CFEE Hosts Financial Education Day

Financial Education Day on March 10th 2012 attracted over 200 participants, including alumni, students, faculty and members of the community who all eagerly came to the Gateway Center to improve their personal finance skills. The conference included an array of financial resources, including 18 workshops, one-on-one consultation with financial advisors, and exhibits, all designed to give participants information and tools to better manage their financial lives.

Jean Chatzky, personal finance commentator from NBC’s Today show, kicked off the conference with a keynote address that focused on the simple, everyday rules that people need to adhere to when making money decisions.  Other speakers throughout the day offered sessions on budgeting and money management, planning for retirement, paying for college, managing debt and credit, understanding insurance products, and many other topics.

People who attended uniformly agreed that it was time well spent.  One participant said “I have attended many conferences, but this one was very well organized and a lot to choose from!” Another person commented, “I read a lot on savings and investing.  I didn’t think I was going to hear something new, but the counselor I had provided me with very good tips I can follow.”

Members of the Financial Planning Association of the Greater Hudson Valley and other financial professionals were on hand to offer private consultations to individuals and to answer burning financial questions for participants.

Joining with the CFEE to host the conference was the Westchester Community College Alumni Association, which was able to reach out to over 20,000 alumni in the area, and the Westchester Financial Education Alliance, including the Center for Financial and Economic Education, Financial Planning Association of the Greater Hudson Valley, the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, and GreenPath, Inc.

Sponsors included the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, MetLife Bank, N.A., BNC Insurance & Risk Advisors, and Maier, Markey, Justic LLP.

 

Keynote speaker, Jean Chatzky
Financial Education Day Committee   (L to R) Mary Ann Luna, John Fellas, Mark Brownstein, Suzanne Matthews
Exhibitors offered free information and advice
WCC Professor Carlo Sclafani gets the scoop on workshop choices.

 
Photos courtesy of Ken Lax Photography