WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As part of Indiana Money Smart Week, Purdue’s Division of Financial Aid will offer students financial literacy information at various campus locations on Thursday (Oct. 15).

Financial literacy information will be available at Earhart Dining Hall, Ford Dining Hall and Stewart Center in front of the Humanities, Social Science and Education Library from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Topics will include money management, spending and credit, and student loan debt management. Information also will be shared about “Cash Course,” a financial literacy Web site available at http://www.cashcourse.org/purdue

“In these uncertain economic times, it has become even more important for students to know how to manage their money wisely,” said Joyce Hall, executive director of financial aid. “We want to offer information and resources to encourage sound financial practices.”

This year marks the fourth annual Indiana Money Smart Week, taking place Oct. 10-17. Free classes and activities will be conducted statewide to help consumers better manage their finances. Money Smart Week takes place in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. These events are sponsored and coordinated in part by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

For more information, visit http://www.moneysmartweek.org/indiana or call the Money Smart Week Hotline 1-877-MNY-SMRT (1-877-669-7678).

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Thursday (March 26) workshop sponsored in part by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service will teach attendees how to help themselves and others better manage debt.
The Identifying Resources for Dealing with Debt Management workshop will begin at 6 p.m. in Ivy Hall, Room 1106, on the Lafayette campus of Ivy Tech Community College.

The workshop is for anyone who is interested in debt management, including human resource professionals, bankers, educators, social workers, church counselors and managers.

Workshop topics will include self-help, credit counseling, debt management plans, debt consolidation, bankruptcy, debt negotiation programs and judgment-proof plans.

“Anyone who is interested in learning about debt is encouraged to attend,” said Kathy Murray, Purdue Extension educator, Tippecanoe County. “In this time of financial hardship, we understand that it can be harder than normal to climb out of debt. This workshop will teach participants ways to help those around them deal with debt and also how to deal with their own debts, should they have any.”

Some of the covered topics will include self-help, credit counseling, debt management plans, debt consolidation, bankruptcy, debt negotiation programs and judgment-proof plans.

“When it comes time to think about credit counseling, some resources may be more helpful in certain instances than others,” Murray said. “We want to give participants the tools to help themselves and others make informed decisions when it comes to dealing with debt. We will have a panel of experts, including attorneys, on hand to talk about debt management.”

Identifying Resources for Dealing with Debt Management is sponsored by the Tippecanoe Area Economic Education Coalition, with resources and speakers provided by Purdue University Extension, Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union, Family Services Inc. and Lafayette Area Resource Academy.

The workshop is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For more information, contact Murray at 765-474-5330, murrayk@purdue.edu.