Financial Fun! Mint.com Launches 'Quest for Money'
Free Online Game Helps Middle School Students Learn Fiscal Responsibility
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Developing good money management skills just got a little more fun with Mint.com's new online "Quest for Money" game.
The online game provides free tools to help middle school students learn essential and long-lasting personal finance skills and is part of Intuit Inc.'s (Nasdaq:INTU) financial literacy program, announced in December.
"Historically, learning about money felt like a chore. If we want the next generation to make better financial decisions, something has to change," said Aaron Patzer, general manager and vice president of Intuit Personal Finance Group and founder of Mint.com. "In combining online gaming with relatable real-life money scenarios - such as buying a new computer or going to a concert - we're teaching middle schoolers the essentials of personal finance in a way that makes sense to them."
Mint and Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, designed "Quest for Money" as a fun way for young people to learn about money management strategies like earning and saving money, and budgeting to meet specific financial goals. The game challenges players with questions about money, shopping and saving - rewarding them for smart choices and correct answers.
"By emphasizing the importance of money managing, budgeting and setting goals, we're connecting math to everyday life, making it relevant to students and giving parents and teachers a fun way to instill financial responsibility at home and in the classroom," continued Patzer. "And by tying the lessons to math standards, we're making it easy for teachers to weave money management into their current curriculum."
In addition to the "Quest for Money" game, Mint's financial literacy program provides teachers with lesson plans and online resources, and parents with family activities and worksheets that can be used at home. The materials teach students about commonly used personal finance terms and explain complicated concepts, such as compound interest, with everyday scenarios and easy-to-understand language.
To play the new game, download lesson plans and find financial education information, visit: http://www.mint.com/education. Materials also are available online for teachers at www.scholastic.com/mint and will be distributed in 30,000 classrooms nationwide this year.
About Mint.com
Mint.com is a leading online personal finance software service from Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq:INTU), providing almost 5 million users a fresh, easy and intelligent way to manage their money. And it's free. Launched in September 2007, Mint.com has quickly grown to track nearly $200 billion in transactions and $50 billion in assets and has identified more than $300 million in potential savings for its users. Mint.com's innovation is in applying advanced technology to deliver breakthrough ease-of-use. Using patent-pending technology and proprietary algorithms, Mint.com allows users to see all their financial accounts in one place, makes it easy to set and keep to budgets, and helps identify money-saving ideas. Mint.com is so effective that more than 90 percent of users say they have changed their financial habits as a result of using the service. For more information on Mint.com's free online personal finance service, please visit http://www.mint.com and follow Mint.com on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mint.
About Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks(R), Quicken(R) and TurboTax(R), simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries(R) and Lacerte(R) are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Intuit Financial Services helps banks and credit unions grow by providing on-demand solutions and services that make it easier for consumers and businesses to manage their money.
Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.5 billion in its fiscal year 2010. The company has approximately 7,700 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.
Source: Intuit Inc.
Released March 30, 2011