Maximizing Your Personal Financial Resources

Download our Maximizing Your Personal Financial Resources brochure or browse our site to learn more.

Programs:

Personal Money Management:

• Managing Money in Tough Times - Participants in this workshop discover strategies for setting priorities, distinguishing between needs and wants, and finding the money to increase savings and decrease debt- two important steps toward reducing stress and anxiety about money. There is no cost to attend this workshop.
• Making Money Work For You - A five-part workshop series designed for people concerned about their money, just starting out or struggling to make it paycheck to paycheck and are looking to manage debt and begin savings. The workshop series covers goal setting, credit, insurance, stretching resources, spending choices and making a spending and savings plan. Cost is $12/person.
• Taking Charge of Your Finances - A four-part workshop series designed for people wanting to achieve financial goals (retirement, vacation, college education, etc) by gaining financial management skills that reduce debt and increase savings. The workshop series covers reducing debt, increasing savings, communicating about finances within your household, understanding your insurance coverage and setting up and following a spend/savings plan. Cost is $20/person or $25/couple.
• Getting A Grip On Your Money - GRIP is a seven-part newsletter series mailed to your house on a monthly basis. Newsletter topics cover setting goals, implementing a financial record keeping system, understanding credit and insurance, and developing and following a spending/savings plan. Subscription cost is $8.95.

For more information or to register, contact your county Cooperative Extension Office.

Retirement and Estate Planning:

• Take the Road to Financial Security - A one hour workshop developed to increase knowledge of issues regarding later life financial security and to help people assess their preparedness for later life financial security then create a plan of action to meet their personal needs and goals.
  
• Legally Secure Your Financial Future - A seminar series designed to educate participants to evaluate their legal status related to later life issues, develop a personal action plan, and take important steps to safeguard their families’ financial future.
  • Legal Issues: Are You Prepared? and Advance Care Directives: Who Will Decide?

For more information or to register, contact your county Cooperative Extension Office.

Managing Credit and Debt:

• Credit Check Up - One-hour workshop on assessing credit worthiness, reading your credit report, understanding your credit score.
• Don’t Get Crushed By Debt-Take Charge - One-hour workshop on managing consumer debt and increasing your savings.
• Power Pay - PowerPay is a computer program to create a repayment plan to reduce debt load. To complete your own data entry and analysis, click here or contact your county Cooperative Extension office and request the PowerPay service for $5.00.

For more information or to register, contact your county Cooperative Extension Office.

Saving and Investing Money:

• Investing For Your Future - An 11-unit learn-at-home self-study designed  for beginning investors with small dollar amounts to invest at any one time.  The series assumes participants are investing for the first time and/or selecting investment products for personal or a 401(k) or 403(b) - available online at www.extension.org/pages/Investing_For_Your_Future

Youth and Money

• NEFE High School Financial Planning Program - Teens can participate in this curriculum through their high school, home school, 4-H Club or youth group. This series is designed to teach teens how to identify short and long-term goals, follow a written spending and savings plan, implement a financial planning process, and consider the cost of credit when making a purchase. Teachers, parents, and volunteers are welcome to attend a training program on how to utilize this curriculum in their classrooms or through their youth clubs. Cost: Free Instructors Manuals and Student Guides.
  
• Let's Talk About Money for 8 and 9 years olds - Geared towards 8 and 9 year olds, this program introduces children to the concepts of establishing a savings plan, identifying needs and wants, practicing mathematical calculations, and managing their resources through spending, sharing and saving. Appropriate for parents, 4-H Clubs, youth programs, elementary school classrooms and after-school programs Cost: $3.00.
  
• A Prime Reality: Credit Decisions and You - A Prime Reality is a credit simulation helping teens between the ages of 15 and 19 consider the cost of credit, verbalize the various perspectives of financial decision making, compare the cost of credit in purchasing a car, and understanding banking. This credit challenge is a good educational addition to any teen financial curriculum.

  Cost:
  $49.95 for a 16 student kit;
  $64.95 for a 30 student kit

  For more information, contact your county Cooperative Extension Office.