ABOUT TILE FAQs

What is TILE?

TILE stands for The Investing Learning Environment. Its online tool, SpendGrowGive.com, is designed to engage and educate the next generation about the benefits and responsibilities of wealth.

Young people in the TILE community learn first-hand how to manage their money, invest for the future, and give back through charitable donations. In partnership with financial institutions, trusted experts and parents, SpendGrowGive is the path to a thoughtful and independent financial identity.

Why do people want to use TILE?

TILE represents a whole new way of thinking about finance. In addition to a robust financial platform that uses real financial data, SpendGrowGive is filled with games, articles, video shorts, and exclusive interviews specifically designed to engage young people in learning financial concepts and developing their financial identities.

Even more revolutionary is TILE’s approach to intergenerational communication. The system is designed to promote dialogue and enhance understanding between members and parents, between parents and bankers, and between bankers and their future clients. No other company is as committed to enhancing the relationships that really matter in the financial world.

Bankers can both communicate with their existing clients about their favorite subject (their kids!) and develop relationships with the next generation of clients.

Parents can feel confident that their children are learning the financial ropes in a safe environment that they actually enjoy visiting. They can also keep an eye on where their child’s allowance is going every month.

Young adults finally have a place to learn about money without being talked down to, misinformed, or put to sleep. The site is both informative and fun – educational content informs and entertains, while budgeting tools and one-click giving engage. They can begin to feel the responsibilities of wealth by managing money by themselves, and benefit from increased access to their private banker.

Why is it important?

The United States is about to experience the largest transfer of wealth in history. In the next 10 to 15 years, today’s young adults will inherit approximately $1.5 trillion dollars. These young adults have the potential to lead to more than $500 million in charitable contributions, $2 billion in savings and investments, and nearly $6 billion in spending.

At the same time, financial literacy is extremely low – even among affluent youth. Personal finance is a huge blind spot in the education system. And what kids aren’t learning in school they’re also not learning at home. For parents and kids alike, the money talk can be just as awkward as the sex talk. That’s where TILE comes in.

How is it different from other financial sites?

There are plenty of sites that have attempted to make finance interesting for young people. The problem is that finance isn’t interesting to young people. TILE takes a different approach by communicating essential ideas in a tone and medium young people can relate to, personalizing and contextualizing dry concepts. There’s an invaluable emphasis on real-life practice. And there are a variety of ways to learn on SpendGrowGive.com; members can simply learn by doing or by playing games, reading articles, watching videos, or asking questions.

While content is exclusive to members, parents and bankers each have their own login so they can see member data, from balances to specific transactions (depending on the member’s privacy settings).

Importantly, TILE is not selling anything; there are no ads anywhere on the site. This creates a safe, conflict-free environment where members can explore their financial identities.

What’s the connection between TILE and Citi Private Bank?

Citi Private Bank is the first pilot user and the first to be able to offer SpendGrowgive.com to its clients.

I have further questions – where do I go for help?

Banking teams should contact ask@tilefinancial.com, or 877-311-TILE or CPB colleague, Peter Gaudry (212-559-8686).

Families can reach TILE at ask@tilefinancial.com or (877) 311-TILE.