CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Jun 27, 2017) - The Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) announced the second annual #FinHealthMatters Day, which takes place today, June 27, 2017. At a time when nearly half (48%) of Americans say their expenses are equal to or greater than their income, and many families must manage volatile monthly income, the day highlights the need for improved financial health. More information and social images are available at http://bit.ly/FHM2017

Anyone can participate by tweeting their own financial health story or goals using the hashtag #FinHealthMatters. More information on how to be involved online or through social media -- including details on a #FinHealthMatters essay contest for bloggers -- is available at the above link. In 2016 #FinHealthMatters day was a great success, with more than 100 blog posts on the subject, over 2,000 tweets from 900 influencers, and more than 9 million total impressions about financial health.

Financial health is achieved when an individual's daily financial system functions well and increases the likelihood of financial resilience and opportunity. The US Financial Diaries Project found many American families are currently coping with financial health challenges by attempting to stabilize spending, borrowing money, struggling to save, and sharing resource with friends and family. More can be done to help them -- as just as people that eat balanced diets and exercise are more likely to avoid disease, people with regular savings habits and access to affordable credit are more likely to avoid bankruptcy, handle unexpected expenses and be prepared for retirement.

In an effort to spread the word about the importance of financial health, CFSI is again working with FinCon, a conference for personal finance media, to host an essay contest for bloggers. Beginning today, contributing bloggers will write about why financial health matters to them, and 5 winning bloggers will receive a free ticket to FinCon and a travel stipend to the conference, held this October in Dallas.

CFSI will also lead a FinX workshop in Boston hosted by C-Space to mark the occasion of #FinHealthMatters Day. This half-day, hands-on workshop allows people to experience life as an underserved financial consumer to better understand the challenges of navigating modern life without the benefits of a bank account, credit score or other advantages many people take for granted.

"The need for improved financial health is a universal and critical element of modern life, a fact reinforced by the incredible engagement around our first annual #FinHealthMatters day," said Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of CFSI. "This year, we want to extend that rallying cry and continue building a community of people and organizations committed to building a sustainable path towards financial health for more Americans."

"MetLife Foundation is proud to support CFSI's work and to champion the need for improved financial health. #FinHealthMatters Day is an opportunity to illuminate the need for advancing the financial health of all Americans," said Evelyn Stark, Assistant Vice President, Financial Inclusion of MetLife Foundation.

MetLife Foundation is a major sponsor of CFSI's ongoing consumer financial health work. Additional support for #FinHealthMatters Day and the U.S. Financial Diaries (USFD) is provided by the Citi Foundation.

About CFSI
The Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) is the nation's authority on consumer financial health. CFSI leads a network of financial services innovators committed to building a more robust financial services marketplace with higher quality products and services, specifically for those who are struggling. Through its Compass Principles and a lineup of proprietary research, insights, and events, CFSI informs, advises, and connects members of its network to seed the innovation that will transform the financial services landscape. For more on CFSI, go to www.cfsinnovation.com and follow us on Twitter at @CFSInnovation.