Pig campaign works to save consumers’ bacon

The economy must be in bad shape when a national public service campaign is encouraging “the 40 million Americans age 25 to 34 to take control of their personal finances.”And the best title it can invent? Feed the Pig.This little piggy, named Benjamin Bankes, is a 36-year-old male living in Ohio whose favorite movies include “Babe” and “A Fist Full of Dollars” (check out his MySpace account).His two main supporters are The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and The Advertising Council. He’s part of the bigger “360 Degrees of Financial Literacy Effort” Web site started by the AICPA that provides “free tools and resources to help Americans manage their finances through every stage of life.”And by “every stage,” this Web site means “every stage.” It runs from childhood to retirement with a dizzying array of online articles, quizzes and FAQs.Some of Benjamin’s advice may seem too obvious to committed money-savers – for example, his three keys to financial success are: 1) Spend less than you earn, 2) Avoid splurging, and 3) Invest the rest.But the site does contain some hidden treasures, such as the lunch savings calculator. If nothing else, it helps people realize the many options available for saving money – and [free texts to one’s phone][7] entitled “FEED ME!” surely won’t hurt, either. [3]: www.360financialliteracy.org