge is most effectively delivered in a community setting, whether online or in person.”

iGrad: Making a Mark in the Financial Wellness Sector

Workplace surveys report 40% of employees look to their employer for financial security and 82% of employers believe they have a responsibility for the health and well-being of their employees, making financial wellness a hot topic in HR.

The majority of employers (66%) agree their employees are less productive when concerned about personal financial issues, and a large majority (78%) believe financial well-being would help increase employee engagement.

Company-offered financial wellness is an ongoing, evolving, and personal benefit designed to not only educate on financial principles (financial literacy), but also on the successful implementation of these principles (financial capability).

The Enrich platform, offered through iGrad, is an employer-sponsored financial wellness platform that delivers interactive and engaging content into the hands of financially-stressed employees.

The white-label financial wellness product offers branding and customization ensuring employers an organic and comprehensive experience.

Also, by focusing on the educational aspect of financial literacy the Enrich platform ensures financial privacy thereby allowing employees a stress-free experience.

No matter the income-level, education, or position, every member of any company will benefit from the knowledge available on the Enrich Financial Wellness platform.

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