LME Library and DASH for the STASH

LME LIBRARY TO HOST INVESTOR EDUCATION

AND PROTECTION PROGRAM WITH $1,000 PRIZE

Local residents are encouraged to compete in the 2016 DASH for the STASH, an investor education and protection program and contest taking place March 15-May 15, 2016 at the Lillie M. Evans Library District, 207 N Walnut, Princeville. One statewide winner will be chosen in a random drawing of eligible participants who logged the correct answer for all four posters. The winner will receive a $1,000 contribution to an existing or new Individual Retirement Account (IRA) for 2016. The DASH for the STASH program is being launched by the Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s Securities Department and the nonprofit Investor Protection Institute (IPI). 

The DASH for the STASH contest is played much like a scavenger hunt. But instead of collecting objects, individuals collect information about saving and investing and leave answers to quiz questions. To enter the contest, individuals visit a participating library or other location where a set of four investor education topic posters (and one rules poster) are displayed. Contestants read each poster and then access the quiz question for each poster.

“We are very pleased to be involved in the education of Illinois investors,” said Beth Duttlinger, Library Director. “A big part of our mission is to provide materials and services to help residents meet their personal, educational, cultural and professional needs and we believe that DASH for the STASH benefits our community by increasing financial literacy.”

“DASH for the STASH is a great way to engage consumers, especially younger people, who have not yet started to pay attention to this critical part of their financial outlook,” said Don Blandin, president and CEO of the Investor Protection Institute. “Our goal is to lead individuals to venues, such as public libraries, where they can find reliable investor education and protection resources.”

The DASH for the STASH posters each have a QR code and a web link to a quiz that individuals will access to answer questions and participate in the contest. The posters cover four key topics: finding financial advisers, avoiding fraud, understanding investment fees, and building a nest egg. The easiest way to participate in the DASH for the STASH is to use a smartphone or mobile device to scan each poster’s QR code, but you also will be able to use a laptop or desktop computer at most locations.

For more information about DASH for the STASH rules, go to www.iinvest.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DASH-for-the-STASH_2016_Rules.pdf. Information about DASH for the STASH can also be found on the LME Library website at lmelbrary.org.