Scotiabank Be program helps Caribbean youth "Believe, Begin, Become"
Scotiabank Be program helps Caribbean youth "Believe, Begin, Become"
During 2008, we piloted Scotiabank Be, a new youth initiative in Trinidad and Tobago to help young adults become all that they want to be. In recognition that saving money is the key to financial independence, Scotiabank Be Money offers a high-interest savings account that charges no banking fees for full-time students and reduced fees for part-time students or others aged 18 to 30.
In addition, Scotiabank Be Access provides an exclusive VIP program that offers discounts and special promotions. Scotiabank Be Music is a social networking music website that creates an online community for emerging local artists to promote their music and post songs for their fans.
"Scotiabank Be initiative is putting the tools in place to help young adults work towards becoming the people they want to be. By listening to young adults, understanding their needs and believing in their dreams, we are changing the face of banking in Trinidad and Tobago," notes Richard Young, Managing Director, Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago.
Scotiabank will expand its young adult strategy in 2009 by rolling out Scotiabank Be to several additional countries. There are also plans to introduce the Scotiabank Change-Maker Challenge to 18 countries, building on the success of the popular 2007 online contest that invited young adults in four Caribbean countries to submit their ideas about banking innovation.
Scotiabank provides various specialized products and services designed for youth and students:
- The Student Banking Advantage™ plan provides discounted rates on regular banking fees and other benefits for full-time students of Canadian universities, colleges or other recognized post-secondary institutions. This package includes unlimited free debit transactions on eligible accounts at no extra charge.
- The Getting There Savings Program® for youth is designed to help young people under age 19 learn banking basics. This no-fee plan offers up to 20 free debit transactions per month.
- In most of our international locations, we offer the Scotia Plus Achiever Account, which provides a no-fee, higher-interest account to young savers.
- Our Scotiabank Educational Savings Plan is available to customers in 17 Caribbean and Central American countries, helping them save for their children's education. Parents or guardians simply complete an in-branch Education Savings Calculator and establish a preauthorized automatic contribution to the savings product of their choice. They can also receive discounted loan rates to cover additional educational costs.
