For a listing of upcoming seminars, click here

Over the past seven years, more than 7,000 people have attended DFCU Financial's free financial management seminars. These seminars are now more relevant than ever because of the economically challenging times we’re experiencing in southeastern Michigan. Members continue to tell us that they are finding it difficult to keep up and financially adapt to new and unexpected circumstances, such as wage cuts, early retirement and layoffs.

In an effort to help members and others in the communities in which we serve, we are holding the seminars at additional branch locations to make attending more convenient. Seminars are open to the general public. The seminar series includes:

Personal Money Management Seminar

The first seminar in the Financial Management series is designed to help you plan your long-term financial goals. The foundation for any sound financial plan is a budget. As part of our seminar, we discuss how to develop a realistic budget that incorporates an often ignored, yet necessary, component. Topics covered:

• How to use a budget to reach your desired goals
• How to position yourself to live on less income
• Methods you can use to determine the amount of credit you can afford
• Ways to restructure existing debt to your advantage
• How to incorporate a systematic approach to retirement savings
• How to stop creating new debt

Credit Management Seminar

The second seminar in the series helps you understand the increasingly complex world of credit and its impact on you. Topics covered:

• Credit reports
• Why credit scores are used and their impact
• Behaviors that impact credit scores
• The credit report dispute process  
• How to determine personal debt ratios and what they mean
• What to do if you fall victim to identity theft

Personal Wealth Builder Seminar

This seminar is designed to help you understand the challenges you face when it comes to retirement planning.  The seminar will offer practical advice on how to identify and reach retirement goals.  Topics covered:

• Becoming aware of the changing face of retirement
• Establishing your own personal financial point of reference
• Wealth-destroying traps to avoid
• How to become a proactive wealth-builder
• Closing the financial gaps in retirement

Post-Retirement Wealth Retention
You have finally retired after spending years saving for this time in your life. Now how do you preserve what you’ve saved? This seminar will show how sound wealth retention is a combination of both good defensive and offensive money management strategies. The topics discussed include:

• How to maintain your chosen lifestyle throughout retirement
• Common financial mistakes made after retirement
• Future challenges facing today’s retirees
• Financial tools to preserve wealth
• Closing financial gaps in retirement

Estate Planning
Estate Planning is an essential, yet often overlooked, element of a sound financial plan. We have enlisted the assistance of local attorneys to give you an overview of the importance of estate planning in order to leave your hard-earned assets to your heirs without penalty or concern. Estate planning is not just for the wealthy, it is for anyone that has children, a home, 401Ks and/or health care concerns. The topics discussed are:

• When is a will not enough?
• Legal documents such as Revocable Living Trusts, Last Will and Testaments, Durable Powers of Attorney and Patient Advocate Designations
• How to avoid probate and taxes