Guest DJ – Mon April 6th 2020 – Dawn Littlefield
Kishwaukee United Way’s Executive Director Dawn Littefield discusses their response to COVID-19 and details Money Smart Week’s pivot to all virtual programming.
MONEY SMART WEEK 2020 PROGRAMMING
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
Credit Craze Webinar- Basics of Credit for Youth
Time: 5:00pm-6:00pm
Location: Register at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/CreditCraze/ to receive the webinar link information.
Presenter: Laurie Rivetto, Kathy Jamieson, DaVante Montgomery
As a youth in today’s society, you are a major contributor to the economy and are poised to be the nation’s next biggest spenders… but do you know….
What credit is and how it works?
The different types of credit?
The advantages and disadvantages of credit?
How to avoid getting in debt?
What a credit report is (and how to get yours for free!)?
Increase your knowledge of credit and avoid the craze of debt in just one hour by joining one of these upcoming webinars!
We will also highlight the Show Your Money Smarts contest taking place in April 2020.
For youth, ages 13-19!
Smart Money Moves for Young Adults
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Location: http://zoom.us/meeting/register/u5cpd-mrpzwtNWNMmaUTUH8EUKZRn9jyHA
Presenter: Chantay Moore
As a young adult, it is imperative you establish a solid financial foundation that will last a lifetime. In this webinar, you will learn about the three basic financial concepts any working adult should know to save money and maximize their investments. Register for this free webinar at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/u5cpd-mrpzwtNWNMmaUTUH8EUKZRn9jyH
Your Retirement: How To Take Control Today
Time: 6:00pm
Location: https://thrivent.zoom.us/webinar/register/4815849896475/WN_Rzd1U5P3TkOQ8g8gh7kRbg Registration is required
Presenter: Tom Hegna, Author and Retirment Expert
Join the Thrivent Member Network for a special online event with national financial expert and author, Tom Hegna. Hegna is the author of Don’t Worry, Retire Happy!, a straightforward guide to retirement income planning during uncertain times. He’ll offer insights to help you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
No products will be sold. Tom Hegna is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thrivent. The views expressed in this presentation by Tom Hegna are his own and not necessarily those of Thrivent or its affiliates. The material presented has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable and is current.
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
Medicare Education
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Location: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/452521863?pwd=S2JvKzNTZDNZbHpWTVl3VW9kZmk5UT09 Meeting ID: 452 521 863 Password: 018739 One tap mobile +19292056099,,452521863# US (New York) +16699006833,,452521863# US (San Jose)
Presenter: Yin Kean
You will learn about the basics of Medicare:
What is Medicare?
Who can get Medicare?
What does Medicare Offer?
What are my options?
What does Medicare costs?
When and how can I enroll
How do I choose?
If you already have Medicare, and would like to learn more, this course will give you a good understanding.
TUESDAY, APRIL 7
Choosing a Retirement Solution for Your Small Business
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location: JOIN WEBEX MEETING
https://dol.webex.com/dol/j.php?MTID=m48768db91bdb1af1e0be064cc155e317
Meeting number: 641 110 087
Meeting password: axKNPSA6@77
JOIN BY PHONE
Call-in number (Verizon): 1-210-814-1261 (US)
Call-in toll-free number (Verizon): 1-866-720-8513 (US)
Attendee access code: 743 797 6
Presenter: Scott Miller
A retirement plan can offers many benefits to a small business. It can help your small business attract and retain qualified employees, offer tax savings to your business, and help you as the business owner secure your own retirement. Choosing a Retirement Solution for Your Small Business will provide valuable information to any small business owner who is looking to establish a retirement plan. The presentation will explain the different types of plans available including IRA-based plans, defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans.
Free Webinar: Health Insurance Dissected
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location: Url: http://go.uillinois.edu/getsavvywebinars
Login: After registering at the link, login instructions will be provided. Reminder emails with instructions will be sent the day before and day of the webinar. Follow-up email will be sent with recording.
Presenter: Kathy Sweedler and Camaya Wallace-Bechard
Premiums, deductibles, co-payments and other out-of-pocket health costs all add up. For example, according to the KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey in 2018, health insurance plans’ annual deductibles have increased 212% in the last 10 years! Choosing your health insurance plan wisely can make a BIG difference in your overall costs. Learn savvy strategies in the Get Savvy Webinar, Health Insurance Dissected. Registration required. More information
Financial Strategies for Women
Time: 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Location: Click to join: https://www.join.freeconferencecall.com/balanceinvestments Or, enter online meeting ID on desktop app: balance investments Dial-in Number: (712) 451-0836 Access Code: 318 307
Presenter: Herman Brunson
The investment goals and priorities between men and women are very similar, however there are some notable differences between the genders:
– Only one third of women say they have a good understanding of how much risk they can tolerate in their investment strategy
– Women feel less informed about the impact of taxes on investment returns
– More than three quarters of women report not having important financial and estate documents in place
Join us for Financial Strategies for Women, where Herman Brunson of Balance Investments will discuss the risks and returns of investing, the impacts of inflation, taxes, divorce, widowhood and the importance of retirement and estate planning for women.
