Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Financial Literacy Month

The Marshall Area Financial Empowerment Collaborative involves banking professionals, nonprofit managers, educators, business executives and educators in its mission to strengthen the financial well-being of communities by providing information, education and support for people making decisions on a variety of financial management issues.

During April -- Financial Literacy Month -- the group has been especially busy and visible around town. They assisted in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinics; shared budgeting, credit & debt, asset building and consumer protention information with participants enrolled in local "Financial Fitness" workshops; spoke on a local radio program about Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs); and presented on financial topics to incoming freshmen and parents at Southwest Minnesota State University student orientation sessions.

Funding from Ameriprise Financial and United Way of Southwest Minnesota is helping the collaborative create and launch an Interactive Web-based Budget/Spending Plan Tool. It's a practical and easy-to-use online program to track income and expenses, as well as to plan for short and long-term financial goals. Check it out at www.marshallmoney.org/spendingplan or
http://sp.marshallmoney.org/.

Posted by Lois Schmidt, NRS, Willmar

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