Financial Education Empowers All Ages

As many Americans would agree, raising a child is expensive. In fact, a 2022 Brookings study estimated the cost of raising a child from birth to age 17, adjusted for inflation, is over $300,000 in the United States. As families navigate the expenses of raising a child, including the impact of economic uncertainties, financial planning conversations are beneficial. However, for many families, particularly those from underserved communities, the idea of visiting a financial planner can be intimidating.

Thanks to the 2023 launch of PNC Center for Financial Education, individuals, families and small businesses across PNC’s national footprint have access to a variety of workshops, delivered in partnership with community organizations such as Mi Casa Resource Center and Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute in Colorado.

“The PNC Center for Financial Education can be life-changing,” says Paul Bunyard, Community Development Banking market manager at PNC Bank. “There are many external circumstances that affect a family’s ability to stay on budget, including rising costs of housing, food and childcare. That’s why focusing on what they can control, how they manage their money, can be so empowering. Our facilitators work with participating individuals to provide accessible learning opportunities so more families can take charge of their finances.”

Those attending PNC Center for Financial Education workshops can learn more about topics including budgeting, credit scores and reports, retirement, buying a car and more. Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.

In 2025, the Center for Financial Education began teaming up with partner early childhood education organizations through the company’s signature philanthropic initiative, PNC Grow Up Great. Through the initiative, PNC volunteers provide onsite financial education for families with young children. Seminars include Banking Basics, where families learn strategies like creating a spending plan, building a savings account and how to prepare to be first-time homebuyers.

PNC also believes it’s never too early to build a strong foundation of financial basics. Through the PNC Grow Up Great collaboration with Sesame Workshop, the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, children can learn about concepts such as spending, sharing and saving through free bilingual resources featuring Sesame Street characters.