Free “Get Smart About Your Money” campaign coming Nov. 7

BELLEVUE, WASH. – A free seminar on managing one’s finances, developed specifically for college students and others facing tight financial situations, will be held at Bellevue Community College (BCC) on Nov. 7.

The four-hour event, whichis open to the public, begins at 9:30 a.m. in Room 120 of the C Building (cafeteria and student union) on BCC’s main campus (3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Bellevue, at the intersection of S.E. 28th St. and 148th Ave. S.E.).

The program is one in a series of such seminars being presented across the state by the Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), the BCC Business Division and the Washington Society of CPAs’ Beta Alpha Psi honor society.

Most of the content for the series, which has already reached more than 2,500 Washingtonians, has been developed at BCC by Business Instructor Leslie Lum, author of the textbook, Personal Investing; Business Technology Systems Instructor Molly Blume, a former banker; Marketing Management Instructor Alice Jenkins, an expert in real estate; and Business Instructor Margie Biliske, a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner.

Participants across the state so far have included members of the AARP, community college students, school teachers and counselors, church congregations, City of Seattle employees and members of the Asian community.

Eleven other Washington colleges and universities will host the seminar on their campuses in November, including the University of Washington - Tacoma, Washington State University, Heritage University, Eastern Washington University, and Spokane, Columbia Basin and Tacoma community colleges.

"Get Smart About Your Money” is not just about providing facts,” said Lum. “These events are designed to teach participants to act and think in specific ways that will help them survive financially.”

The programs include individual sessions with money experts as well as fun activities such as the “Credit Game” and a treasure hunt for financial tips.

The concept for the financial education series grew from BCC’s and DFI’s participation in the Financial Literacy Public Private Partnership, a coalition of financial service providers, government, and nonprofit agencies established by the legislature to improve financial literacy in Washington State.

Coinciding with the event at BCC, a 16-page insert on financial education, produced at BCC with material excerpted from publications by the Investor Protection Trust and the Washington state Department of Financial Institutions, is expected to be published Nov. 7 by The Seattle Times.

For further information the public may contact Leslie Lum at llum@bellevuecollege.edu or 425-564-4063.

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