Parents & Teachers Focus Groups

Parents & Teachers campaign
Submission for parent focus groups
Laura Schlachtmeyer, (202) 435-9876 / April 15, 2014
In this submission:
I.
Message recruiting participation in the focus group
II.
Questionnaire to be answered on paper in the focus group
III.
Discussion guide for the focus group facilitator

Part I: Recruiting participants before the focus group
[to be sent out by outreach organization to a specified group of parents; for example, a school sends out
an e-mail to their list of parents or posts a signup sheet]
Sample e-mail
[subject] Make your voice heard! Come to a focus group [DATE]
[text]
Take this opportunity to make your voice heard! Researchers will be in our area on [DATE] asking for
your experiences and opinions about talking to your kids about money. Please participate in a focus group
if you answer “yes” to these three questions:
1. Are you the parent or caregiver for a student [in this school/district]?
2. Are you willing to share your opinions and experiences on how to build kids’ good habits with money
and finances?
3. Are you available to join us for 90 minutes on [DATE] at [TIME] in [LOCATION] for a focus group
discussion?
If you answered “yes” to the questions above, please reserve your place by calling [VENDOR NUMBER]
or sending e-mail to [VENDOR E-MAIL]. Do not respond to [this school/organization]. You will receive
[$50] as a thank-you for your time and candid opinions.
The researchers will compile your opinions with other parents’ across the country, as part of a project to
learn about how parents are talking with their children about money and personal finance, and what kind
of help parents might need.

Part II: Pre-discussion questionnaire or survey (15-20 minutes)
[to be completed by focus group participants at the beginning of the session]
OMB No. 3170-0036
Expiration Date: 06/30/2016

1. Your age bracket?
__Younger than 25
__25-35
__36-45
__Older than 45
2. How many school-aged children do you care for?
3. What are their ages and grade levels if attending school?
Child 1 age: _____ grade: _____
Child 2 age: _____ grade: _____
Child 3 age: _____ grade: _____
Child 4 age: _____ grade: _____
Others:
4. How would you rate your skills in managing money?
__1 = I do not manage my money; someone else does.
__2 = I am not the best at managing my money.
__3 = I am okay at managing my money.
__4 = I am good at managing my money.
__5 = I am excellent at managing my money.
5. How would you rate your children’s skills in managing the money they receive as gifts, as an
allowance, or from a job? Please check all that apply if you have more than one child.
__1 = They do not manage their money; someone else does.
__2 = They are not the best at managing their money.
__3 = They are okay at managing their money.
__4 = They are good at managing their money.
__5 = They are excellent at managing their money.
6. Put a check mark next to the top three topics that would be the most helpful for your children.
__Earning income through education and training
__Using banks and financial institutions
__Tracking spending and managing money
__Saving
__Using credit cards
__Using prepaid cards
__Getting a loan
__Identifying needs versus wants
__Investing
__Choosing the right insurance for their needs
__Privacy and security
__Other: ____________________________

7. Put a check mark next to the topics that you would like help with so you can teach your kids about
them.
__Earning income through education and training
__Using banks and financial institutions
__Tracking spending and managing money
__Saving
__Using credit cards
__Using prepaid cards
__Getting a loan
__Identifying needs versus wants
__Investing
__Choosing the right insurance for their needs
__Privacy and security
__Other: ____________________________
8. What tools or resources do your children use when learning or making decisions about money or
personal finances? Put a check mark by all that apply.
__Information and guidance from family members
__Information and guidance from others
__Information from the Internet
__Books, articles, or other printed materials
__Education received at school
__Education received through community programs on money or personal finances
__Videos or games about money
__Other: ____________________________
9. What resources have you used when you needed information on money or personal finances? Put a
check mark by all that apply.
__Family members
__Friends
__Television and media
__Banks or financial institutions
__Government websites
__Non-government websites
__Online blogs or articles
__Personal finance programs
__Books or other printed materials
__Other: ____________________________
10. From what sources would you like to learn about financial resources that you can use with your
children? Put a check mark by all that apply.
__Your children’s school
__Your local government
__Federal government
__Local organizations
__Your library
__Other: ____________________________
11. How frequently would you like to receive messages and information that you can share with your
children?
__Daily

__Weekly
__Monthly
__Every 3 or 4 months
__Every 6 months
__Every 12 months
__I don’t want to receive information
__Other: __________________________
12. Write down one wish you have for your kids’ financial future? Be specific about what you want them
to learn or what you hope to be able to teach them.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Paperwork Reduction Act
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond
to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 31700036. It expires on 06/30/2016. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average approximately 90
minutes per response, including the time for reviewing any instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining
the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Responding to this collection of information is
voluntary. Comments regarding this collection of information, including the estimated response time, suggestions for improving the
usefulness of the information, or suggestions for reducing the burden to respond to this collection should be submitted to Bureau at
the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Attention: PRA Office), 1700 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20552, or by email to
PRA@cfpb.gov.

Part III: Discussion guide (70-75 minutes)
[to be facilitated by vendor]
1. Think about a conversation or experience where you taught your children about money or personal
finances. What made it a learning experience? What information, guidance, or tools could you have
used to make it a better learning experience?
2. What prevents you from having conversations with or teaching your children about money and
personal finances? What information, guidance, or tools would make it easier for you to have
conversations or experiences about money with your children?
3. Think about a resource or tool you used to teach your children about money or personal finance.
What type of resource or tool did you use? (Probe for the source name or type of resource, such as a
video, handout, or website.) What about it engaged and helped your child learn about money and
personal finance or what could have been improved to better engage and teach your child about
money and personal finance?
4. Think about a resource list you have received in print or seen online.
a. What did you like about the organization of the list or how could the list have been improved for
ease of use?
b. What information was provided so that you could quickly decide if you wanted to learn more
about a resource?
5. If you heard of a specific program, activity, or online resource you could use with your kids, what
would make you decide to use it?
6. Give yourself a letter grade (A through F) on how well you are teaching your kids about money so
far. [Note: Participants do not need to share the letter grade.] What information, resources, or
guidance would help you get one grade higher?
7. What additional information you would like to share about information, resources, or guidance that
you have used or would help you educate your children about money and personal finances?