Money Smart Week Chicago 2012

Here are some of the topics being taught at Chicago's 2012 Money Smart Week:

Basic Banking Services

Credit and Debt Management

Estate Planning

Going Green to Save

Healthy Habits that Save

Housing/Mortgages/Foreclosure

Identity Theft/Financial Scams/Investment Fraud

Insurance

Investing and Wealth Building

Kids and Money

Money Management for Women

Personal Finance 101/Budgeting

Preparing for Financial Emergencies

Retirement Planning

Saving and Planning for College

Savvy Shopping and Bargain Hunting

and more

Chicago April 21, 2012 Money Smart Week

Money Smart Week Chicago 2012

To look up the online calendar : http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/education/msw/consumer.cfm

There will be hundreds of free workshops starting on Saturday, April 21st.

Here are some more examples

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

First Time Homebuyers

Sponsors: BMO Harris Bank

Details: A speaker from BMO Harris Bank shares info about getting your first home, your first mortgage, and the grants that may be available to help you.

Where: Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201

Contact: Kathleen Lanigan (847) 448-8630 klanigan@cityofevanston.org

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Annuities and Your Retirement

Sponsors: EdwardJones

Details: The seminar covers the basics of annuities and how they can work with your other retirement savings programs to help provide income during retirement.

Where: La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave., La Grange, IL 60525

Contact: Noel Zethmayr (708) 352-0576 ext. 18 zethmayrn@lagrangelibrary.org

RSVP By Date: 04/20/2012

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Comfortable Retirement - Fact or Fiction

Sponsors: Oak Lawn Public Library

Details: Bob Thompson of Progressive Financial Planning Services in Oak Lawn will discuss investment vehicles and the pros and cons of each and how they work.

Where: Oak Lawn Public Library , 9427 S. Raymond Ave. , Oak Lawn , IL 60453

Contact: Erin Foley (708) 422-4990 efoley@olpl.org

Free Financial Education for One Week

Money Smart Week will be in the Chicagoland area April 21 - April 28, 2012. There will also be Money Smart Weeks in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas and other states.

Here are some of Chicago’s Saturday, April 21^st events: There are hundreds more events listed on the Chicago Federal Reserve’s Money Smart Week website. www.chicagofed.org/webpages/education/msw/index.cfm

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

How to Raise a Money Smart Child

Sponsors: n/a

Details: This presentation will illustrate why it is vital to impress financial responsibility on children. Also discusses establishing a college savings goal.

URL: www.skokielibrary.info

Phone: (847) 673-3733

Contact: Skokie Public Library Reference Desk (847) 673-3733 askref@skokielibrary.info

RSVP By Date: 04/20/2012

9:00 am - 12:00 am

Craft Supply Swap

Sponsors: Morton Grove Department of Family and Senior Services

Details: Donate your leftover craft supplies and pick up items for your future creative projects. Suggested donation for admission is one can or box of food.

Where: American Legion Memorial Civic Center, 6140 Dempster, Morton Grove, IL 60053

Contact: Nancy Brothers (847) 929-5122 nbrother@webrary.org

9:00 am - 12:00 am

How to Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA

Sponsors: Harper College

Details: A hands on workshop on how to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid online.

Where: Harper College, Building Y, Room Y203, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine, IL 60067

Contact: Fredia Martin (847) 925-6701 fmartin1@harpercolleg.edu

RSVP to: Cindy Zimmer (847) 925-6490 czimmer@harpercollege.edu

RSVP By Date: 04/13/2012

9:00 am - 10:30 am

Identity Theft and Shred Event

Sponsors: Standard Bank and Trust Company Evergreen Park Branch, Standard Bank and Trust Company Oak Lawn Branches

Details: Learn the facts about identity theft, bring your documents to be shredded on Saturday, April 21, 2012.

