SEVCA Offering Free Money Management Workshop Series This April

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) is providing a series of four Financial Fitness workshops to provide training, support, and resources to help participants gain control and manage their money. Workshop topics include: creating a personal, workable budget; reducing debt; setting personal goals; modifying spending; basics of banking; plus credit.

Workshops are free to Vermont residents. SEVCA will provide a gift card cash incentive to those Vermont residents affected by COVID-19 who attend workshops 1, 2, and 3. Courses will be offered on Zoom, an online platform. Additional counseling is available to attendees. For more information email: dheileman@sevca.org.

Zoom Workshop dates and times for April 2022:

Workshop 1: Wednesday, April 6: 6pm-7pm

Workshop 2: Wednesday, April 13: 6pm-7pm

Workshop 3: Wednesday, April 20: 6pm-7pm

Workshop 4: Wednesday, April 27: 6pm-7pm

---

Workshop 1: Take Control of Your Money – Create a Budget

Date: April 6: 6pm - 7pm

Understanding and tracking the details of your financial situation is the start to making better money decisions and building a more secure future. When life situations change, and they often do (job loss, illness, birth of a child, new job, divorce, etc.) it’s time to review how to manage your money. This workshop will help you take control of your money by taking the first step by...creating a budget. We’ll learn what a budget is, why to use one, and how to create and review one step by step.

Workshop 2: Manage Your Expenses - Set Your Goals

Date: April 13: 6pm - 7pm

After creating a budget, the next step is to review the expenses then identify goals. Goal examples are: paying off debts, saving for a car, or building an emergency fund. Creating a plan and taking control of income and expenses helps achieve goals. We’ll look at ways to lower expenses and increase income, discuss what to do with bills you can’t pay, and learn strategies to achieve goals.

Workshop 3: Credit – Tame the Credit Beast

Date: April 20: 6pm - 7pm

Let’s face it, using credit to make purchases makes life more convenient. But when credit (loans and credit cards) are overused, they become a trap and one of the biggest barriers to reaching financial goals. This workshop reviews credit: the do’s and don’ts of credit, how to avoid credit traps, and ways to get out of credit card debt. We will learn about “Your FICO Credit Score”, how it affects your lifetime of interest rates, how interest impacts monthly payments, and how to improve a credit score.

Workshop 4: Banks and Credit Unions – Protect and Grow Your Money

Date: April 27: 6pm - 7pm

Where money is kept, whether it’s in a bank, credit union or under the mattress, does affect finances. This workshop explains the differences between banks and credit unions, plus describes the accounts, benefits, and services (and fees) they offer. We will look at checking accounts, debit cards, savings accounts, loans and interest rates, plus learn strategies to grow and protect money. We’ll look at “Instant Cash” payday loans, how to protect your information and prevent identity theft.