HOUSTON, April 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA Compass was honored this week with the Innovation in Financial Education Award by Nasdaq and EverFi for its significant efforts to improve the financial capability of young Americans.

BBVA Compass and 24 other financial institutions nationwide were selected by Nasdaq and EverFi — a technology education firm — based on a set of criteria that included the scale and reach of their financial education initiatives, the duration of their commitments and unique employee volunteering activities that supplement their programs. They were honored Tuesday during an awards ceremony at Nasdaq's MarketSite headquarters in New York City.

"Teaching young people how to manage their money and understand the calculus of a good financial decision is one of our most important obligations," said BBVA Compass Chairman and CEO Manolo Sanchez. "We've used EverFi's program to give nearly 44,000 students, many of them in low-income school districts, the knowledge they need to build better futures."

The web-based program uses the latest in new media technology — simulations, gaming and adaptive-pathing — to bring complex financial concepts to life for today's digital generation. It allows students to learn through computers and tablets how to make choices in real-life scenarios to best achieve their goals around saving and job planning. 

"The institutions we're recognizing have led exceptional efforts to rethink how financial education is taught in our nation's schools," said EverFi Founder and CEO Tom Davidson. "Our global competitiveness is dependent on the next generation understanding how the economy works and how to achieve financial security in their lives. We are grateful to the organizations that are helping pave a brighter future for students today."

BBVA Compass Director of Sustainability & Reputation Rita Garza accepted the award on behalf of the bank.

About BBVA Group

BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States. Its diversified business is geared toward high-growth markets and relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at www.bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 672 branches, including 341 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 77 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico, and commercial and private client offices throughout the U.S. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass earned the top ranking with customers in American Banker's 2014 annual reputation survey of the top 25 largest U.S. retail banks. It also has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration and in 2014 ranked 12th nationally in total SBA loan volume. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com. 

Editor's Note:
BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank.

About EverFi

EverFi, Inc. is the leading education technology company focused on teaching, assessing, and certifying K-12 and college students in the critical skills they need for life. The company teams with major corporations and foundations to provide the programs at no cost to K-12 schools. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EverFi investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Twitter founder Evan Williams, and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt. Learn more at everfi.com.

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SOURCE BBVA Compass