Personal finance workshops offered for WMU employees

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Four personal finance workshops for Western Michigan University faculty and staff members are being offered this fall.

All sessions are free and will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the President's Dining Room of the Bernhard Center. Each session will be offered twice, and participants may attend as many sessions as they wish.

• "Early Career: Establishing Yourself," Tuesday and Thursday, Sept. 23 and 25. New workers and recent graduates learn how to choose benefits, build a budget that accommodates rent and commutes, and understand how and why to start investing to grow money for retirement.
• "Middle Career: Expanding Your Household," Monday and Thursday, Oct. 6 and 9. Learn how to manage credit and safeguard against identity theft, find the right mortgage to buy a house, and care for older relatives.
• "Later Career: Planning Your Retirement," Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 29 and 30. Learn how to define retirement goals, explore different retirement plans, maximize money growth by choosing different strategies, and identify any potential risks or problems.
• "Raising Money, Smart Kids," Tuesday and Thursday, Nov. 11 and 13. Teaching children about money at an early age can help them develop good financial habits. Learn which money skills a child should master before leaving home and how to teach young children to save toward a goal.

The Office of Professional Development in Extended University Programs is partnering with PNC WorkPlace Banking to host the series. The office provides training programs, workshops and holistic learning experiences for a variety of on- and off-campus clients seeking to advance organizational goals or to develop and enhance professional skills or personal aptitude.

Refreshments will be provided at the workshops. Visit wmich.edu/extended/professional/pncworkshops for details or to register. Direct questions to the professional development office at (269) 387-4200.