By BRIDGET SCOTT
YOUNG adults in the City of Casey will be able to manage their finances better with the launch of a new program in Narre Warren.
The Casey North Community Information and Support Service (Casey North CISS) has teamed up with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in a bid to help younger people handle their money better.
As part of the quest, ASIC chose to launch the program in the City of Casey given it has the highest number of 15-25 year olds in the state.
The initiative, called MoneySmart Rookie, follows 18 months of consultation with youth experts, youth organisations and young people themselves to better understand what challenges they may face in managing their assets.
The program will cover a range of areas, such as credit cards and debts, getting a car, starting work, moving out of home, mobile phone deals and plans and online transactions.
The launch at the Casey North CISS yesterday was the first for Victoria.
ASIC has noted that it hopes to help young people avoid making ’rookie’ mistakes with their money, given that research has shown that 16-25-year- olds have difficulty prioritising their spending and savings.
Executive direcotor of Casey North CISS Susan Magee said the intiiatve would be of great benefit to youths in the area.
“It is very focused at getting out to them information about being financially aware and being informed,” Ms Magee said.
“So they don’t end up in financial hardship.”
Ms Magee said the launch on Wednesday morning was a great success.
“We had a lot of youth organisations come along that were all very interested.”
