Course Descriptions

Budgeting
Creating a budget and sticking to it can seem like an impossible task. This course will provide you with the tools to set financial goals, record expenses and develop strategies to help you maintain a better budget.

Credit and Debt
This course will focus on gaining a better understanding of your credit score, the rules governing credit cards and strategies to help you manage, avoid and eliminate debt.

Estate Planning
Discussing how finances and belongings are distributed after you or a loved one dies is a topic many people find uncomfortable. Our presenters will help you understand and address key issues in estate planning including wills, living wills and medical directives, trustees, executors and estate taxes.  By planning early, you can give yourself peace-of-mind knowing that your family and loved ones are protected from financial hardships and tax liabilities.

Consumer Scams
Consumer protection laws are designed to ensure fair competition and truthful information in the marketplace. This course focuses on two areas of consumer protection: consumer purchasing and scams.  Topics covered in consumer purchasing include: buying a used car, using store advertisements, shopping online and purchasing gasoline. Topics covered in the scams portion include but are not limited to: job opportunity scams, telemarketing scams, credit repair scams and foreclosure scams.

Investments
This session is designed for those who have had little or no investing experience or those who need a refresher course in the basics of investing.  Stocks, bonds, cash, mutual funds, and other types of investments will be explained.  Topics such as setting your investment goals and matching investments with your particular circumstances will be covered, as well as diversification and basic asset allocation.

Retirement Planning
The retirement planning course is designed for people seeking guidance on setting retirement goals, determining the best way to save for retirement and determining how much they will need to reach their goals. Discussions include choosing a retirement plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b); investing in individual retirement accounts (IRAs), including Traditional or Roth; factoring public or company pensions, as well as choosing deferred compensation. Other topics covered include adjusting a retirement portfolio, rolling over and combining retirement plans, estimating retirement cash flow and estimating the impact of working after retirement.

Social Security
This session will help you understand how Social Security benefits, coverage and eligibility fit into retirement plans.  Social Security experts will cover Social Security distribution schedules, key dates to consider for those close to retirement and the relationship between state and local retirement systems and the U.S. Social Security system.

Student Funding & Debt Management NEW!
Preparing for college or higher education is a process.  Making a smart money choice on how to fund your college or higher education is an important decision, which has long-term impact on your financial plan. This course will not only help provide you with knowledge to make strong funding or loan choices, but also gives you some information on how to manage student debt once you have it. Subjects addressed in this course include preparing students for college, funding for college, the source of student debt and career choice, as well as income and student loan repayment.