Where: Standard Bank and Trust Company, 10635 S. Ewing Ave., Chicago, IL 60617

Contact: Maria Cantu-Dougala (866) 499-2265 ext. 61610 maria.dougala@standardbanks.com

RSVP to: Erica Oganovich (773) 375-8700 ext. 62526 erica.oganvich@standardbanks.com

RSVP By Date: 04/20/2012

10:00 am - 11:30 am

A Woman's Guide to Money Matters

Sponsors: Edward Jones

Details: How to develop a budget, save for retirement and education, transition through divorce and other life events.

Where: Logan Square Public Library, 3030 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL 60647

Contact: Khloe Karova (773) 384-4925 khloe.karova@edwardjones.com

RSVP By Date: 04/20/2012

10:00 am - 12:00 am

El Seguro Social y su Retiro. Social Security and Your Retirement.

Presented in: English, Spanish

Sponsors: St. Pius Church and Educate Financial Services

Details: Como usar el Seguro Social y sus ahorros para que su dinero dure. How to use Social Security and your savings to make your money last.

Where: St. Pius Church, 1919 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608

Contact: Rey Vega (773) 403-3118 rey@educatefs.com

RSVP By Date: 04/19/2012

10:00 am - 11:30 am

El Seguro Social y su Retiro. Social Security and Your Retirement.

Presented in: English, Spanish

Sponsors: The National Museum of Mexican Art, St. Pius Church, St. Francis of Assisi Church, The Resurrection Project, Educate Financial Services, Sierra Financial Group Ltd, Eighteenth Street Development Corp.

Details: Como usar el Seguro Social y sus ahorros para que su dinero dure. How to use Social Security and your savings to make your money last.

Where: The National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., Chicago, IL 60608

Contact: Rey Vega (773) 403-3118 rey@educatefs.com

RSVP By Date: 02/19/2012

Helene Teaches Saving to Women of Limited Means - Mexico

While in Puerto Vallara, Mexico I teamed up with an organization founded by a former American international schools teacher, life myself.

I had wanted to offer Saving classes to people of very limited means so this was a good match. The organization worked with housewives whose husbands earned very little money. They taught them to create lovely objects out of recycled materials. The organization then sold the purses, belt, earrings and other objects to tourists and others.

I taught a simple Saving method. I created worksheets for the women to track their expenses.

I also showed them that by making some changes in ones buying habits, over a number of years, enough money could be saved to send their child to college! Throughout the classes the women's faces lit up as they saw how life changing using this method would be for their families. They thanked me and thanked me.

Taught Nicaraguan Cleaning Lady in Costa Rica

In 2010 in Costa Rica I gave private Financial Classes to a Nicaraguan cleaning lady who had been living in Costa Rica for 19 years. She had 2 children : a daughter age 19 and a son age 20.

While working at a 5 star hotel she had received some large tips in U.S. dollars and wanted to know whether she should keep the money in dollars or convert it to Costa Rican colones. I spoke with her about the pros and cons of either action.

I also shared Case Studies I had created for Costa Ricans (Ticos). She had been teaching both kids about Saving for many years but was having difficulty getting the message across to one of them. I told her to discuss the Case Studies around the kitchen table. She excitedly reported that using my Case Studies created a breakthrough moment for the child having difficulty saving.

She said "Helene is a Missionary going to different countries and helping people change their lives."

Helene Taught Financial Topics in Costa Rica

Last year, while in Costa Rica I taught Saving and Investing at the National Public Library.

Costa Rica does not have an active equity Stock Market so I focused the classes on Bonds.

I used Case Studies for all my classes. I got Fact Sheets of different Bond funds and taught my participants how to read them.

In just a few sessions, the participants said how life changing these classes were for them. I was so gratified.

Helene's Financial Classes in Mexico

Over a number of years I have been teaching financial topics in the U.S. and overseas. In 2010, In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico I taught a group of businessmen Saving and Investing. Mexico has a very active stock market and the businessmen told me they had long been wanting to learn about it but no one offered classes.

I had 3 sessions: Saving

Investing in Stock

Investing in Bonds

I taught in Spanish. My teaching method was to use Case Studies I had created myself in Spanish.

First I had to teach myself about Mexico's financial system.

All of my class participants said the classes were life changing.