Attendees may also register at Eventbrite.com: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/91303989691
Your Retirement: How To Take Control Today
Time: 6:30pm
Location: https://thrivent.zoom.us/webinar/register/2315849320931/WN_BgDBrgXBS1aCDEbTW-tElA Registration is required
Presenter: Tom Hegna, Author and Retirement Expert
Join the Thrivent Member Network for a special online event with national financial expert and author, Tom Hegna. Hegna is the author of Don’t Worry, Retire Happy!, a straightforward guide to retirement income planning during uncertain times. He’ll offer insights to help you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
No products will be sold. Tom Hegna is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thrivent. The views expressed in this presentation by Tom Hegna are his own and not necessarily those of Thrivent or its affiliates. The material presented has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable and is current.
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
How Does My 401k Really Work?
Time: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (CT)
Location: URL: http://zoom.us/meeting/register/vpEpce2uqjwrqUXDqLof6u34ltI5fCPj5g
Login: Please log in at least 5 minutes before the webinar starts.
Presenter: Chantay Moore
If you have a corporate job, hopefully, your employer is offering you a 401k/457/403b for you to save money into for retirement. If so, folks normally still have questions about how those accounts really work. What are the benefits of saving into your 401k? How do you pick the investments? What help can you get? In this webinar, you will learn the fundamentals of workplace retirement accounts, how they work, and will receive some general guidance on how to maximize those accounts.
Register to attend this free webinar at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/vpEpce2uqjwrqUXDqLof6u34ltI5fCPj5g
MONDAY, APRIL 13
Will vs. Trust: When and Why do you need them?
Time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (CT)
Location: Online Instructions:
URL: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/v5Msd-GrqD4s0L7Nb0za5IN5nc37HiJy4g
Login: Please log in 5 minutes before the webinar begins.
Presenter: Chantay Moore
In this webinar, we will share about the difference between a Will and Trust. Most people get these legal documents confused, and don’t know how they work and in what scenario they would work best in. You’ll also learn about what happens to your financial affairs when you don’t have any estate planning documents in place.
Register for this free webinar at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/v5Msd-GrqD4s0L7Nb0za5IN5nc37HiJy4g
Your Retirement: How To Take Control Today
Time: 7:00pm
Location: https://thrivent.zoom.us/webinar/register/6115849897644/WN_vYF8qkflT6CnVP78YwL9Uw Registration is required
Presenter: Tom Hegna, Author and Retirment Expert
Join the Thrivent Member Network for a special online event with national financial expert and author, Tom Hegna. Hegna is the author of Don’t Worry, Retire Happy!, a straightforward guide to retirement income planning during uncertain times. He’ll offer insights to help you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
No products will be sold. Tom Hegna is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thrivent. The views expressed in this presentation by Tom Hegna are his own and not necessarily those of Thrivent or its affiliates. The material presented has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable and is current.
WEB RESOURCES
Webinars/Video Series
Student Debt Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNMZQLZkmp4&feature=youtu.be
Students and families have many complex and important decisions to make regarding post-secondary education. These decisions include whether or not to go to college, how to pay for their education, and how the family and student will manage their money during this new phase of their lives. This webinar will explain resources for educating students and families to evaluate and make informed decisions on how to pay for college and repay student debt. This webinar features Kristen Evans, Section Chief for Students and Young Consumers at the CFPB.
Paying Bills Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnzkPvf2O9U&feature=youtu.be
Learn about the Bureau’s new study on paying bills, which found that helping consumers change bill due dates to better line up with income could help some consumers better manage their cash flow. The webinar will also explore tools and resources to help consumers manage their income and bills.
Fraud Prevention for Older Adults Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-5sIVjqxfE&feature=youtu.be
This webinar on fraud prevention for older adults is part of a series of webinars for adult financial educators.
Financial Rules to Live By Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJyOSafqszw
Discover a basic set of financial guidelines to stay financially healthy.
Timely Topics Podcast: Some Basics on Sovereign Debt and Default
https://www.stlouisfed.org/timely-topics/basics-sovereign-debt-default
St. Louis Fed economist Paulina Restrepo-Echavarria (right) explains why governments borrow, what happens when a country defaults on its debt and how a country gets out of a debt crisis. Gaining a better understanding of why sovereign default happens and what makes a country more prone to risk leads to a better understanding of how interest rates behave, she said.
