Spruce by H&R Block Launches Saving Surge Sweepstakes to Promote Financial Health and Reward Saving Habits

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to the growing number of Americans struggling with financial health, Spruce, the mobile banking app built by H&R Block, ¹ announced today the launch of its Saving Surge Sweepstakes ² . Saving Surge is a six-month initiative designed to reward and encourage consistent saving habits while giving people the chance to win their piece of nearly $5,000.

With 70% of Americans identified as financially coping or vulnerable by the Financial Health Network, ³ there is a clear need for innovative tools that help make money management simple and effective. Organized in partnership with national nonprofit, Commonwealth, which builds financial security and opportunity for financially vulnerable people and pioneered prize-linked savings in the U.S., the Saving Surge Sweepstakes is more than a contest — it is a movement to help Americans take control of their financial futures, starting with saving money.

Beginning today through Feb. 28, 2026, Spruce customers can earn up to five entries each month by completing simple saving actions, such as setting up auto-transfers or depositing money in $10 increments into their Spruce Savings Account. Each month, four winners will be randomly selected — one to receive a $500 prize and three additional winners receiving $100 — directly deposited into their savings account.

By encouraging small, consistent behaviors, Spruce is helping customers shift their mindset, grow their savings, and build long-term financial confidence.

“The team behind Spruce believes that saving money is one of the most important steps toward being financially healthy and growing wealth,” said John Thompson, Vice President of Financial Services, Spruce. “The Saving Surge Sweepstakes offers a fresh, engaging way to show our customers how they can build better saving habits, one deposit at a time.”

As part of Spruce’s ongoing commitment to helping customers build long-term financial security, the Saving Surge Sweepstakes complements the easy-to-use features and tools in the Spruce app such as the Watchlist Budget Tracker , and a Savings account plus two Spruce saving goals that can all earn a high-yield 3.50% APY ⁴ (after opting in). These features reinforce positive financial behaviors and help make managing finances simpler and more accessible without the barriers often found on other platforms.

"We’ve seen that when people have access to engaging tools and incentives, they’re empowered to make meaningful progress toward their financial goals,” said Commonwealth CEO Timothy Flacke. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Spruce by H&R Block through our partnership in BlackRock’s Emergency Savings Initiative (ESI), which elevates awareness of the emergency savings crisis in the U.S. Spruce’s Saving Surge Sweepstakes not only specifically encourages consistent saving behaviors, it also leverages Spruce’s other financial tools to make the process of saving exciting and rewarding.”

How to Participate

• Opt-In: The Spruce Saving Surge sweepstakes is open to all Spruce customers who opt in through the app. To find out how to opt-in, visit https://www.sprucemoney.com/lp/saving-surge-sweepstakes/ .
• Earn Entries Easily: Customers can enter up to five entries per month through the following actions:
  • Setting up an auto-transfer within the qualifying month counts as up to one entry.
  • Every $10 deposited into savings each month counts as one entry.
• Receive Winnings : Monthly winners will be notified and have their prizes deposited directly into their Spruce Saving Account. No action is needed to claim the prize.
• Find the official rules at sprucemoney.com/legal/saving-surge-sweepstakes-rules/ .

To learn more about Spruce’s saving, budgeting, spending, and other financial-planning features, and how they are helping their customers stretch every dollar, visit www.SpruceMoney.com . To take advantage of the many secure and innovative tools offered through Spruce, sign up at http://www.sprucemoney.com/ or download the Spruce app.

¹ Spruce fintech platform is built by H&R Block, which is not a bank. Spruce ^℠ Spending and Savings Accounts established at, and debit card issued by, Pathward ^® , N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard®. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.

² *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the United States of America, age 18 or older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins September 1, 2025 and ends February 28, 2026. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. For Official Rules, including free method of entry, prize details, and eligibility requirements, visit https://www.sprucemoney.com/legal/saving-surge-sweepstakes-rules/. Sponsored by Emerald Financial Services, LLC. Pathward ^® , N.A., Member FDIC is the issuer of the Spruce Accounts only and neither Pathward, nor Mastercard, are sponsors of the Spruce Saving Surge Sweepstakes.

³ Data from the Financial Health Network’s Financial Health Pulse 2024 report. For more, visit here .

⁴ The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 0 9 / 0 4 / 2025 . This rate is variable and can change without notice. Fees may reduce earnings. To start earning interest on your Spruce Savings Account, simply opt in through the Spruce app or at sprucemoney.com .

About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services , financial products , and small-business solutions . The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce . Through Block Advisors and Wave , the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News .

About Spruce
Spruce helps you stay in control of your money through spending and savings accounts backed by technology that provides budgeting tools, automatic saving options, and financial insights that help you be good with money. To learn more, see sprucemoney.com/features

About Pathward ^®
Pathward®, N.A., a national bank, is a subsidiary of Pathward Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASH). Pathward is focused on financial access and strives to increase financial availability, choice and opportunity across our Partner Solutions and Commercial Finance business lines. The strategic business lines provide support to individuals and businesses. Learn more at Pathward.com.

About Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a national nonprofit building financial security and opportunity for people earning low- to moderate-income through innovation and partnerships. For over two decades, Commonwealth has designed effective innovations, products, and policies enabling over 2 million people to save nearly $8 billion. Commonwealth collaborates with consumers, the financial services industry, employers, and policymakers. Because Black, Latin, and women-led households disproportionately experience financial insecurity, we focus especially on these populations. The solutions we build are grounded in real life, based on our deep understanding of people who are financially vulnerable and how businesses can best serve them. To learn more, visit us at www.buildcommonwealth.org.

About BlackRock’s Emergency Savings Initiative
In 2019, BlackRock launched the Emergency Savings Initiative to help millions of people living on low -to moderate-income gain access to and increase usage of proven savings strategies and tools – ultimately helping them establish an important safety net. BlackRock’s support of this initiative is provided through grants from The BlackRock Foundation and The BlackRock Charitable Gift Fund. The size and scale of the savings problem require the knowledge and expertise of established industry experts who are recognized leaders in savings research and interventions on an individual and corporate level. Led by its Social Impact team, BlackRock is partnering with innovative industry experts like Commonwealth in the US and Nest Insight in the UK, giving the initiative a comprehensive and multilayered approach to address the savings crisis.