April 21-30 at the Orcas Island Public Library

— from Phil Heikkinen, Director, Orcas Island Public Library

Money Smart Week from April 21-30. All events in the Public LIbrary Conference Room

Money Smart Week from April 21-30. All events in the Public LIbrary Conference Room

A national partnership between the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the American Library Association, Money Smart Week brings to the Library local experts to help consumers learn to better manage their personal finances. In its fourth year at the Orcas Island Library, Money Smart Week 2015 will have classes to help with budgeting, investing & retirement, wills & estate planning, and QuickBooks.

All events held in the Library Community Meeting Room, unless otherwise noted.
All Classes Are Free and Open To Anyone.

April 21 Tuesday | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Do-It-Yourself Wills & Estate Planning: Small and simple estates may be able to take advantage of online resources for low-cost estate planning. Learn what information you need to gather; how to use the online interview; and when you might need the help of a professional.

April 22 Wednesday | 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Investing 101 : Do you understand the basics of budgeting, saving, and investing? Unfortunately, surveys have shown that most people do not, so you’re not alone! Learn the basics of how to start your retirement planning.

April 23 Thursday | 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Cyber Theft – How to protect yourself: Daily we hear a new security breach into account information store at banks, retail stores, online businesses, and most recently medical insurance records at Regence Blue Shield. The Library’s own resident Techie Tony Ghazel will give you tips on how to protect yourself and your information.

April 28 Tuesday | 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Money On My Mind – Why Beliefs About Money Make Us Do The Things We Do: Money stories and secrets…the ones we tell ourselves and the ones we tell others…may protect our feelings and influence our self worth…OR, they can get us into trouble with family, friends, employers, creditors. How we use our money is a reflection of our beliefs, values and attitudes about its importance to us. We worry about it, argue about it, count it and spend it…but do we really know why we do it in the ways we do? We will examine the origins of our own internal money talk and how it influences our self esteem, fears, disappointments and dreams. Through reexamining the way we understand, rationalize and bargain with money, we can find new ways to feel in charge of our financial resources and our money minds.

April 30 Thursday | 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Troubleshoot QuickBooks: Do you have questions about how to get more out of your QuickBooks? Memorize transactions, set up recurring monthly expenses, use accounts payable, figure out cash flow? Bring your problems and your tips for this popular group session.