#42: Get S.M.A.R.T. About Your Finances (Friday, October 19)

Yesterday was National Get Smart About Your Credit Day (how many people knew that?). Hopefully, after my Pay What You Owe entry (Good Friday #38) many of you were inspired to take a second look at your debt situation.

But so many of us are still not where we need to be financially; and many have no idea how to get where we want to go.

The Idea: Identify one area of your financial situation you'd like to improve (such as Saving, Investing, Retirement, Credit...). Attend a financial seminar on that topic and take a teenager with you. Financial services companies offer free seminars on various topics all the time. You just need to take the first step to find one. Contact your bank, local community organizations (such as the NY Urban League, who is sponsoring the workshop I'm currently teaching), or just do a Google search. Once you've identified a free investment seminar, register yourself and take a teenager or young adult with you.

To get the most out of the seminar, write a list of your financial goals before you go. Your financial goals should be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and have a Timeline (SMART).

The Cost: Seminars are almost always given free - but they will try to make a client out of you, which is why knowing what you want to accomplish is important.

The Benefit: You will feel better about your financial situation, and by taking a young adult with you, you're empowering someone of the next generation to be smarter about their finances.


Just A Thought:
At this present moment, there's a child somewhere in America who is possibly dying - but his parents don't know it. Why? Because he doesn't have health insurance, so he only goes to the doctor (i.e. the emergency room) when he's sick.

There is currently legislation that could give health insurance to 10 million low income children, but the president has vetoed the bill. Speak to your congress persons, sign petitions and get involved. It may not be your child, or you may not consider yourself low income, but with the state of the world as it is, one of those circumstances may apply to you one day.