Starting today, Canadian credit union Servus is handing out CDN 200,000 in ten-dollar bills, giving 20,000 people the opportunity to create a Feel Good Ripple by giving that money to someone else. Servus is asking customers "How will you use ten dollars to make someone's day?" Suggestions include 'buy flowers for the grocery store cashier', 'buy the coffee for the person behind you in line at the drive-thru' and 'give $10 to a homeless shelter to pay for lunch or dinner supplies'. By pledging CDN 200,00 to the effort, the company hopes to start a ' kindness movement' that will positively affect at least 20,000 people.

Servus is distributing the bills through its branches throughout Alberta, and asking participants to write up stories of their kindness—monetary or otherwise—on feelgoodripple.ca. By sharing their experience online or at a branch, participants have a chance to win one of ten CDN 500 donations to a charity of their choice. While the contest will end on December 1st, Servus hopes the Feel Good Ripple will continue long afterwards.

This type of sponsored charity—actively seeking customers' collaboration—is meant to underline the cooperative mindset of credit unions (as opposed to, say, banks). It's a prime example of a company applying the principles of Generation G, as our sister-site trendwatching.com calls the societal and business shift to a more generous mindset. (Related: Grocer lets customers direct its community giving — Customers deliver donated TOMS shoes.)

Website: www.feelgoodripple.ca — www.servuscu.ca
Contact: www.servuscu.ca/site+tools/contact+us

For many consumers, investing can feel like throwing money into a black box and hoping to see some return on the other side. Aiming to bring increased transparency, personalization and control to the process, Covestor Investment Management has created a new type of account that lets investors follow the trades of the experts with their own managed funds.

The new Multi Managed Account (MMA) from CVIM gives clients "access to expert active management like a hedge fund within the security of a managed account," as the company explains it. Essentially, CVIM has recruited a number of proven individual investors with differing styles to manage investment models for others who would like to replicate them. Consumers begin by depositing a minimum of USD 10,000 with New York-based Covestor Ltd., CVIM's parent company and a registered investment advisor. They then complete a questionnaire to assess their tolerance for risk, resulting in a risk score that's used to determine the models they'll be able to choose from—specifically, those with risk scores equal to or lower than their own. From that set, clients select the particular models/investors they would like to follow and with what proportion of their funds. There's no limit to the number of models a client can subscribe to, as long as they put at least USD 5,000 toward each. Once they've made those allocations, the models they've chosen are auto-traded for them, in real time, in their own managed accounts at either TD Ameritrade Holding or Interactive Brokers Group. Clients can manage their accounts at any time using the CV.IM console, which shows their positions, transactions and performance in the models they're subscribed to. Annual fees range between 0.50 percent and 1.5 percent of subscribed funds. The investors managing the models, meanwhile, are compensated for their data based on the number of subscribers they have attracted.

There's no doubt that mimicking like-minded twinsumers can benefit anyone—whether in choosing a product or in investing funds, where understanding who's managing those funds also adds a degree of much-needed transparency. In addition, however, CVIM's MMAs are similar to separately managed accounts, an offering that brokerage firms have traditionally offered only to wealthy clients, according to a Wall Street Journal blog. In other words, the mass class trend strikes again! ;-)

Website: www.cv.im
Contact: www.cv.im/contact

Spotted by: Fred Wilson

Canadian enterprise Ekomini believes that teaching kids about money is as important as teaching them reading, writing and arithmetic. As an aid to parents, the company has given the traditional piggy bank a 21st century makeover. The Ekomini Treasure Chest features a patented coin-reader technology and hooks up to a computer via USB, enabling children to keep track of their savings and learn basic financial skills. The Ekomini package gleans pedagogical credentials from resident educational consultant Dr. Daniel Racine, who designed a platform to teach kids how to plan for purchases by setting goals, completing tasks and comparing prices; as they get older, they can also learn the basics of investment. Ekomini also aims to introduce kids to social responsibility by explaining important causes and showcasing charities.

Appealing both to creative consumers and potential licensing partners, Ekomini will also manufacture a separate coin-reader unit (minus the piggy bank), so that the system can be created using any type of coin receptacle. Speaking of partners, Ekomini is casting a wide net, targeting teachers, banks, retailers, charities and other manufacturers interested in licensing their design.

While products that target children are the scourge of cash-strapped parents, one that teaches future generations the value of saving could be worth its weight in gold. The product can be pre-ordered online and will be available in major retail stores in time for Christmas. One to check out if you're involved with financial services or children's products! (Related: Financial literacy for kids — Bank run by street kids — Facilitating kidpreneurs.)

Website: www.ekomini.com
Contact: info@ekomini.com

Spotted by: Judy McRae

In a bid to coax consumers into spending more at the store this Christmas, retail giant Sears is encouraging them to save first, using their Christmas Club card. Instead of functioning like a credit card (as many store cards do) the Sears card allows users to add value beforehand—just like paying money into a bank account. Providing they do this before November 14, members of the scheme who join before October 31 will be entitled to a handsome reward of 3% extra to spend in Sears, Kmart and associated stores. Compare that with current interest rates on checking and savings accounts and the attraction is obvious.

The scheme—inspired by old-fashioned Christmas clubs at banks and credit unions—could provide an incentive to save (and shop) for now credit-shy Americans, as they begin to emerge from the worst of the financial crisis. For the retailer, the Christmas Club system will guarantee them a share of the Christmas market in advance. (Related: Layaway is back.)

Website: www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Christmas+Club
Contact: www.sears.com/shc/s/nb_10153_12608_NB_CSeMail?adCell=IWF

Spotted by: Judy McRae

Entrepreneurs in the developing world have already benefited from peer-to-peer lending programs through the likes of Kiva, Wokai and Jolkona. Now aiming to bring similar benefits to students in those areas is Vittana, a Seattle-based foundation that focuses on educational loans.

Now in beta, Vittana partners with microfinance institutions (MFIs) throughout the developing world to catalyze new student lending programs. Potential lenders begin by browsing through the students profiled on the site—current examples include a 19-year-old woman studying industrial administration in Peru, for example, and a 25-year-old man studying financial accounting in Nicaragua. When they see one they'd like to help, they can lend as little as USD 25 toward that student's education. Vittana's local MFI partner—which has already verified that the students listed are hard-working and likely to succeed—then disburses the full amount of that loan to the student. Once the student graduates and gets a job, he or she starts paying back that MFI partner; when the loaned funds are fully repaid, Vittana returns to the lender the full amount that was lent.

We wrote last year about Fynanz and its peer-to-peer student loans, but it's nice to see similar capabilities being brought to students in the developing world. One to partner with, emulate, or otherwise get involved in! (Related: Fighting poverty through microloan guarantees.)

Website: www.vittana.org
Contact: customer-service@vittana.org

Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz