The news: Bank of Montreal (BMO) partnered with financial education platform MoneyPrep to bring free financial literacy resources to elementary school students across Canada, per FF News.

• The curriculum-aligned lessons cover money management and financial goal-setting.
• Teachers deliver the lessons using classroom-ready materials and digital tools available through MoneyPrep.

Why it matters: Canada ranked 22nd out of 27 countries in a Remitly financial literacy study, with respondents answering 75.5% of questions correctly on average. Globally, 70.5% of respondents said their schooling didn't provide enough financial knowledge to confidently manage money as adults.

BMO's partnership addresses that education gap while creating an opportunity to introduce its brand to Gen Alpha. By supporting financial education in classrooms, the bank can build familiarity among future customers in a setting focused on learning rather than selling financial services.

That early exposure could become valuable as Gen Alpha approaches financial milestones, from opening a first savings account to managing paychecks and  applying for credit. It also lets BMO associate itself with helpful financial strategies and present itself as a partner in potential customers’ financial journeys.

Implications for banks: Financial literacy programs are brand-building efforts that reach consumers earlier in their financial journeys than traditional marketing channels. But awareness alone won't guarantee future customers. Banks need to translate that early familiarity into relevant products, accessible digital experiences, and continued engagement as young consumers' financial needs evolve.

But acquiring those Gen Alpha could be years away, making it difficult to measure ROI.  With Gen Alpha potentially years away from becoming customers, the return on these investments may be difficult to measure in the near term. Banks can instead evaluate their immediate impact through student participation, teacher feedback, and students’ continued engagement with financial education offerings, while treating eventual account openings as a longer-term measure of success.

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