The Series A extension funding will give Goalsetter the runway necessary to continue forging new B2B alliances while successfully implementing existing programs ahead of a Series B raise.
Goalsetter, an award-winning spending, saving, wealth building and financial education platform designed for the whole family, announced today the closing of a $9.6 million Series A extension round. This newest round for Goalsetter was led by an affiliate of Edward Jones and MassMutual through its MM Catalyst Fund. Series A investors Fiserv, Webster Bank, Seae Ventures, Astia Fund, and Partnership Fund for New York City also participated in the round along with new investors Reseda Group and InTouchCU.
Since its last raise in January 2021, Goalsetter has been laser-focused on establishing partnerships with companies and financial institutions that are committed to transforming financial education and access to wealth. The Series A extension funding will give Goalsetter the runway necessary to continue forging new B2B alliances while successfully implementing existing programs ahead of a Series B raise.
“Our new Series A extension marks a significant milestone for Goalsetter as we continue to redefine financial education and inclusion across America,” said Goalsetter Founder and CEO Tanya Van Court. “This funding will empower us to enhance our B2B offerings and forge stronger partnerships with credit unions, banks, and wealth management institutions, expanding our reach and impact to ensure that the next generation can grow into savvy savers and investors. This is an investment in Goalsetter and in the future financial well-being of millions of young Americans. Together, we are building a foundation for a more equitable and financially literate future for all.”
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Banking and credit union partnerships to reach the next generation of customers
The long-term health of the traditional banking industry depends on its ability to capture the next generation of consumers. Goalsetter has successfully partnered with banks and credit unions, enabling them to offer Goalsetter’s App platform as a white labeled youth-banking solution that is anchored by age-appropriate and gen-next relevant financial education tools.
To date, Goalsetter has forged partnerships with large-scale financial services companies, including Fiserv, Trustage, and CUNA Strategic Services, along with leading financial institutions, including MSU Federal Credit Union, InTouch CU, Solutions Bank and Liberty Bank. The extension funding will allow Goalsetter to achieve the goal of securing additional signed partnerships with financial institutions, including banks and credit unions, and launching new alliances by the end of 2024. It will also facilitate the launch of live bank and credit union product implementations and core processor integrations, enabling Goalsetter’s award-winning educational, savings, spending and investment platform to be easily accessible to banks and credit unions across multiple technology platforms.
“Goalsetter has successfully produced measured and meaningful positive outcomes as it helps families of diverse demographics increase savings and practice smart spending habits, making them a unique player in this market,” said Liz Roberts, Head of Impact Investing at MassMutual. “At MassMutual, we know the value and importance of helping all Americans achieve financial well-being and look forward to continuing to support Goalsetter as it helps close the financial literacy gap across the country.”
Partnership with wealth managers to benefit from the great wealth transfer
Engaging with all generations on the topic of financial education has become increasingly important for financial advisors, especially with a significant transfer of generational wealth underway that will largely be passed down to women and children. Earlier this year, Goalsetter announced a partnership with Envestnet, the largest turnkey asset management program (TAMP) in the country, with the goal of empowering financial advisors to deepen their offerings and relationships with women and younger consumers through Goalsetter’s platform. Additional funding will allow Goalsetter to successfully activate this partnership and provide its family finance platform to more wealth-management firms and families across the nation.
Cementing Goalsetter’s leadership in financial education
Gen Z scores lower than other generations in the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index, which measures financial literacy. According to recent data, only 46% of Gen Z feel confident about their financial knowledge. In order to address this issue, several states are now mandating financial education as a graduation requirement and many banks and credit unions are seeking financial education solutions to offer school systems in their communities.
In support of these efforts, Goalsetter has partnered with several school systems to bring the Goalsetter app to students and has forged partnerships with the Edward Jones Foundation, Nike, UBS, Deutsche Bank, and others, to fund school-based financial education with Goalsetter Classroom. The extension will further Goalsetter’s strong growth trajectory in the education space allowing it to partner with additional school systems in the 2024-2025 school calendar year.
Goalsetter’s real-world approach to family-focused financial education, and its goal-based savings and smart spending platform provides families with both engaging educational media and the foundational tools for building wealth. The Goalsetter platform is mapped to JumpStart.org and Council for Economic Education (CEE) national financial education standards. Increasingly, young consumers rely on social media for financial education and Goalsetter leverages these insights to use fun, engaging financial wellness content built around pop culture, memes, GIFS and game-based tools to teach families the language of money in ways that young consumers actively engage with.
Goalsetter’s ground-breaking offering of family-friendly financial education tools and unique, next generation features have set it apart in the banking for teens market. In addition to learning about money through game-based learning and fun gifs and memes, features such as “Learn to Earn,” which lets kids earn money for every financial quiz question they get right, and “Learn Before You Burn,” which lets parents automatically freeze their kids debit card if they haven’t taken their financial literacy quizzes for the week, have been favorites for kids and parents alike.
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