Skip to main content

Financial literacy training offered at CCED

The next Money Smart curriculum course offered at Delta State's Center for Community and Economic Development through the Assets for Independence Program is Thursday at 4 p.m.

Shera Phillips, an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving with Delta State University’s Assets for Independence Program (AFI), knows the importance of financial security.

“Some people are not conscious about their spending habits, take on more debt than they should, and do not own a bank account,” said Phillips. “Saving money can be a challenge, but in the long run, it pays off.”

Phillips is coordinating a series of financial literacy sessions facilitated by banking professionals based on the Money Smart curriculum at the Center for Community and Economic Development located at 1417 College Street in Cleveland, on the outskirts of campus.

Money Smart is a comprehensive financial education curriculum designed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to help low- and moderate-income individuals outside the financial mainstream enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. Each session will consist of a different topic. Upcoming sessions include:

• Oct. 23 at 4 p.m.: Borrowing Basics (an introduction to credit)
• Oct. 30 at 4 p.m.: Check It Out (how to choose and keep a checking account)
• Nov. 6 at 4 p.m.: Money Matters (how to keep track of your money)
• Nov. 13 at 4 p.m.: Pay Yourself First (why you should save, save, save)
• Nov. 20 at 4 p.m.: Financial Recovery (how to recover financially and rebuild your credit after a financial-setback)
• Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.: Keep It Safe (your rights as a consumer)
• Jan. 15 at 4 p.m.: To Your Credit (how your credit history will affect your credit future)
• Jan. 29 at 4 p.m.: Charge It Right (how to make a credit card work for you)
• Feb. 5 at 4 p.m.: Loan To Own (know what you’re borrowing before you buy), and Your Own Home (what home ownership is all about)

According to the FDIC, Money Smart has reached over 2.75 million consumers since 2001. Research shows that the curriculum can positively influence how consumers manage their finances, and these changes are sustainable in the months after the training.

AFI enables community-based nonprofits and government agencies to implement and demonstrate an assets-based approach for giving low-income families a hand up out of poverty.

VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Authorized in 1964 and founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965, VISTA was incorporated with the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993. VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for 45 years.

The sessions are free and open to all Delta State students and community members. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Phillips at 662-846-4808 or sphillips@deltastate.edu.

A grant AFI, a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds approximately 50 percent of costs for this program. The remaining 50 percent is funded through non-federal sources. Visit the AFI Resource Center website to learn more about the program and how to help families build assets: www.idaresources.acf.hhs.gov.