Monthly Seminars

In addition to our Financial Household Resiliency workshops, Innovative Changes offers monthly seminars that cover special topics of interest to our clients and the community. See the schedule below for past and upcoming seminars. If you would like to bring one of our seminars to your location, or request a new seminar topic or receive more information about our financial education programs please contact us at talia@innovativechanges.org.

Upcoming Seminars

Budgeting for the Things You Want

• Wednesday, May 15th, 6:30-7:30pm at the St John’s Library
• Sunday, May 19th, 2-3pm at the Gregory Heights Library
• Sunday, June 2nd, 3-4pm at the Capitol Hill Library

Teaching Kids About Money

Tackling Student Loan Debt

• Monday, July 15th, 6:30-7:30pm at the Holgate Library

 

Seminars hosted at the Multnomah Library are free.

Seminar Descriptions:

Back to School Budgeting: Back to school time can be hectic. New routines, new teachers, new friends, new clothes: there is a lot of “new” to get used to. In this workshop on Back to School Budgeting we will go over tips and tools so that you can use the beginning of the school year as a time to reset, get organized and hone in on systems that will keep you and your household on track throughout the year. Budgeting is a key step to help you plan for unexpected expenses that come at the beginning, middle and end of the school year. Come to this workshop and start taking the steps that will lead to a more organized, prepared and enjoyable year!

Big Bad Bank Debt: Some banks have earned a reputation for charging fees and high interest when you least expect them. If you owe a bank money, this can prevent you from opening up a bank account somewhere else. Come to this seminar to learn steps to take to deal with your bank debt, understand what ChexSystems is, how to read and access your ChexSystems report and learn how to avoid owing banks money in the future.

Budgeting 101: Creating a household budget can be like unloading all the skeletons in your back closet. Realistic budgets take time, but make all the difference in making ends meet month to month and even having some extra money to have some fun and achieve your goals! In this workshop we will introduce you to a variety of tools that you can use to make and maintain a household budget. Once you get in the habit of budgeting, it will be like second nature!

Credit 101: Good credit is a key way to gain access to housing, transportation, emergency funds and build assets for a stable future, yet, many of us know very little about it. In this session, we will discuss some credit basics such as receiving and reviewing your free credit report, what you rights are as a debtor, what to do if you are a victim of identity theft, and how to deal with issues you may find on your credit report. Participants will leave with a clear idea of small steps that can make a big difference towards improving your credit.

Dealing with Debt: Do you get calls from debt collectors and not know how to deal with them? Do you want to know what your rights are as a debtor? Come to our seminar to break down the often haunting world of collections. We will go over the life cycle of a debt and your rights as a debtor. Learn what collectors are allowed and not allowed to do, how to work with collections strategically and how to take control of your debt today even if you don’t have the money to start paying.

Immigrants and Money: Managing Challenges and Opportunities: There are many challenges to adjusting to a new country and the US financial system can be seen as an intimidating hurdle to many immigrants.  This session will explore the many challenges that new immigrants face, especially women, as they adjust to the US credit and banking system.  In addition to the challenges, this session will explore the assets and opportunities that many immigrant groups share.

In the Know about Cash Flow: Budgeting for Independent Youth: Getting your first paycheck is a big deal. How will you spend it? Where should it go? The sooner you start becoming aware of your spending and income, the better off you will be in the future. This seminar is for youth who have some type of cash flow already, are living on their own or are about to be on their own. Through interactive games and discussion, this workshop aims to prepare youth and young adults to live independently and make healthy money choices from the start.

Financial Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors: Research has shown that financial stability is a key indicator that a victim of domestic violence will be able to get away from and stay safe from abuse. This workshop will walk participants through steps to take to keep their identity and personal documents safe. It will also discuss common credit problems that DV survivors face and how to deal with them.

Let’s Get Organized: Let’s face it: often mail ends up in the corner of a room, papers get jumbled or bills buried deeper and deeper in a pile on your desk. Staying organized is a first step to maintaining control of your money, but taking that step can be hard. In this class we bring you strategies for staying organized, eliminating clutter and keeping what you need so that you can toss the rest. Start setting up a money management system that works for you!

Making the Most of Tax Time: Tax time brings a window of opportunity. With the added boost to your budget from a tax return you can start paying off some debts that you’ve been worrying about, check off items from your wish list, or set up a savings account for your child’s college education….the possibilities are endless! However, it’s important to remember, even with this extra money, planning is key to using it effectively.   We will cover topics such as the mechanics of getting a tax return, how to wisely budget and save your tax return, Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs), Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) and more!

Making Sense of Your Credit Report: Credit reports can often seem like they are written in another language. Just when you think you understand one, you pull the next one and it looks completely different! Come to this workshop to learn how to access your free credit report and how to distinguish what is what on each of your three credit reports.

Predatory Lending:How does it work?, What are the attractions? What’s legal? And, what are all these fees that draw people into a never-ending cycle of debt? What are alternatives to the reckless lending system? Come to this seminar to learn about different types of predatory lending, how to ask the right questions when looking at a financial product and what your rights are as a consumer taking out a line of credit.

Reaching Your Goals: Whether it’s going back to school, getting your car fixed, taking a vacation or buying a house, achieving your goals is going to involve saving some money! Even if your goal is five years down the line, there are steps that you can start taking today, to make this goal all the more real! Come to this workshop to learn best practices for saving money and making progress towards realizing your short and long term goals!

Relationships and Money: No matter your income, family size or marital status, communicating about money is important. Money is one of the leading causes of disagreements in marriages. Talking about money is often seen as taboo, but having discussions about money can be the key to a happy household. Come to this seminar on relationships and money to learn steps you can take to get your household on board in making financial decisions that will benefit you all!

Surviving the Holidays Debt Free!: During the holiday season family, festivities and fun can also bring stress. This seminar will equip you and your family with ways to tackle the holiday season with minimal stress. We will discuss topics such as: managing holiday stress, saving and budgeting for the holidays, figuring out what the holidays mean to you and how to bring your family together during the holidays in a low cost way. We will also have information from other organizations in the community that provide specific holiday resources (food, gifts, clothes…etc) during this time. So come, bring your family and start taking steps to spend the holiday season in an enjoyable way!

Saving for the Future and Retirement: When is the right time to start saving for retirement? How do you decide which long term goals to save for first and how do you start?  It is never too early to start planning for tomorrow today. The sooner you start planning for your future the better. Every bit you save counts. Come to this informative seminar that walks us through the basics of saving for retirement. Bring your questions, thoughts and ideas and prepare for a lively discussion on retirement and saving for the future!

Tackling Student Loan Debt: Are past student loans getting in the way of enjoying life? Do you have trouble keeping track of your debt? Come to this seminar and start taking steps to deal with student loan debt! In this workshop you will learn how to take an inventory of your outstanding student loans, keep student loans in good standing, and create a manageable plan for repayment.  We will discuss the consequences of student loan default, how to rehabilitate student loans that are in default, the Income Based Repayment plan and its benefits, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Teaching Your Kids About Money: One of the best gifts you can give your children is teaching them the skills to manage money. Passing on good money management habits is a concrete way that you can set your children up for a successful future; even if you are living on a tight budget.  In this workshop we’ll discuss key ways to get your finances in order so you can serve as a model for your children. We will also cover activities and tips for teaching your kids about money and ways to save for all the extra expenses that are part of being a parent (back to school, birthdays, college, etc.). It’s never too early to start learning and never too late to start teaching! Now’s the time to start your kids on a path to money management success!