Published on : Friday, May 30, 2014
Spent: Looking for Change, a new documentary that follows the lives of four American families wrestling with the costs and inconveniences that come with living outside the traditional financial system, will premiere June 4. The film, sponsored by American Express, will be made available on YouTube, in partnership with The Young Turks, the largest online news show in the world.
The documentary, narrated by Tyler Perry, puts a spotlight on an important issue that impacts one in four U.S. households who are not well served by the traditional banking system and rely instead on services like check cashers, payday lenders and pawn shops to meet basic financial needs. The costs for these services can add up, with the average underserved household spending ten percent of their income on fees, the same as the typical American family spends on groceries1.
“I know about this issue first-hand and how expensive it is to not be a part of the mainstream financial system,” said film narrator, Tyler Perry. “Growing up the way I did, there was no education about how important it was to be financially responsible. That’s why I felt compelled to participate in this film—to help educate others and advocate for better options.”
“With the debut of Spent: Looking for Change, we hope to spark a national dialogue about re-imagining financial services as we know it today,” said Dan Schulman, group president, American Express, Enterprise Growth. “Change is possible and we believe financial exclusion is a solvable problem, but it’s going to take lots of people working together, raising awareness, and investing in initiatives that help to create better, more affordable financial solutions for everyone.”
The documentary will officially debut online June 4 at 7:00 PM EST on The Young Turks’ YouTube and Hulu channels. The Young Turks is the largest online news show in the world combining unfiltered and independent commentary and analysis of politics, entertainment, sports and pop culture.
The film will remain online for free, providing anyone the opportunity to watch, engage in conversation, and help spread awareness. It will also be posted on American Express’ YouTube channel and at SpentMovie.com, where further information will be available on June 4, including more information about the issue and how to get involved.
Simultaneous to the online Spent: Looking for Change premiere, an event will be held at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The event will feature a full screening of the film and a question and answer session hosted by The Young Turks with executive producer Davis Guggenheim and director Derek Doneen.
Source:- American Express
Tags: american express
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