Financial Education Provider Database User Guide 2014

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Financial Education

Provider Database

User Guide

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User Guide

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) seeks to compile the most comprehensive list of local financial education resources, programs and services in Pennsylvania. YMBF’s Financial Education Database is designed to capture, organize and search resources with the goal of providing all Pennsylvanians access to quality financial education. We are looking for provider organizations that offer information, workshops, counseling, community events, or other programs which address a wide range of financial topics.

Programs and services don’t necessarily need to be free of charge, but must be accessible to the largest possible cross section of the public. In addition, qualifying factors to participate in the programs or services – such as income, residence, or membership in a specific group – are permitted, as long as they are clearly stated.

As a guideline, we accept listings for non-profit organizations, government entities, and educational institutions that:

1. Provide financial education resources, programs, services or events for Pennsylvanians,

in Pennsylvania. Out-of-state organizations that do not provide programs in Pennsylvania will not be accepted.

2. Focus on the needs of the average Pennsylvanian, delivering services regardless of the

organization’s own business interests.

3. Provide programs and services that are offered for educational purposes only. Financial

products or attempts to advertise products will not be accepted.

4. Agree to input and update information about their programs and services directly into

the database as a means to maximize its usefulness to consumers.

If your organization fits these criteria, we would like to invite you join the list as a financial education provider on Your Money’s Best Friend. There is no cost for listing your organization, but your application will be reviewed for content and approval at our discretion.

This User Guide has all the information needed to apply for and manage your listing. If at any point you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 717-780-3800 or via email

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Getting Listed

Becoming an approved organization is an easy, three-step process. 1. Go to: www.moneysbestfriend.com/register.aspx,

and download the two-page Financial Education Provider Agreement Form.

This form must be completed and signed by a person of authority in the organization, i.e., executive director, board member or officer. Please return the signed copy to the PHFA via mail at 211 N Front Street, Attn: SPP/YMBF, Harrisburg, PA 17101, via email at [email protected], or fax it to 717-780-1865.

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2. Page down to complete and submit the application form which asks for basic information about your organization.

3. Upon receipt of the signed provider agreement and submission of the application form, PHFA will review your request and notify you via email of your organization’s approval status. (If you do not receive this email in a few days, please check your spam filters to allow e-mail from [email protected].)

Upon approval of your organization’s listing, you will be provided with a system generated password; your email address will be your username. You may change your password when you login to manage your listing (see page 6). Please note PHFA does not store or have access to your password.

Point of Contact is the listing administrator and is responsible for managing your listing information.

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Managing Your Listing

Go to: http://admin.moneysbestfriend.com/login.aspx to login to the database.

If you forgot your password, you may request another system generated password by clicking on the “Forgot your Username/Password?” link. Please note PHFA does not store or have access to your password.

From the Welcome page, you can edit your profile and add program/services, events, and new users. You will also receive quarterly email reminders to update your listing with the most current information. Each update to your listing will be reviewed by PHFA for approval before it will appear in the local provider search results.

Organization Profile Program/Services Events

User Profiles

Click here if you forgot your username or password.

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Adding a Program/Service

This section is where you can list each of your financial education programs and services. In general, programs and services are ongoing. For example, an organization may offer credit counseling and budget workshops on an on-going basis, so both would be listed as programs. However, specific dates and times that the workshops are held would also be listed in the “Events” section.

Here are some tips to make the most of your listing and provide the maximum exposure for your programs and services.

 If you offer, for example like the above, credit counseling and budget workshops, please complete and submit a separate program page for each.

 If your program(s) take place at a location or time other than your main location or main business hours, please complete these sections. The system will automatically put in your main address or hours if these are left blank.

 If the same service is offered at more than one location, such as a satellite office or partner organization, please complete and submit a separate program page for each site.

 If your programs or services are offered with a partnering organization, coordinate with the partner(s) to make sure the programs/services are only listed once so that search results are not confusing.

 When assigning a contact person for the program, please list the best person at your organization that can answer specific questions about the program.

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Program Input Page

It the program/service is only available at different or more restrictive hours than your organization’s normal business hours, please enter that information here. Note: Each location where the program is offered must be entered separately to ensure proper search results.

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Adding an Event

This section is where you can list an upcoming event. An event must have a specific starting and ending time. Examples of events are a four session home buyers workshop, one day financial empowerment fair, or a guest speaker at the library presenting information on scams. The event may or may not be associated with an ongoing program. If it is, make sure to enter the program information first in the Programs/Services area.

Here are some tips to make the most of your listing and provide the maximum exposure

for your events.

 If the event is a series of sequential sessions and does not allow new participants to join after the series begins, list the date of the first session only and note the remaining schedule in the “Additional Information” area.

 If the event reoccurs with new participants each time, select the “Add Another Date or Location” at the bottom of the second event entry page to add more dates.

*** Please note that because of a system processing issue, you MUST CLICK “Add Another Date or Location” FIRST, and then select “Submit.” Failure to do this will result in the event being lost and will require re-entry. ***

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Event Input Pages

Include directions, parking information, or other special instructions here.

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**Please note that because of a system processing issue, you MUST CLICK “Add Another Date or Location” FIRST, and then select “Submit.” Failure to do this will result in the event being lost and will require re-entry. **

Include additional dates for a series of sequential sessions in this section.

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Adding a New User

This section is where you can add other users to assist in managing your listing. The point of contact that was designated on the application form will have administrative rights to your listing on YBMF. That person will be able to add and delete users who have access to your organization’s information. Your organization is responsible for the actions of all persons granted permission by your own administrator.

Each person’s User Name is the email address they originally entered into the system. You may change your password at any time when logged into the system. If you forgot your password, you may request another password by clicking on the “Forgot your Username/Password?” link. Passwords are a system generated and are not stored or accessible to PHFA

Click here to reset your password.

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Financial Education Provider Database User Guide 2014