EDINBURG, Texas — At Treasury's Southwest Regional Conference on Reaching Unbanked People, NCUA Chairman JoAnn Johnson and other government officials took the stage to share consumer-oriented best practices.

The conference, which also featured U.S. Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral; Deputy Assistant Secretary Dan Iannicola Jr.; staff from the office of Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas) and other government officials, was comprised of a variety of financial literacy events. The conference, held at the University of Texas-Pan American in a rural and immigrant community in South Texas, highlighted best practices in helping families take control of their finances, save for retirement, and understand the importance of establishing credit. It is estimated that 23% of families–two times the national average–living in rural Mexican border communities are unbanked.

"Financial education fosters financial stability for individuals and for entire communities," Johnson stated. "As a former teacher, I fully understand the value of education, and I strongly believe that achieving the American Dream of financial self-sufficiency is not based on obtaining a loan or buying a new car–rather, it is the very basics of education–knowing the importance of saving, how to balance a checkbook, budgeting, or investing for retirement. The more people know about credit and financial services, the more likely they are to increase savings, become homeowners, and improve their financial health and well-being."