DASH for the STASH: Learn investment skills, enter to win cash

Now in its fourth year, DASH for the STASH is an investor education and protection program and poster contest that arms investors with the information they need to make crucial investing decisions. The 2017 DASH for the STASH program runs April 1-Oct. 31, 2017. The program is a partnership between the Investor Protection Institute (IPI) and participating state securities offices.

DASH features a series of informational posters exhibited in participating host locations in the following states and jurisdictions: Alaska, the District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wyoming. (Click here for more information about hosting in these states.) DASH also offers an online game that allows participants nationwide to enter (regardless of state). This game provides investor education and protection content in a format similar to a video game. All U.S. citizens can join “Ira the Squirrel” in collecting investor education and protection information and answering quiz questions for a chance to win a $150 contribution toward a new or existing IRA.

Meanwhile, physical hosts (which can be libraries, schools, community organizations, workplaces, etc.) in the aforementioned states display a DASH poster set (four topic posters and one rules poster), hold event(s) to promote their program and encourage participants to enter the contest.

Participants visiting host locations read the content on each of the four posters (covering financial advisers, investment fees, investor fraud and building a nest egg), scan the unique QR code to access that topic’s quiz question, and submit their answer via smartphone, tablet or computer. One winner in each participating state will be chosen in a random drawing of eligible participants who logged the correct answers for all four posters. The winner will receive a $1,000 contribution to a new or existing IRA for 2017.

The location with the most contest entries in their state will win a $100 contribution for their educational resource collection. If your group is located in one of the participating states and wants to take part, contact Joanne Kuster, 2017 DASH multi-state coordinator, at 515-991-5632 or [email protected].

Last month, Consumer Action staff mentioned the DASH program at a Pittsburgh, PA, debt collection roundtable. So far, Consumer Action has recruited five agencies (three located in Pennsylvania) to host the DASH contest and its educational program. The popular event was attended by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, which served as the state co-sponsor of the DASH program.