MakingCents Financial Programs Scheduled at Selected BPL Branches in April

Make a commitment this spring to improve you financial literacy! To help in your endeavor, the Birmingham Public Library is offering several classes in April as part of its MakingCents program. All classes are free and open to the public.

ABCs of Personal Finance with Ruth Brock
Date: Monday, April 7, 2014
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: North Birmingham Library

Ruth Brock of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System will present an overview of the basic building blocks of personal finance. Topics covered will include budgeting, money management, savings, and financial goal setting.

Couponing Basics with Heather Lebischak
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Place: Five Points West Library
If you're interested in couponing but aren't sure how to get started, this program is for you! Super couponer, Heather Lebischak, will go over the basic couponing rules and then show the participants how to put those rules into practice, without having to invest significant amounts of time in it. Heather will discuss the coupon policies at various stores, how to organize your coupons, and how to guarantee you are using your coupons to ensure the greatest savings.

Money Talks ... on Tax Day! Stories of Cold, Hard Cash with Dolores Hydock
Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Springville Road Library
If Tax Day has got you down, then come to the Springville Road Library for a story telling pick me up with Dolores Hydock! Money talks in a language anyone can understand in these tales of money lost, money found, and figuring out just how much happiness money really can buy.

Identity Theft with Ruth Brock
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: First Baptist Church of Roosevelt City
6012 Malcolm Avenue, Birmingham, 35228
(205) 426-1691
Identity theft is not a new crime, but the growth of the internet and other modes of information technology have increased its prevalence greatly. In this session, Ruth Brock, Regional Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, will discuss the issues surrounding identity theft including how it occurs, ways to identify the warning signs, means of reducing your risk of being a victim, and steps to take if you fall prey to identity thieves.

Reality Check for Teens
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Place: North Birmingham Library
Reality Check is game that serves as a fun way to learn more about personal finance. Teenage participants pretend to be adults with numerous financial responsibilities. Through a series of simulations, participants are required to make spending decisions related to housing, transportation, food, and other expenses. The goal is to discover the relationship between income and expenses, and, hopefully, apply what is learned to real life!

Identity Theft with Ruth Brock
Date: Monday, April 21, 2014
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: North Birmingham Library
Identity theft is not a new crime, but the growth of the internet and other modes of information technology have increased its prevalence greatly. In this session, Ruth Brock, Regional Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, will discuss the issues surrounding identity theft including how it occurs, ways to identify its warning signs, means of reducing your risk of being a victim, and steps to take if you fall prey to identity thieves.

Financial Concerns of Senior Women
Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Place: Five Points West Library
Because, statistically, women are living longer than men, economic challenges which face older Americans have a greater effect on women. This seminar is designed specifically for senior women who are recently widowed or divorced and handling family finances for the first time. Emphasis will be placed on identifying and describing the variety of savings and retirement vehicles that are available for older women.

Couponing Basics with Heather Lebischak
Date: Monday, April 28, 2014
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: North Birmingham Library
If you're interested in couponing but aren't sure how to get started, this program is for you! Super couponer, Heather Lebischak, will go over the basic couponing rules and then show the participants how to put those rules into practice, without having to invest significant amounts of time in it. Heather will discuss various stores coupon policies, how to organize your coupons, and how to guarantee you are using your coupons to ensure the greatest savings.

The classes are part of a national grant program known as MakingCents: Resources to Help Your Money Grow and Smart investing@your library®, a partnership between the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.