About Financial Planning Day
*The Second Annual Denver Financial Planning Day October 22, 2011 *
Financial Planning Day Helps Families Move in the Right Direction
On Saturday October 22nd, families from as far away as Alabama and Idaho converged on Denver's North High School for the Second Annual Denver Financial Planning Day. Over 50 Financial Planners answered money questions, providing guidance to families looking to buy a home, balance their debt, and to get a second opinion on their saving and investment plans.
"Today, the common theme for attendees appears to be unemployment,"Financial Planning Day Director, Karl Frank said. "Last year, we hadunemployment and mortgage problems topping the list. This year, folks are unemployed longer than they had hoped and want some help prioritizing what to do, how to spend, and where to invest."
This is the first year that Financial Planning Day offered information in Spanish and English, and North High School was the perfect location to reach a diverse audience. With over 90% of the students receiving free or reduced cost lunches, and a drop-out rate that (although improving) is among the highest in Denver Public Schools, North High puts a face on the heart of some of our most pressing economic problems.
Many folks from the neighborhood, who came with baby strollers, were couples looking for help with college savings. "I helped over 20 people today," says Katy Powell, volunteer with College Invest. "We offer a matching dollar-for-dollar grant that many people don't know about." Another plus for attendees who spoke English as their second language, the college planners had practical up-to-date advice!
The cafeteria at North High was filled with Certified Financial Planners, Financial Planning Association Members, and college counselors, housing counselors and credit counselors from Community Credit Counseling Service who were all ready to offer free advice to those seeking help.
Three presenters in separate classrooms offered hour-long educational workshops on budgeting, credit and financial planning. Many of those attending then used that information to meet with a financial planner in a one-on-one session to pull it all together.
One attendee jubilantly said, "I came last year and I'll come again next year. The advice is great and helps me sleep at night."
