Leading non-profit debt management organization staff hosts free financial education workshop for teens at Boston Public Central Library in Copley Square
Boston, MA – April 25, 2013
This Friday, American Consumer Credit Counseling in partnership with the Boston Public Library will host an interactive “Money Matters for Teens” workshop that will explore basic financial strategies, such as managing resources, “budget busters,” how to avoid overspending and how to create a budget. This workshop is a part of Money Smart Week, a national initiative to educate consumers on ways to manage their personal finances.
“ACCC is dedicated to providing financial education to help empower people to plan for a debt free future, regardless of their age,” said Matthew Paradise, American Consumer Credit Counseling’s representative for the Money Matters for Teens workshop. “Our nation’s economic future depends on the financial well-being of our youth, which is why ACCC has chosen to host a workshop targeted to teens. It is so important that children and teens start learning about finances at a young age so they are better prepared to make sound financial decisions in the future.”
Although kids might not be immediately headed for financial troubles, credit card and loan debt could strike quicker than they might realize. Two-thirds of the national college class of 2011 finished school with loan debt, and those who borrowed graduated with an average of $26,600 in debt, which is a 5% increase from the previous year.
“Within the past few years, student loan debt has beaten out credit card debt as the highest form of consumer debt, besides that of mortgage loans,” stated Paradise. “College costs are rising rapidly and if kids aren’t learning about money management now, they will fall into financial pitfalls before they even have a chance to avoid it.”
In honor of Money Smart Week, Boston Public Library will host a series of programs from April 20th-27th that provide free financial literacy education to people of all ages. In addition to ACCC’s Money Matters for Teens, Boston Public Library’s programming includes workshops on managing student debt, utilizing financial planning resources, planning for unexpected financial hardships, and protecting against identity theft.
As a part of its educational resources, ACCC emphasizes the importance of empowering youth with the resources necessary to establish a successful financial future. Youth Literacy Workshops represents one category of its financial education literacy program that it offers to people of all ages. Other workshops presented by ACCC focus on money management, understanding credit, identity theft, and how to teach children about money.
ACCC’s Money Matters for Teens workshop will take place at the Central Library in Copley Square this Friday, April 26th at 3:00pm in the Teen Room. For more information about this workshop and others hosted by Boston Public Library, please see Boston Public Library’s Money Smart Week listing of events on its website: http://www.bpl.org/news/2013moneysmart.htm.
