HCC Offering Free Student Financial Workshops

BRIDGEPORT – Housatonic Community College this month will launch a series of eight public workshops on personal finances.

The workshops, which begin Sept. 25, will cover subjects such as banking, paying for college, credit, avoiding fraud, leaving the nest, managing a tight-money budget, financial information resources, and investing. Each workshop will be offered at12:30 and 6:30 p.m..

“With the high cost of higher education and the increasing length of time it can take to pay off college loans, it has become apparent that students and recent graduates will benefit from these types of workshops,” said business professor Ed Becker, who is spearheading the workshop effort. “Hopefully they’ll enable students and graduates to deal more effectively with the financial complexities of today’s world.”

·         Smart About your Money: Banking Basics, Sept. 25. The discussion will focus on new banking rules; availability of funds from deposited checks; FDIC coverage; overdraft rules for debit and ATM cards; gift cards; credit cards and more.

·         How To Pay for College and Maintain Your Financial Aid, Oct. 9. This workshop will explain the four types of financial aid ‑ grants, scholarships, work study, and loan ‑ and provide examples of each.  It will also introduce the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and give examples of financial aid packages. It will explain “satisfactory academic progress” and how to avoid financial aid termination.

·         Introduction to Credit, Oct. 23. This workshop will introduce participants to different types of credit: credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages; and help participants to understand the advantages and disadvantages of credit.  An exercise will be performed for participants to discover their credit scores and why they are important.

·         How to Avoid Investment, Banking and Credit Fraud, Nov. 13. Participants will learn how to avoid investment fraud and scams, and who to contact if they become a victim. They will also be shown how to monitor their credit report for fraudulent activity.

·         Leaving the Nest: What’s Next? March 26. This workshop will help participants learn about financial matters, including setting up a working household budget, balancing wants and needs, and saving money.

·         When Ends Do Not Meet: Managing Your Money on a Shoestring Budget, April 9. This workshop will teach participants creative ways to stay financially secure in this economy.

·         Money Matters: Investment Resources at the Library, April 23. The workshop will cover the personal finance resources available in the  library. Students will be shown how to access print and media library resources, effectively use the databases to find information, and discover the resources in the community and on the web.

·         Introduction to Investing, May 7. This workshop will introduce participants to investment products and what to expect from an advisor or brokerage firm.

The workshops, which are free and open to the public, will be conducted in the Events Center in Beacon Hall.

There will be refreshments and giveaways at the workshops.

For more information, contact Ed Becker at 203-332-5138.

The workshops are made possible by a grant from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation and the American Library Association (ALA) as part of Smart investing@your library®.

HCC is located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in downtown Bridgeport, less than 150 yards off I-95 (Exit 27) and Rte. 8 (Exit 1), a block from the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. Free parking is available in the Housatonic garage.