NFEC Names Matt Sapaula the 2026 Financial Education Instructor of the Year

Annual award recognizes financial educators based on measurable instructional activity, public reach, advocacy, and capacity to sustain long-term impact.

FRISCO, TX, UNITED STATES, October 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) has named Matt Sapaula the 2026 Financial Education Instructor of the Year following an evaluation of his work across three primary measures: Education, Awareness, and Sustainability.

Established in 2014, the Financial Education Instructor of the Year Award recognizes one educator each year in the United States who demonstrates extraordinary impact advancing financial education.

The award is not based solely on classroom instruction or popularity. The NFEC evaluates the broader body of work required to create meaningful and lasting financial education impact.

Education

The first area evaluates the educator’s direct contribution to improving financial capabilities.

The NFEC considers factors including the volume and quality of educational activity, ability to engage learners, emphasis on practical application, variety of instructional formats, and development of educational content that extends learning beyond individual events.

During the past 12 months, Sapaula conducted more than 200 financial education-related events, trainings, workshops, webinars, and public learning experiences.

His instruction addresses subjects including financial literacy, credit, income, entrepreneurship, financial protection, and long-term wealth-building. His approach emphasizes applying financial concepts to real-life decisions rather than simply presenting information.

Sapaula also produced several hundred pieces of educational content across social media, video, podcasts, interviews, articles, and other platforms. His longer-form educational work includes books, podcasts, interviews, and video programming that provide opportunities for continued learning beyond live instruction.

Awareness

The second area measures an educator’s contribution to expanding public awareness of financial education.

Evaluation considerations include audience reach, advocacy activity, consistency of public messaging, media exposure, and the educator’s ability to bring financial education into broader public conversations.

Sapaula reaches an audience of more than 500,000 followers and subscribers across social media, video platforms, podcasts, and professional networks.
He has also used television appearances, interviews, podcasts, live events, and other media opportunities to expand conversations around financial literacy, entrepreneurship, credit, wealth-building, financial protection, ownership, and personal responsibility.

His advocacy has reached veterans, families, entrepreneurs, faith-based communities, underserved populations, and others who may not have received meaningful financial education through traditional channels.

Sustainability

The third area examines whether an educator has created the infrastructure necessary to sustain and expand impact over time.

The NFEC considers factors such as team development, scalability, repeatability, defined audiences, educational brand development, diversified delivery channels, and whether the educator’s work can continue reaching people beyond individual speaking engagements.

Sapaula has developed an ecosystem that includes live education, digital content, books, podcasts, media, professional training, social platforms, and a national team of more than 6,000 people.

This structure allows his work to extend beyond his individual presence and provides the capacity for continued outreach and expansion.
He has also established defined audiences – including veterans, families, entrepreneurs, and faith-based communities – and built a recognizable educational identity as the “MoneySMART Guy.”

“Strong financial educators do much more than deliver a good presentation,” said Vince Shorb, CEO of the National Financial Educators Council. “We look at whether they are actually educating people, expanding awareness of financial education, and building systems capable of sustaining that impact. Matt demonstrated strength across all three areas.”

The NFEC developed the Financial Education Instructor of the Year Award to recognize educators whose work demonstrates both immediate impact and the potential for long-term contribution to the financial education movement.

Sapaula’s combination of more than 200 educational events in the past year, hundreds of educational content pieces, an audience exceeding 500,000 followers and subscribers, extensive advocacy and media activity, and a national team of more than 6,000 people distinguished his work during the evaluation.

“Financial education needs educators who can reach people, connect learning to real-world decisions, and build the infrastructure necessary to keep that work growing,” Shorb added. “Those are the measures behind this award, and Matt’s work provides strong evidence across each of them.”

Established by the National Financial Educators Council in 2014, the Financial Education Instructor of the Year Award recognizes one educator annually for extraordinary contributions to financial education.

Candidates are evaluated across three primary areas:

– Education: instructional activity, learner engagement, applied learning, and educational content.

– Awareness: reach, advocacy, public visibility, and advancement of the financial education movement.

– Sustainability: scalability, team development, niche development, diversified delivery methods, and the infrastructure necessary to sustain long-term impact.

About the National Financial Educators Council

The National Financial Educators Council is an IACET Accredited Provider and offers CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. Committed to creating a world where people are informed to make qualified financial decisions through raising standards for financial educators – National Financial Educator Standards, raising standards for learners – Applied Financial Capability Standards, and training financial educators – Certified Financial Education Instructor.

Claudia Martins
National Financial Educators Council
+1 702-620-3059
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