CSM Offers Day of Free Seminars On Managing Your Money in Difficult Times

CSM Partners with Community to Provide ‘Money Smart’ Conference

            These are tough economic times, but with a little knowledge and good planning, anyone can weather the storm. That is why, according to College of Southern Maryland President Dr. Brad Gottfried, CSM is presenting 16 free ‘Money Smart’ educational sessions Nov. 14 at its La Plata Campus. Emphasis will be to provide information on real estate and mortgages, personal banking, insurance, and financial planning to individuals of all ages—college students, newlyweds, first-time homebuyers, retirees and caregivers. 

 “Financial literacy fosters stability not only for individuals and families but for our entire community. CSM, partnering with a number of regional organizations, wants to help our community maintain its level of prosperity and security as we continue through these tough economic times,” Gottfried said. Understanding personal finance, budgeting and insurance are among the urgent financial challenges that community partners wish to address through these seminars, according to Gottfried.

            CSM is partnering with the Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Chambers of Commerce and local financial experts to identify the most pressing issues affecting residents and small business owners in Southern Maryland. Each seminar contains four, one-hour sessions—giving attendees 16 topics in all to choose from. At 9:30 a.m., attendees can choose from “Free Money,” “Basic Banking and Budgeting,” What You Need to Know About Health Insurance” or “Investing 101.” At 10:45, choices include “100% Financing,” “How to Use Wealth Building Tools,” “Understanding Life Insurance” or “Planning for Retirement.

A special feature of the day is a lunch presentation at 11:45 by Dr. Sharon Brown, author of “Tough Times, Tight Times,” a common-sense approach to saving money every day. Over the past 15 years, Brown has been an instructor for the College of Notre Dame, McDaniel College and Towson University, where she is a full-time lecturer.

Following lunch provided by La Plata’s Chick-fil-A, attendees can choose “Foreclosures and Short Sales,” “Identity Theft: Who’s Got Your Number,” Paying for Long-Term Care” or “Estate Planning.” Closing out the event, at 1:45 p.m. attendees can choose “Rehab and Repair of Existing Homes,” “Building and Maintaining Good Credit,” “Protecting Yourself from Liability Lawsuits” or “Why and How to Use a Financial Planner.”

All ‘Money Smart’ seminars, and lunch, are free to attendees. Participants can attend one, two, three or all four of the sessions. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Nov. 14, at the College of Southern Maryland’s La Plata Campus in the Center for Business and Industry, 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata. For information on the CSM Money Smart Seminars visit www.csmd.edu/MoneySmart. Pre-registration is required; call Christine Bish at 301-934-7602.