Financial education can help families become more aware of common pitfalls and thus avoid them.  It can also help them to learn the financial management and planning skills needed to make the most of their family income, savings and assets. 

Finance Smart

The goals of the Finance Smart financial education program are to transform lives; produce consumers who understand the importance of using credit wisely, creating savings, and establishing financial goals and skills to achieve homeownership and/or build a sound financial future; and empower individuals to handle money responsibly - all of which will have a positive life-long impact on them, their families, and the community.

The financial education class addresses the following subjects:

• Setting financial goals
  
  
• Distinguishing between wants and needs
  
  
• Creating a spending plan or budget
  
  
• Building or rebuilding credit
  
  
• Managing debt
  
  
• Creating savings and shopping for financial and banking services
  
  
• Important information about consumerism, credit card, and predatory lending
  
  
• Credit repair issues are addressed

Preparing for Counseling

After successfully completing a Finance Smart class, participants are encouraged to access the Center's one-on-one counseling services to pull and review their individual credit reports, assist with budgets, help repair credit issues and provide tools to manage debt.  Savings goals are reviewed, spending leaks identified, and successful money savings techniques are introduced. 

The counseling service is available to the public for $50.00.  Call Kevin Gillette at (360) 690-4496, ext. 101 to make an appointment.

Additional Reading

• Federal Trade Commission - Credit & Loans
  
  
• Federal Trade Commission - Building A Better Credit Report
  
  
• Freddie Mac - Credit and Homeownership
  
  
• Freddie Mac - Calculators
  
  
• Freddie Mac - Your Credit, Your Home, and Your Future