MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) today announced Gov. Tony Evers proclaimed November 6, 2025, as Wisconsin Saves Day in Wisconsin. The proclamation is part of a statewide effort promoting automatic saving through the workplace with the Wisconsin Saves program to improve financial well-being. The Wisconsin Saves program is an employee-focused savings initiative, which started as a pilot program in 2020. The program provides Wisconsin employers with resources to encourage their employees to save for emergencies and the future with their paychecks by using the automated saving strategy of split deposit.
“By working with our Wisconsin employers to help workers save automatically through their paychecks, the Wisconsin Saves program helps folks build toward a more secure financial future while preparing for unexpected or emergency expenses,” said Gov. Evers. “I encourage Wisconsin employers to get involved in the Wisconsin Saves program by signing up today so we can work together to build a stronger, more resilient Wisconsin for everyone.”
Participating employers receive free resources and a digital toolkit to educate their employees on the importance of building emergency savings, as well as the ease and benefits of saving automatically through split deposit. The research-based program uses the principles of behavioral economics and social marketing to change behavior. Since the start of the Wisconsin Saves pilot program, more than 100 employers in Wisconsin, representing approximately 25,000 employees, have enrolled in the program and used the resources in the program’s digital tool kit to promote automatic saving through split deposit to their employees.
“Our goal with the Wisconsin Saves program is to help more Wisconsinites start to build emergency savings and save for their futures,” said DFI Secretary-designee Wendy K. Baumann. “Through this program, we are helping employers promote the automated saving strategy of split deposit, and we are helping employees build their savings automatically through their paychecks. I am grateful to our Wisconsin employers who are already helping their employees take action for their financial well-being, and I encourage others to get involved today. Together, we can make a positive difference in the financial lives of so many across the state.”
Employers can enroll in the Wisconsin Saves program on the Wisconsin Saves website, or on the DFI’s Wisconsin Saves webpage, to receive a suite of resources to help them promote split deposit as a way they support their employees in reaching their personal savings goals. All Wisconsin employers are eligible to participate in the program.
“According to the FINRA Foundation’s National Financial Capability Study, we know more than half of Wisconsin residents live paycheck-to-paycheck, regularly spending equal to or more than their income every month, and 47% of Wisconsin residents do not have emergency savings to cover three months of expenses,” said DFI Office of Financial Literacy Director David Mancl. “Employers can distinguish themselves from other businesses by offering this free and easy-to-use financial wellness benefit to help their employees build savings in the easiest and most effective manner by saving automatically through split deposit.”
For more information on the Wisconsin Saves program, visit the Wisconsin Saves website or email Mancl at: David.Mancl@dfi.wisconsin.gov.
