Desert Schools hosts a MoneyWi$e training

At the invitation of Desert Schools Federal Credit Union in Phoenix, Consumer Action provided a training on our MoneyWi$e materials to community agency staff. MoneyWi$e is a financial literacy partnership of Consumer Action and Capital One.

The Feb. 28 roundtable focused on MoneyWi$e modules about money management, rebuilding good credit and ID theft/account fraud. The Consumer Action team trained approximately 40 staff from local social service, housing, youth and government agencies about how to use the materials. This is the fourth time that Consumer Action has trained CBO clients of the credit union. Consumer Action’s Outreach Team Members Audrey Perrott and Jamie Woo engaged participants in an icebreaker activity. Participants were asked to draw a picture about what comes to mind when they think of money management and share their thoughts during a group introduction session. Participants also discussed ways to educate clients about the meaning of money management. Ideas were exchanged on how clients can save more, spend less, reach long and short-term goals, and overcome their resistance to setting a “budget” or spending plan. At each table, participants discussed how they help clients to track spending and a variety of tools for establishing a spending plan. These included the traditional method of saving all receipts, recording expenses in a notebook and tracking expenses through a computer program. (The complete Tracking Your Money module can be viewed by clicking here.)

Perrott provided a variety of resources for electronic and online budgeting. The training also provided an opportunity for non-profit staff to exchange information about resources ranging from frequent shopper discount programs at local grocery stores to free wireless phone service for income eligible individuals. Perrott provided a list of money management resources and agreed to update the sheet based on the resources offered by participants during the training.

During the session on rebuilding good credit sessions, Perrott explained the importance of having good credit, the rights that consumers have when credit applications are rejected, how to check credit reports and how to dispute credit report errors and rebuild credit. The group engaged in the MoneyWi$e Improve Your Credit “Classified Ad” classroom activity to evaluate some ads to determine whether they offered legitimate services. (The complete Rebuilding Good Credit module can be viewed by clicking here.)

The ID Theft and Account Fraud session was conducted in an interactive format. Perrott discussed what identity theft is, steps to take to prevent it and what victims can do to clean up the problems and lessen the impact on their lives. During the session, attendees shared personal experiences and stories about how they worked to clear up problems created by ID theft.

The group took the ID Theft and Account Fraud Quiz to find out if they were at risk for ID Theft and Account Fraud. The group also took the Savvy Consumer Quiz to determine how savvy five fictional consumers were about divulging personal information, using credit and monitoring their credit. Perrott also provided participants sample of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ID Theft Affidavit and the Phoenix Police Department’s Identity Theft Victim’s Packet. (The complete ID Theft and Account Fraud module can be viewed by clicking here.)

During the training, Perrott and Woo reminded attendees that all MoneyWi$e materials are available for free to non-profit agencies. Participants were grateful for the training and many of them submitted publication orders on the spot. Consumer Action also received requests to come back to Phoenix to train additional community partners.