Timely Topics Podcast: How Advancing Automation May Affect Occupations
https://www.stlouisfed.org/timely-topics/advancing-automation-may-affect-occupations
“If a worker task is more routine-based, rather than it involves a more creative solution, then there’s a higher chance for these jobs to be replaced by the automation,” says Sungki Hong, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He talks with Christine Smith, a digital content editor at the St. Louis Fed. They discuss what may motivate firms to automate jobs and the many forms automation may take – from machines and programs to self-driving cars.
No Frills Money Skills Video Series
https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/no-frills-money-skills-video-series
This video series, offered by the St. Louis Federal Reserve, explains some basic money skills such as understanding compound interest and insurance. This video series is intended for middle schoolers-college age.
Dialogue with the Fed: Presentation, Does College Level the Playing Field?
https://www.stlouisfed.org/dialogue-with-the-fed/does-college-level-the-playing-field/emmons
Economist William R. Emmons looked at the Center for Household Financial Stability research finding that, between 1992 and 2013, whites and Asians with college degrees saw their wealth soar while blacks and Hispanics with college degrees saw theirs plummet. Two models could be used to understand the gap, he said. A “post-racial” model, favored by economists, takes as its starting point the idea that every family faces the same opportunities and choices. A “structural” model would say that poor outcome may be a reflection of poor opportunity. A decline in overt discrimination and a finding that college is an engine driving disparity are two pieces of evidence pointing toward the structural model as the better explanation for the gap, he said. Emmons is lead economist at the center and assistant vice president and economist at the St. Louis Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: What’s Happening in the U.S. Economy
https://www.chicagofed.org/events/webinars/2020/whats-happening-in-us-economy
Presented by Paul Traub
At the January Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the Committee indicated that the labor market remains strong and that economic activity continues to rise at a moderate rate. They also mentioned the following: job gains have been solid recently. The unemployment rate has remained low. Household spending has been rising at a moderate pace. Business fixed investment and exports remain weak.
Paul discusses what this means for the U.S. economy.
FinEx Webinar: Disaster Preparedness and Liquid Savings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pguo2JBVv7Q
This month, in collaboration with FEMA and FINRA Investor Education Foundation, we are focusing our CFPB FinEx webinar on Disaster Preparedness and Liquid Savings.
FinEx webinar: Owning a home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJbsK1MHOvY
This webinar goes over some of the basics of buying a home such as exploring loan choices, preparing to look on the housing market, and other resources for house buying.
Other Resources/Websites
My Free Taxes
Visit myfreetaxes.com to complete simple tax returns at no cost! Tax returns can be completed until July 15 under new exception.
Plan Well, Retire Well
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/eb141/
This is a series of articles with information on how to save and plan for the future. This includes information on how to pay of debt to how to budget for holiday spending. Their most recent article is about how to cope with finances during uncertain times.
Money Mentors
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/moneymentors/
What is the Money Mentor Program?
Sponsored by University of Illinois Extension, the Money Mentors program is a network of trained volunteers who work one-on-one with individuals who request help with personal money management. Supported by a grant from United Way of Champaign County
Unexpected Life Events: Loss of a Job
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/learn/life_events/handling_the_unexpected/loss_of_a_job
Useful website for people who have recently lost their job and need some tips on how to handle their unexpected situation.
Practical Money Skills: Credit
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/learn/credit
This website is a great resource for learning about credit. It starts with the basics of credit and then it goes into further detail explaining credit scores, how to budget credit, credit reports and some additional resources for credit.
Credit: What’s My Score?
https://www.whatsmyscore.org/estimator/
This helpful website is a credit score calculator that estimates your credit score after asking a few questions. It is a free tool and it will not run your actual credit.
Practical Money Skills: Budgeting
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/learn/budgeting
Learn the basics of budgeting, how to evaluate your finances, how to create a budget, and much more with this website. It is a free tool accessible to all and
Practical Money Skills: Mobile Banking
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/learn/financial_institutions/mobile_banking
Some FAQ about mobile banking are answered in this website.
FREDcast: Interactive Forecasting Game
https://research.stlouisfed.org/useraccount/fredcast
This interactive forecasting game is great way for students to learn about some basic economic concepts such as GDP. This is a great tool for learning about economics remotely and it is intended for students in middle school and high school.
Glossary of Economics and Personal Finance Terms
https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/glossary
A glossary of terms commonly used in personal finance. Often times, there is a lot of jargon in the banking, economic, and finance world, words that can seem intimidating to people who are just learning the basics of personal finance. This glossary can be a great resource when coming across an unfamiliar word when dealing with personal finances.
Radio Resources ~ WLBK FM 98.9/AM 1360
Weekdays:
1:06 pm, 2:06 pm & 3:06 pm ~ Dave Ramsey Show (daveramsey.com)
Common sense life & money tips. Personal finance and money management made simple.
4:06 pm, 5:06 pm & 6:06 pm ~ Clark Howard Show (clark.com)
Consumer expert shows you practical ways to save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off.
More Info: http://www.econillinois.org/money-smart-week/